OK, so I bought my wheels used a little while ago. Not a bad deal, only $1,000 shipped. This are the older Superleggera's, not the multi-piece version. Where the spokes meet the barrel there is brake dust etched pretty bad. I am going home soon and I am going to day a nice spring detail and rescue these wheels.

I have tried using Menzerna polishes and a the powerball to no avail. I have also tried Zymol HD cleanse.

My next plan is to wetsand the wheels in the places where the brake dust is etched in, my question is this though. Once the wheels are wetsanded, what is small enough to let me get in there to machine polish the paint back to a gloss. I have a full set of tools (hand tools, power tools, and air tools). I am thinking something on a die grinder would work best.

I though these might work well
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...rrivals&page=1
But I am worried they might be too aggresive.

Also, what is a very aggressive clay for the inside of the wheels? I will try to get some pics soon.

 

Have you tried claying before wetsanding? Sonus has a pretty aggressive clay that works well, but you have to come back and polish it with a machine. My only clay of choice is zymol Lehm Klay 2. Works well in many applications and is very versatile. Happy median between aggressive and gentle clay. You may want to give that a try first. Also, some pictures of your wheels might help diagnose better.

 

Yes, i have tried claying using griot's garage clay. I will try to get pics as soon as possible, but I am at college right now and not at home so it is not easy to remove my wheels for pics.

 

For the aggressive type of contamination your wheels have (much like the Mercedes rims of the '80's), you need a very aggressive, high pH cleaner containing either sodium/potassium hydroxide. This is the same ingredient that makes oven cleaners work. Just remember, it is very dangerous to you so take appropriate precautions. Second, make sure that the wheels have clearcoat that has not been previously damaged or compromised.

I would have an experienced detailer (if there is one) in your area look at them and give you their advice.

Matt