Started cleaning the Wheels on my 96 - whew!

[Rain]

Looks like I am the first owner to pull the wheels and do any cleaning. Can safely assume that the only other folks who went in here were there to put on brakes or new tires.

Checking tire wear, looks like I have a bit of an alignment problem.

Inside of each wheel was very black and copper. Lots of elbow grease later, the fronts have a much more silver tone, and the rears are about 50/50 silver to black.
(silver with black patches embeded in the wheel)

Looks like an all day saturday project with a dremel tool!

Sprayed a bit of cleaner on the wheel wells while I had the tires off.
Those too are going to be another full day of wiping and spraying to get 8 years of grime out of there.

Going to give the exterior and interior a really good cleaning before the vette show next weekend.

 

[berky2500]

Just be glad you only have 8, I have 19 years on my seemingly untouched wheels. When I first bought the car all of the wheels "wobbled" at higher speeds. The first time I had them off I found out why. All of the grease from the upper ball joint dripping onto the rim and getting caked with dirt and grime. I'm not kidding when I say I had nearly 8 ounces of dirt and gravel total from the inside of four wheels. Talk about balance problem...

 

[Rain]

no kidding⁄!!!
I found some of that goop in the rear wheels. Wondered how a grease/crud like that had worked its way inside the wheel.

Figured it was tar or something from the road!. LOL

Might pull mine off one at a time when I have nothing to do, and put the dremel to em.
But that is only when I really have the time!

 

[jeff blitz]

hey

Nice ride! I want you to know that your not the only anal one out there that cleans the inside of the rims. I do it in the winter(michigan) so it keeps me married. LOL



jeff

 

[Rain]

I hear ya -
Wish one of the prior owners of this vette had cleaned it (more than washing the outside).

I have been the first enthusiast. The others were just drivers.

Cleaned her up for her first ever vette show this week. MAN I need another week to clean, but just had to stop.

I could go the next step and start removing parts to clean her up better, but will save that for the next owner.

Love this vette, but will probably have to sell her to get our next one.

 

[Rain]

UPDATE:

I took 2nd place in Wash N Show for the C4 division! Not bad in my books for my very first ever Car show.(me and the vette, our first)

Now to start on that Trophy Case! hahaha

Rain

 

[WNH]

I used a pressure washer on the inside wheels.
Still didn't get them like new.

 

[ljbest]

Hi, I picked up a second set of saw-blade wheels for my '96 over the weekend. After an hour of scrubbing the insides of the wheels with hot soapy water and a brush, I could see the aluminum color, but it is not pretty. This set of wheels has been polished (not chromed). I need to touch up the silver-grey paint in a few spots, but I am not sure how to get that paint code. I was also wondering if it would make it easier to clean these wheels if the insides were painted (same silver-gray), as they are on my truck. Once I get this paint question resolved, I need to re-polish, then clear-coat these wheels. Any adivce would be appreciated.

Larry

 

[Corvette-Pilot]

My fronts are also a mess inside. It is all from the ball joints being over filled and the crud plopping into the rim, yuk !!
This will in deed be a big project !

 

[WhalePirot]

Part of my outine is to clean the insides if the rims when I rotate the tires, every 5k miles. Who said anal? LOL

It gives me a chance to look things over, like the rotors and pads, plus oher items normally hidden.

 

[Rain]

Hi, I picked up a second set of saw-blade wheels for my '96 over the weekend. After an hour of scrubbing the insides of the wheels with hot soapy water and a brush, I could see the aluminum color, but it is not pretty. This set of wheels has been polished (not chromed). I need to touch up the silver-grey paint in a few spots, but I am not sure how to get that paint code. I was also wondering if it would make it easier to clean these wheels if the insides were painted (same silver-gray), as they are on my truck. Once I get this paint question resolved, I need to re-polish, then clear-coat these wheels. Any adivce would be appreciated.

Larry

Hey Larry
I don't know the answer, but I would suggest you ask in a new thread here on the CAC.
That way it will get more exposure and should put you closer to a speedy answer.

Good luck!
Rain