14 Inch Intra Bundts and Wheel Cleaning

[Lukas]

After getting the Bundts of the parts car removed from the car, and then having the tyres stripped, I discovered that there are 2 variations on these wheels - early and late presumably.

From the front:

No visible difference, except that the "Made in West Germany" font is larger and better curved. Left has the larger and curvier font, and is I assume the later version.

From the back:

The one on the right (which I am assuming is the earlier version) has a lip on the inside edge of the gap, which points towards the car. No such lip on the LHS (newer) wheel. Note also the different mouldings in the centre.

Anyway, this brings me to my question on wheel cleaning. My cleaning to date:

• Spray with undiluted degreaser
• Wait 10 minutes
• Hit with pressure cleaner

The end result is what you see in the photos above. Using alloy wheel cleaner caused no improvement. There is still brake dust on the front of some of the wheels (see RHS wheel, top photo, outer edge), and about 50% by coverage of black specs on the inside (was 100%).

Any ideas how to remove this residual grot?

Ta

Lukas

 

[Oversize]

Hi Lukas, I use non-acidic wheel cleaner while they're dry & that seems to penetrate better. I'll scrub them with a stiff bristled brush (like a dish washing brush) straight after applying the cleaner. Leave it for about 5 minutes then lightly spray with water to wet down the wheel. I then use the brush & soapy water (car wash) to scrub once again. Then rinse off (carefully if you're using a high pressure washer). Do not leave even non-acidic wheel cleaner on to dry, as it may ruin the finish. If you've tried this process a couple of times with no success, I'd try eucalyptus oil to remove any spots; it usually works best on bitumen based road grime. WD40 works well as a degreaser & is non-corrosive. A soft toothbrush works best for tight areas. If the finish still fails to impress, I'd strip them with bi-carb soda or bead blasting & repaint.

Oh, you may find the part numbers on the wheels (inside) differ between early & late versions. The early one may start with 116 & the later might be 126.

 

[Michel]

If all fails (cleaning-wise), use a bit of sandpaper (2000 or 1200 grit).
That will get rid of it all

You might have to polish the wheel after.

 

[Lukas]

Thanks guys - will try the wheel cleaner again while the rims are dry. Sandpaper sounds like hard work, especially with all those little gaps and corners.