Cleaning Fat Boy Wheels
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6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 14
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From: NJ
Cleaning Fat Boy Wheels
I've got a '99 Fatboy. Both wheels have some pitting I want to try and remove. I tried the HD wheel cleaner but, while it removed some of the pitting, some still remains. Any ideas if there is a better method or product out there? Any advice is appreciated.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 364
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From: Toledo, OH
To get the chrome looking finish you have to do what TWF did.
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6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Thanks for the replies, it's appreciated. Has anyone tried a product call Bombs Away? I did a search and it sounds good but I'd have to believe the S100, which is sold at HD dealers must be a better product for polishing wheels. It sounds like I'm in for at least a few hours of cleaning these wheels, and though I'm not trying to take a short cut I do wanna use a real good cleaner/polish.
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
From: Connecticut
Only way that works for me
I had the same problem with pitting on the polished aluminum rim on my FB Lo. By the time I actually noticed it was too late to remove it by simply polishing. After trying every suggestion I could find on this forum, I found the solution that worked for me:
Disclaimer: this requires time and elbow grease.
1. Wash tires and rims thoroughly before beginning.
2. Start by masking (two layers) where the unpainted aluminum and black paint begins -- don't make the mistake of not masking the black paint and damaging the wheels. I used 3M green auto making tape for this step.
3. WET sand out the corrosion and pitting with 3M Trizact Performance Sandpaper. This stuff is expensive but I cut out a small 2" strip that was sufficient to do one side of each wheel. I found that wet sanding makes for a much better and more even finish. For the level of pitting on my wheels I needed to start with 3000 Grit and work down to 5000 Grit.
4. When you are finished sanding, clean off any residue with water and towel dry.
4. Carefully treat the sanded surface with a good rubbing compound to further remove scratches. I do this by first applying a small amount of compound around the rim and then hand rubbing until I get a black residue forming.
5. Clean off any residue with water and towel dry.
6. Finish with a good polisher such as Mother's Mag and Aluminum. Again I apply a small amount around the rim and then work it in with a good microfiber applicator and finish polishing with a clean microfiber towel.
At this point I am treating with an anti-corrosion spray to protect the rims. But I am interesting in experimenting with a clean coat over the polished aluminum.
Any thoughts?
Disclaimer: this requires time and elbow grease.
1. Wash tires and rims thoroughly before beginning.
2. Start by masking (two layers) where the unpainted aluminum and black paint begins -- don't make the mistake of not masking the black paint and damaging the wheels. I used 3M green auto making tape for this step.
3. WET sand out the corrosion and pitting with 3M Trizact Performance Sandpaper. This stuff is expensive but I cut out a small 2" strip that was sufficient to do one side of each wheel. I found that wet sanding makes for a much better and more even finish. For the level of pitting on my wheels I needed to start with 3000 Grit and work down to 5000 Grit.
4. When you are finished sanding, clean off any residue with water and towel dry.
4. Carefully treat the sanded surface with a good rubbing compound to further remove scratches. I do this by first applying a small amount of compound around the rim and then hand rubbing until I get a black residue forming.
5. Clean off any residue with water and towel dry.
6. Finish with a good polisher such as Mother's Mag and Aluminum. Again I apply a small amount around the rim and then work it in with a good microfiber applicator and finish polishing with a clean microfiber towel.
At this point I am treating with an anti-corrosion spray to protect the rims. But I am interesting in experimenting with a clean coat over the polished aluminum.
Any thoughts?
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