Question of cleaning chrome wire wheels

Before I have new tires installed on my Mk2`s wire wheels I would like to clean the old grime and differential oil cleaned off. I am thinking of having them vapor blasted and wondered if anyone has some experience using this process? It is not a show car just a driver. What effect on the chrome will the vapor blasting have? Any thoughts? Thanks Pete

Is vapor blasting equal to steam cleaning?

Found this on the web:

http://www.jcna.com/wire-wheelscleaning

Looks like Dayton might have specific information as many were concerned about residue mistress rusting the spokes.

Gerard

Vapor blasting is similar to wet blasting and involves slightly abrasive particles like micro glass beads. It is not what you want for plated metals. Vapor degreasing is perfect, being like steam cleaning but using a solvent. Unfortunately, the solvents are now illegal because they are similar to Freon. Steam and pressure washing force water into the spokes–not good.

That leaves, IMHO, detergent and water brushed on. Acidic cleaners are an option if you have rust, but otherwise not a good idea, again IMHO.

BTW (referring to the thread cited above) I own sets of Kelsey-Hayes, Dayton, and Borrani wire wheels. Each of these manufacturers offers wheels capable of safely supporting very heavy cars, as well as lighter wheels similar to OE Dunlap Jaguar wheels. The idea of wire wheels, originally, was that they offered the best strength-to-weight ratio available. But with the advent of magnesium alloy wheels (introduced in the US and noticed by Enzo when he was visiting), wire wheels lost this advantage. Enzo, then others, discontinued them as OE equipment. Others, like Jaguar, kept them on lighter cars but offered optional disc wheels.

What Jaguar never did was what others (including aftermarket) are willing to do: build strong wire wheels even though to do so they have to weigh considerably more than disc wheels. Dayton, in particular, built 60 spoke wheels for the Series 1 XJ. Continuing these for the heavier S3 XJ and XJs proved problematic and resulted in buybacks due to safety concerns. At that time Dayton introduced 70 spoke wire wheels–still available today–that are adequate but weigh even more than the 60 spoke and much more than steel or alloy disc wheels. On heavier cars, wire wheels are for bling only.

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Interesting story Robert. I’m at the point with my car right now where I’m deciding to refurb my original wires and paint them, get new wires, or get some other type of wheel. I’d be open to lighter stronger wheels but I have center knock offs. Are there any other wheels that go onto the center spline that aren’t those super expensive D type wheels?

There are these and their various similars. Paul
http://minilite.co.uk/application.php?a_make=JAGUAR

My car is a daily driver but I still like it to look its best when showing. Realistically in the wet climate here little chance of keeping the chrome wires perfect, so last year after 20 years of ‘pain’ I bought a set of tatty chrome wires and arranged for them to be trued / few spokes replaced and then powder coated in a high metallic ‘chrome’ finish. The result is very near to chrome, although side by side with chrome the difference is clear, but the cleaning is a revelation - the brake dust just falls off as opposed to burning / rusting into the chrome. I hope the images are clear.! Cost was GBP100 for the tatty set plus GBP240 plus delivery/collection for the refurb. I still have the set of chromes I used to have on the car, and tempted to the same process with those but perhaps a black finish for when I’m feeling a bit Lecter.100_6135|666x500

I use a power washer to get most of the stuff off then I use Griots BBS wheel cleaner, soak it then power wash the wheel cleaner off. For polishing (mine wheels are chrome) I use 000 steel wool, and use compressed air to blow off the steel particles off because the particles will rust. then sometimes I use spray wax to protect… Actually I don’t know why I use wax because the process will take the wax off… It a process. I have an extra set of kents that I put on while I labor at cleaning. It’s a yearly event, I usually just use a bottle brush Giots BBS wheel cleaner and the power washer. for normal car washing days.

All in all look great, but a major PITA.

Whatever else you do, before you put the tires on, and the protective rubber layer around the inside of the rim, silicon seal the inside of the spoke heads to discourage future leakage of anything from the hub.
P.

A good idea: better is to roughen the inside surface by bead-blasting the nipple and inner hub surfaces, and use urethane: impervious to the grease, and it holds on better.