Rusty crusty rims

[GearHead]

Hi all,
I've been working on my 77 gs400 and after scoring a decent tank for it, I now need to tackle the wheels. They are wire rims and rusty to. Any suggestions? I dont realy have the money to get these things cleaned by a profesional shop. Can I grab a wire wheel and strip the rust off with it then grab a buffing wheel and just polish them with it? Also, anyone know of a way to fill in rust pits so the offending area can be polished?
Thanks
Gearhead

 

[rustybronco]

For a minute I thought it was about a relative of mine.

fine steel wool and chrome cleaner?

 

[jimcor]

For a minute I thought it was about a relative of mine.

fine steel wool and chrome cleaner?

Yah, I'd use steel wool. Little white vinegar to help break things up.

The pits you live with. As they say on 'Antique Road Show' "notice the wheels show the patina of age that comes with a classic machine of this age".

 

[petelardo]

A wire wheel might do MORE damage to the rims, and could make it a lot more difficult to get the kind of smooth finish you're looking for. Evapo-Rust works well; just check these links for more details:

http://www.evapo-rust.com

http://www.evapo-rust.com/faq/

http://www.evapo-rust.com/howto/

To keep expenses down, remove the tires, then find a container which will allow you to submerge part of the rim in the Evapo-Rust. Once that section is clean, rinse the rim as directed, soak it in Evapo-Rust to protect it from flash-rusting, then submerge a different section of the rim, and begin the process again.

Once the rim is rust-free, you should be able to start polishing the metal back to a nice shine. I get Evapo-Rust from my local AutoZone (they keep it with the paints), but if you just can't find it in your area, call them on the toll-free line, and they should be able to help you find a supplier. In the worst case, they can ship it direct, though that could be expensive, depending on how much you want.

Be SURE to read the ENTIRE FAQ page; I think you'll quickly understand how much it can help you. A guy I know couldn't dip a large metal sculpture his wife bought at an estate sale, so he wrapped it in clean rags, then poured the Evapo-Rust onto the rags. He covered the whole thing with a sheet of plastic, to slow the evaporation of water from the Evapo-Rust, and was amazed at the results. It wasn't completely rust-free the first time he used it, so he reapplied the rags soaked in Evapo-Rust in the places where the rust was really heavy, and eventually got the whole thing clean and rust-free.

Once you've got clean metal, try rubbing compound, followed by polishing compound, to attack the pitted areas. Time and patience will be your friends in dealing with those rims...

EDIT: For more ideas, read this thread:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=110293