cleaning spokes?
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Garfield AR.
http://www.buchananspokes.net/
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 1
From: ,,
I use turtle wax chrome polish and a lot of free time, I'm going to have to try out shout (heh rhyme) and see what happens.
I kinda like the shoe string idea, might be easier then a rag and cramped hands.
Spokes look awesome, but I hate them when i have to clean them.
I kinda like the shoe string idea, might be easier then a rag and cramped hands.
Spokes look awesome, but I hate them when i have to clean them.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 682
Likes: 1
From: Wichita, KS
Exactly. Take a 2" or 3" square of foil, fold it over a few times, wet it, and start rubbing. When that piece wears out, get another. It really doesn't take much rubbing at all. It'll be rough feeling when you start, then after 5-10 swipes, it'll be nice, clean, smooth, shiney, and rust free!
I figured it to be an old wives tale to be honest. But to say that I was pleasantly surprised, would be an understatement!
Mike
Banned
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,494
Likes: 5
I use an S.O.S. pad. I was real careful when I first tried it and found it does not scratch the chrome and the pad squeezes between the spokes easily. The guy I bought my bike from did not clean the wheels well and the spokes were very corroded with brake dust. Took a lot of initial effort, but now it takes just a few minutes to go over the wheels with the pad. I highly recommend cleaning spoke wheels regularly or they will become very difficult to clean. Even after cleaning the heck out of them, mine still have some spokes that still have some corrosion that refuses to come off, not real noticeable unless you look close at them, I might try the aluminum foil.
If I were to get new wheels, they definitely will be mags!
CB
If I were to get new wheels, they definitely will be mags!
CB
Last edited by NoLongerAmember; Apr 10, 2009 at 11:52 AM.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 682
Likes: 1
From: Wichita, KS
CB,
If the spokes are pitted, the foil won't remove that. Mine were pretty bad too. You can still see slight pitting, but you really have to get down on the spokes to see it. The foil took 100% of the rust off, but once the pitting is into the chrome, there's no fixing that.
Mike
If the spokes are pitted, the foil won't remove that. Mine were pretty bad too. You can still see slight pitting, but you really have to get down on the spokes to see it. The foil took 100% of the rust off, but once the pitting is into the chrome, there's no fixing that.
Mike
Banned
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,494
Likes: 5
CB,
If the spokes are pitted, the foil won't remove that. Mine were pretty bad too. You can still see slight pitting, but you really have to get down on the spokes to see it. The foil took 100% of the rust off, but once the pitting is into the chrome, there's no fixing that.
Mike
If the spokes are pitted, the foil won't remove that. Mine were pretty bad too. You can still see slight pitting, but you really have to get down on the spokes to see it. The foil took 100% of the rust off, but once the pitting is into the chrome, there's no fixing that.
Mike
Thanks, CB
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,062
Likes: 2
From: Southwest OHIO
wow thats a quick cleaning job... It takes at least 30 minutes to clean both my wheels, but i dont clean it weekly. Just every couple of weeks and it takes a good 1.5-2 hours max for the entire bike. But my buddy who has a good bit of chrome, it takes at least 3-4.5 hours to clean his.
Ive heard of the aluminum foil trick... The dude i bought a jeep off of said thats all he ever used on the chrome. I checked the chrome real good on the jeep and it doesnt seem to have scratched or hurt it at all. That being said, ive never tried it. Just a good ol microfiber and some soapy water or some meguires wheel cleaner. But im gonna try some shout and see how that works one of these days.
