Why doesnt oxidation come off my chrome rims?

[frankosmusica]

Ive had these problem in the past with a few rims, I did a Vette with chrome rims and it had oxidation in the corners I used meguiars chrome polisher and a rag to polish the rim, before this I washed the rim with a rag soap and water to try to get it to its cleanest and still after the polish it was dirty in the corners. What is your guys process to get rims all cleaned up ? and I know I cant used degreaser because it will dull the rim and I definitely dont want that

[C. Charles Hahn]

Ive had these problem in the past with a few rims, I did a Vette with chrome rims and it had oxidation in the corners I used meguiars chrome polisher and a rag to polish the rim, before this I washed the rim with a rag soap and water to try to get it to its cleanest and still after the polish it was dirty in the corners. What is your guys process to get rims all cleaned up ? and I know I cant used degreaser because it will dull the rim and I definitely dont want that



Did you determine that the chrome wheels were bare chrome and not clear coated? If the wheels are clear coated you don`t want to be using metal polish on them.



I would suggest picking up and using a proper wheel cleaner or other iron remover type of product such as Sonax FE or IronX to deal with situations where a wheel has brake dust or other rusty particulates embedded in it. After cleaning via that method, and possibly following up with a claybar, then and only then should you be moving on to an abrasive polish of any kind (and of course, pick the appropriate abrasive for the type of material you`re working on).

[RaskyR1]

I don`t think chrome "chromium" itself can oxidize...are you sure they are chrome wheels?

[Ron Ketcham]

Rasky, my question exactly--are they aftermarket or OEM wheels?

Makes a big difference.

Grumpy

[togwt]

They can be either a clear coated, anodized, or bare polished aluminium (using a metal polish will turn the cloth black if the metal is not coated) in which case different types of polishes are needed for each.



Some ‘high polished’ chrome / Aluminium wheels (including those that come stock on Corvette C6) have a clear coat applied; if so don’t use an abrasive polish on them.

[Legacy]

Assuming these are truly chrome rims..use Meg`s Wheel Brightner. It is an acid so use caution.