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Chrome spoke cleaner

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Old Jun 3, 2025 | 07:07 AM
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Default Chrome spoke cleaner

Here we go...
What is the best chrome spoke cleaner or any tips. Mine have been neglected by the PO and it's killing me to make then shine again.
 
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Old Jun 3, 2025 | 07:17 AM
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Any cleaner will work, Mothers California Gold Chrome Cleaner is my go to. As for tips, use a cotton shoe lace, couple wraps around the spoke, back and forth is a sawing action, amazing!
 
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Old Jun 3, 2025 | 08:15 AM
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Incredible timing on your post, I spent several hours just last night cleaning the wheels and spokes on my most recent purchase.

For the front wheel I used Never Dull and painstakingly polished each spoke individually and wiped them down with a microfiber towel. They turned out great, but it was very tedious, and it was difficult to reach the parts of the spokes behind the brake rotor, and where the spokes cross each other.

The spokes on the rear wheel were more difficult to reach with the drive pulley, swing arm, etc. in the way, so I used McGuires Chrome Wheel Cleaner and a long-handled dish brush instead. (I bought a "spoke" brush from H-D a couple of years ago but it's too flimsy to be of any use) With the dish brush I was able to reach through the spokes on each side to get both sides of all the spokes and the hub. I also lifted the rear wheel off the ground slightly with a jack so I could rotate the wheel as I worked. Afterwards, I rinsed them thoroughly with water, and they turned out as good as the front spokes.

The chrome cleaner and dish brush are a great way to make them look better quickly, and they turned out better than I expected. When I have more time, I plan do a more thorough cleaning/polishing using the shoestring method suggested by chopper_man, but for now they look MUCH better than they did.


 
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Old Jun 25, 2025 | 09:03 PM
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I removed my rear wheel because I'll be taking it to the shop for a new tire install soon. The chrome and spokes had been neglected for some time now. I just finished cleaning the wheel and spokes, and they look so much better now. I'll try the shoe lace trick mentioned on the spokes, to finish them up tomorrow.
  • Wash the chrome wheel and spokes with a brush.
  • Dry throughly.
  • Then use dry fine steel wool #0000. It works great!

Spokes are difficult to clean because of access. Any powder cleaner used with water like "Brillo Cameo" - "Ajax" or "Comet" works on chrome, so I'll try that along with the shoelace trick.

A spray-on Turtle wax afterwards is my plan.

.
 
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Old Jun 26, 2025 | 07:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Cdex0614
Here we go...
What is the best chrome spoke cleaner or any tips. Mine have been neglected by the PO and it's killing me to make then shine again.
What is year and model?
Some older bikes did not come with chrome spokes, the dish was chrome but not the spokes, instead they had a coating on spokes.
 
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Old Jun 26, 2025 | 08:01 AM
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Originally Posted by im
What is year and model?
Some older bikes did not come with chrome spokes, the dish was chrome but not the spokes, instead they had a coating on spokes.
Some were cadmium
some were zinc
 
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Old Jun 26, 2025 | 08:05 AM
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I like spokes ... Tedious task sometimes


 
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Old Jul 2, 2025 | 09:42 AM
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If you have rust issues on spokes use tin foil. An old timer showed me that years ago and I know it feels wrong but the shi*t works!
 
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