Wow! 
(Before and after pics below)
I heard on this fine forum that short of bead-blasting these damn wheels to clean them, Eagle Mag Cleaner for Rough Cast was the way to go. After NEVER using any wheel cleaners that didn't clean anything but the money from my wallet..
I had to go to Poopboys to get it, $5.99 I think. From the label, it's basically 3 types of acid.
I followed the instructions on the bottle, cooled the wheels with the hose, then waited for them to dry. I put on some rubber gloves, and sprayed the first wheel. It days on the bottle that some "agitation" may be needed on very dirty wheels, so I grabbed a brush I had, and CAREFULLY brushed the acid into the wheel, no real effort needed. I ended up snapping the cheap brush, so I grabbed an old toothbrush, a children's one, the small size helped get into the nooks and crannies.
The rears (Filthy from being in the front of my NA Regal) needed some special attention, but no real scrubbing needed. I then used some steel wool to brighten up the machined surface areas..
BEFORE/AFTER: Yes, I was ashamed of myself for letting them get this dirty
Here's a larger pic of the right rear before/after: What a difference!
Tips and observations:
1. USE THINK LATEX GLOVES (Playtex, similar) I used some cheap thin 3Ms, and my hands are torn up. This stuff is VERY caustic, you may want to wear jeans too. If you look close at the after pics, you will see I no longer have pain on the back of the disc pads.
2. USE EYE PROTECTION! I did, and even though I was very careful, I got a few specks on my work glasses.
3. For best results, I would remove the wheels from the car, I will do this next time, and clean the insides too. This also reduces the possibility of getting it on the paint.
4. Get a few old, small toothbrushes to "agitate" the acid and caked brake dust.
5. After liberally rinsing the wheel, pay special attention to the valve stem, rinse it for awhile, mine kept dripping dark crap afterwards, even after rinsing well, not completely.
Hope this helps!
(Before and after pics below)I heard on this fine forum that short of bead-blasting these damn wheels to clean them, Eagle Mag Cleaner for Rough Cast was the way to go. After NEVER using any wheel cleaners that didn't clean anything but the money from my wallet..
I had to go to Poopboys to get it, $5.99 I think. From the label, it's basically 3 types of acid.
I followed the instructions on the bottle, cooled the wheels with the hose, then waited for them to dry. I put on some rubber gloves, and sprayed the first wheel. It days on the bottle that some "agitation" may be needed on very dirty wheels, so I grabbed a brush I had, and CAREFULLY brushed the acid into the wheel, no real effort needed. I ended up snapping the cheap brush, so I grabbed an old toothbrush, a children's one, the small size helped get into the nooks and crannies.
The rears (Filthy from being in the front of my NA Regal) needed some special attention, but no real scrubbing needed. I then used some steel wool to brighten up the machined surface areas..
BEFORE/AFTER: Yes, I was ashamed of myself for letting them get this dirty
Here's a larger pic of the right rear before/after: What a difference!
Tips and observations:
1. USE THINK LATEX GLOVES (Playtex, similar) I used some cheap thin 3Ms, and my hands are torn up. This stuff is VERY caustic, you may want to wear jeans too. If you look close at the after pics, you will see I no longer have pain on the back of the disc pads.
2. USE EYE PROTECTION! I did, and even though I was very careful, I got a few specks on my work glasses.
3. For best results, I would remove the wheels from the car, I will do this next time, and clean the insides too. This also reduces the possibility of getting it on the paint.
4. Get a few old, small toothbrushes to "agitate" the acid and caked brake dust.
5. After liberally rinsing the wheel, pay special attention to the valve stem, rinse it for awhile, mine kept dripping dark crap afterwards, even after rinsing well, not completely.
Hope this helps!
