Trick For Cleaning Wire Wheels "Spoke Rims"!
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 17
Trick For Cleaning Wire Wheels "Spoke Rims"!
Okay this will take some time but read through this , it works great! Also be patient this can't be done in 5 minutes either but it works!
Go to your local discount store and buy some cheap shoe laces, I think I bought the 54 inch ones. (Buy the longest ones you can find). I then cut them in half and tied the ends in a knot so they don't unravel. Get a small butter bowl or anything similar. Place the cut shoelaces in it and pour some chrome polish over them and let it soak into the shoe laces. Be sure that it is something that is easy to apply and easy to buff. (I used some Mothers liquid polish in a red bottle).
Place your bike on a bike jack if you have one to rotate the wheels.
When you take a shoe lace out of the polish place it between you thumb and forefinger, squeeze it and pull on it with the other hand over the container to get the excess polish off of it.
Wrap the shoe lace around a spoke once and then swap the shoe laces from one hand to the other, this will make the shoe lace walk or move when yousee-saw it back and fourth. It will take some time and practice but you will get the hang of it quick. Allow the polish to dry and then take some clean strips of old t-shirts cut in approximately 1 X 16 inch strips and use them in the same way as the shoe laces to buff the polish off of the spokes.
This will clean brake dust and minor rust and get you spoke rims back to "Like New" condition.
I really love my spoke rims but was ready to buy some custom wheels because I couldn't keep them clean and rust free. NOT ANYMORE!!!!!
Let me know what you think.
Good Luck!!!!!!!!
Go to your local discount store and buy some cheap shoe laces, I think I bought the 54 inch ones. (Buy the longest ones you can find). I then cut them in half and tied the ends in a knot so they don't unravel. Get a small butter bowl or anything similar. Place the cut shoelaces in it and pour some chrome polish over them and let it soak into the shoe laces. Be sure that it is something that is easy to apply and easy to buff. (I used some Mothers liquid polish in a red bottle).
Place your bike on a bike jack if you have one to rotate the wheels.
When you take a shoe lace out of the polish place it between you thumb and forefinger, squeeze it and pull on it with the other hand over the container to get the excess polish off of it.
Wrap the shoe lace around a spoke once and then swap the shoe laces from one hand to the other, this will make the shoe lace walk or move when yousee-saw it back and fourth. It will take some time and practice but you will get the hang of it quick. Allow the polish to dry and then take some clean strips of old t-shirts cut in approximately 1 X 16 inch strips and use them in the same way as the shoe laces to buff the polish off of the spokes.
This will clean brake dust and minor rust and get you spoke rims back to "Like New" condition.
I really love my spoke rims but was ready to buy some custom wheels because I couldn't keep them clean and rust free. NOT ANYMORE!!!!!
Let me know what you think.
Good Luck!!!!!!!!
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
That is great for bikes with chrome plated spokes. However, up until about 2005 or so, the MoCo put cadmium plated spokes in the bikes. They did this for decades. Cad spokes ain't ever gonna shine. They just get dull and grayer. If you polish on them, you just rub the cad plating off and they will rust.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 17
RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
I was unaware of that. Mine are on a 2006 Dyna Street Bob and they are shining like a mirror right now. I just finished doing this, this evening. They look like new to me, and they look chrome too!
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
You can go to the Footlocker and get those FAT or PHAT shoe laces like back in the 80's. Some of you I realize are a lot older than me so you might not know what I'm talking about. They are 3/4 to 1" wide. 
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 17
RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
The fatter laces may get stuck when attempting to get pass the point where the spokes cross close to one another. The standard size worked great for me.
It also was easier on the front wheel. Luckily the rear , for some reason or another doesn't get as much grime or brake dust on it as the front.
It also was easier on the front wheel. Luckily the rear , for some reason or another doesn't get as much grime or brake dust on it as the front.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 808
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From:
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 17
RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
AND I ONLY SPENT $1.00, for some cheap shoe laces at the local Dollar Store and soaked them in some Mothers polish that I use on other chrome parts on my bike.
Sorry if I let the cat out of the bag for these folks.
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Ultimate HDF Member
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RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
Sit down, place a portable fan next to you, a radio, an ice chest with some cold ones, old socks, turtle wax chrome cleanerand your set for about 2-3 hours. [sm=signs003.gif]
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Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Phila, Pa
RE: Trick For Cleaning Spoke Rims!
ORIGINAL: 1CrazyTrain
Sit down, place a portable fan next to you, a radio, an ice chest with some cold ones, old socks, turtle wax chrome cleanerand your set for about 2-3 hours. [sm=signs003.gif]
Sit down, place a portable fan next to you, a radio, an ice chest with some cold ones, old socks, turtle wax chrome cleanerand your set for about 2-3 hours. [sm=signs003.gif]
