cmonkey713

One of my winter projects is to detail the undercarriage. The OEM A-arms aren't dirty but look oxidized and discolored. What can I use to improve the looks of the A-arms and other similar components without sanding and grinding on the parts, and short of hand polishing. Thanks for any help you can give me.

walker3

Aluminum Brite - spray on and wash off - NAPA sells it - makes aluminum look new again

cmonkey713

Thank you very much. I will get some this weekend and give it a try.

TOGWT

Undercarriage Cleaning & Care

Your vehicle’s undercarriage; it’s what you don't see that silently awaits underneath your cars. Removing sprayed brine solution to protect your undercarriage is just as important as detailing the paint. Wheel wells, sub-frame, springs, fender well and all of the other black and gray parts underneath the body need detailing too.

After removing dirt, road grime, and etc with P21S® High Performance Total Auto Wash or Optimum™ PolymerTechnologies - Power Clean- use a pressure washer (Kärcher Model K5.93M) neutralise the effects of the alkaline sprayed brine solution on the suspension, wheel wells and the undercarriage (See also Road salt)

Never go underneath a car supported by the supplied jack - always use axle stands if you wish to work underneath the car. Always jack the car up at the manufacturer's recommended jacking points. Ensure the jack is in stable contact with both the jacking point (see owner's manual) and the ground. Always work on level ground.

A spray coating of Chemical Guys - Bare Bones not only adds a durable long lasting shine, it also repels dirt but can also hide dirty spots and discoloration between parts, while enhancing any detail .It is possible to do this detail with the wheels on and just jacking the car up, but the ideal way is with the wheels off.

Metal parts use #0000 steel wool and Optimum Metal Polish and then apply a WOWO polymer sealant (Optimum Opti-Seal or Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal) for any rubber / vinyl parts spray with 1z einszett Tiefenpfleger -Vinyl-Rubber Care and Protectant,

agentf1

Please post how the Aluminum Brite work.

cmonkey713

TOGWT, where do I get this stuff? Auto Geek?

I'm wanting to make the aluminum A-arms and such look considerably better than they look now. The car is never driven in the wet and is undercarriage basically looks as good as it did new. No dirt here but the aluminum just looks oxidized and generally very dull.

When using Optimum Metal Polish, would you recommend using a power devise on the rougher casting parts or some other method? I'm not looking for a mirror polish finish just a nice uniform clean looking finish.

I plan on removing the shocks and sway bars for better access to everything. I won't be removing the A-arms due to the PITA factor.

rickyrj1

Get some #0000 and some metal polish (Mothers is sold everywhere) and give it a try on one of the Alum. parts. Its just a simple way of seeing if it is the look your after. You'll be out of pocket $10.00
good Luck

TOGWT

Check the forum sponsors they usually stock quality car care products and we should support them via our purchases

agentf1

While this looks and works GREAT on C4 parts, the C5 and especially the C6 parts seem to have a VERY rough finish unfortunately.

cmonkey713

That's one of my issues. some of the castings are pretty rough and I'm looking for ideas to deal with this short of grinding them smooth which would take days or weeks to do.

GotChrist?

http://www.omegaindustrialsupply.com...Degreasers.htm

ALUMINUM BRITE is an excellent ground transportation aluminum brightener. ALUMINUM BRITE is an acidic liquid designed for use as an aluminum deoxidizer with a pH of less than one and will not etch most metals. ALUMINUM BRITE cleans and brightens aluminum parts, removes anodic or chromate coatings, and is a great cleaner for aluminum vans and trucks. This product is non-flammable and non-explosive.

Posting for informational purposes only.

walker3

Like stated earlier NAPA has it in a spay bottle

GotChrist?

I'd be very careful when using it. Battery acid has a ph of less than one. Here's an explanation of ph values:

The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic. A pH greater than 7 is basic.

The pH scale is logarithmic and as a result, each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. For example, pH 4 is ten times more acidic than pH 5 and 100 times (10 times 10) more acidic than pH 6.

cmonkey713

The Omega, Aluminum Bright web site doesn't have the PH of the product. Where could I find the PH on this stuff? I don't want to eat up the aluminum and rubber parts?

rickyrj1

Thanks for the heads up. Guess we'll have to be a little more agggressive in the process. Thats why I suggested to start there to see the result. You know me it has to "shine" lol

Pack Leader

Woody Wax for aluminum. Use to use it on all the aluminum on my boat.

http://www.woody-wax.com/woody_wax_cpr_system.php

cmonkey713

I would have never guessed.

tlc0706

P21S Total Auto Wash will clean it up....Polish? That would be a major job..

cmonkey713

I have seen a C-6 with the rear carriage ground smooth and polished. After doing the rear he gave up on the front and quit. I'm not looking for a smooth polished finish just a nice uniform aluminum finish. You guys have given me some great ideas here and i can't wait to try them out after Christmas.

GotChrist?

P21S is great stuff. Save it for the engine bay, paint, etc.... If you want to use a standard cleaner/APC, try Optimum Power Clean. It's safe enough to use anywhere, but is targeted for use on undercarriage work, wheel wells, etc.... Much more economical than P21S.
I save P21S/S100 for my motorcycles, giving them a good spraying before hand washing.