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Cleaning and Polishing Spokes

O

orourcs

Member
Short of taking the rear wheel off to clean and polish the rear wheel and spoke, what is the best approach. Between the belt drive and the brakes, this is a difficult chore. Sure could use some advice.
 
I just attacked the cleaning job on my wheels the other day. I put it up on my Larin ATV jack and started by using a brass bristle brush (avalible at Home Depot in a two pac) to clean up the rims and spoke terminals of debris and light rust etc. Then I went at the rim edges with a cordless drill with a 4 inch polishing buff on a mandrel using "Flitz" liberally as my polish compound. Then I "shoe shinned" with flitz and a piece/strip of terry cloth between the terimals an finally, going from one completed side to the other, shoeshined the (EDIT) spokes themselves....

Sore fingers but its done.

Rear wheel is next and, obviously more difficult.


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Don't be too aggressive with the brushes or polish compound on stock Harley spokes. Most are cadmium (?) plated, not chrome or stainless steel. If you break the cad. surface, rust will follow. Nothing is prettier than a nicely polished spoke wheel. Nothing is a bigger pain than polishing a spoke wheel.
 
How do stainless spokes hold up? Any corrosions issues between stainless spokes, aluminum hub and chrome rim. That is three disimilar metals, which is listed as a major cause of corrosion.

Any advice before I spent $$ on stainless spokes?
 
03fxsti said:
How do stainless spokes hold up? Any corrosions issues between stainless spokes, aluminum hub and chrome rim. That is three disimilar metals, which is listed as a major cause of corrosion.

Any advice before I spent $$ on stainless spokes?
Click to expand...

I've never had ss spokes, but many of my friends have. I've never heard of a corrosion problem. As with most items, a quality spoke will hold up better than a bargain one. Personally I love the look of the twisted or diamond cut ss spokes. They really reflect the light.
 
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