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cleaning spokes

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Guest

Guest
Ok I've been trying all types of things to clean up the spokes on my 78 with no real luck. Hand cleaner, steel wool, metal cleaner, etc, etc... nothing so far is getting it nicely polished. I really don't want to take them all off as there is a cost to putting them back on. They're not covered in grime, or at least not anymore, they are just dull. Does anyone have a "nice little trick" for getting these shinny again?
 
Using cleaners isn't going to make them shine. You have to buff them with compound and a buffing wheel.
 
You might want to try some metal polish or brass cleaner. Anything you do though will further remove the zinc coating which can in part will allow the metal to corrode even faster.
 
Got an air compressor?? This is on your 1000, im assuming, which would have alloy rims no? In that case, get a small die grinder, install a little 2-3" buffing wheel on it (available at Harbor freight or the like) pick up some Aluoxide jewelers rouge, and go to town on em :) Or, tin foil works well too.. Will take off the oxidation, but it softer than the alloy.. Cigarette ashes made into a paste work well... but so does Brasso or mothers alu polish. The trick is, with the die grinder, its much faster, as the heat generated does alot of the work. I have a nice little set up, I can polish case covers without even removing them.. Rims would be the same..just takes a lil more time :)
 
Cigarette ashes?? are you serious. No, no air compressor..yet. We just bought tonight, what was I thinking, and the garage is finally bigger than the garden shed I've been working out of. So hopefully in the near future a compressor will be within my grasp. I've got a dremel, maybe I'll look for something for that. Good point about making things worse than better but at least I'll have a nice base to get things back to if I can get them polished up well. It doesn't seem like there's an easy answer to this though.
 
azr said:
It doesn't seem like there's an easy answer to this though.
Click to expand...
You will expend a fair amount of elbow grease, doing it by hand. I once did this, and used rubbing compound with a shop rag, with fairly good results.....you could use the same compound, or something more aggressive with a scotch-brite pad, to speed up the process, but keep in mind, the polished look will only last a few weeks, and eventually dull.....the way to go is stainless spokes.....buff these up before installing, and the shine will last for years, with minimal maintenance.
 
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