Knock Off Wheels, OEM without date code, clean up process suggestions

[Bob A.]

I would like to clean-up a set of OEM Knock Off wheels that do not have a date code. They have a textured finish with no paint between the fins and the cone is chrome. Would dusting these off with a very light media blast at low pressure be NCRS acceptable? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Bob Adams

[Bob R.]

Re: Knock Off Wheels, OEM without date code, clean up process suggestions

When these are judged they are compared to the way they left the factory. If the finish is different then there will be a deduct. Can you media blast them with out changing the color and texture of the finish?

[James W.]

Re: Knock Off Wheels, OEM without date code, clean up process suggestions

Is the reason you want to media blast them is because they are stained? Before you do any media blasting, I would have your wife look the other way and put a wheel in her dish washer and put it on the pots and pans setting with the detergent and let it clean the wheel face. IF you are set on media blasting I would find a source that does dry ice or soda blasting. I would mask off the polished outer wheel lip and each fin before blasting. You can use 280 grit wet/dry sand paper to polish the outer lips and fins. Put the wheel in a wash tub and use water with a little dish soap and do your polishing. This grit of sand paper will give you a factory like finish on the outer wheel lip and fins.

Regards,

James West

[Richard G.]

Re: Knock Off Wheels, OEM without date code, clean up process suggestions

I have used soda blasting for aluminum and it typically looks like a new casting when done. Harbor Freight sells a cheap setup for this. Don't soda blast on the lawn! It almost killed the grass. It was late summer and dying off any way, so my wife never noticed.... Grass came back in the spring.

Many of the wheel restorers use a slurry blasting process. Water and another media, Walnut shells or glass beads, are the most popular.

[Dan A.]

Re: Knock Off Wheels, OEM without date code, clean up process suggestions

If the wheels don't have stamped in dates, do they have any remnants of the ink stamped dates?

Pictures are almost always good.

[Bob A.]

Re: Knock Off Wheels, OEM without date code, clean up process suggestions

I do not see any date codes marked with ink.