Polishing an Aluminum Roof Rack and then not- Ass Pain!

[CREGAN]

I was lucky enough to inherit an Aiba Works half rack with my van when it was adopted and have just had it sitting in my shed while I worked on brining the paint back to life. Here are some pics for those visual learners such as I:

All of the hardware looked like this- decades of Japanese acid rain is my guess.

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Replaced it today with nice new shiney stuff.

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Here is what the rest of the rack looks like:

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I am just wondering what the tips and tricks are to bring the rack back to it's once illustious state. How to and what to use would be great appreciated advice. Also wondering if I should replace the decals (if so where to get them) or if I should just pull them off. What do you guys think? Thanks

Craig

[FalcoColumbarius]

Metal cleaner, like Autosol; some elbow grease; old toothbrush; Scotchbite pads; power-buffer; micro-fibre towels. Aluminium is pretty soft so maybe try finishing it with something like Brasso (do a test spot in an inconpicuous area of the rack to be sure). I'd leave the decals on as a patina-ed testimony of the rack's pedigree and just clean up to the edge of the decal.

Falco.

[Luna-Sea]

Hey,
If you can get to a trucker supply place
"Wicked Polish" is pretty awesome stuff.
Elbow grease and very light and fine abrasive as
Falco said.
You can also get diluted aluminum acid cleaner Liquid
At the trucker supply places, is is effective but
You need to wear goggles and gloves ect. You leave it
on for a bit, it turns whitish then hose it off.
It really loosens and lifts the oxidation and pitting gunk making
the polishing step alot quicker.

You are only going to shine up the side rails and rack towers eh?

Right On!

[jessef]

Hey Craig

I use Mother's polish with a hand rag and soft cloth. Lots of detailing shops that polish aluminum wheels swear by it.

[foxycanuck]

I've always used a soft brass brush to clean off and polish up chrome... not sure if it will scratch aluminum or not, but it works like a charm for removing corrosion. You can get them at Canadian Tire... they look like little brass toothbrushes. I was nervous as hell at first because I thought it would leave little scratch marks, but with a light touch and a quick clean after it leaves it super shiny.

[Fishtank]

Hey Craig

I use Mother's polish with a hand rag and soft cloth. Lots of detailing shops that polish aluminum wheels swear by it.

Mothers and a powerball would work great on your rack. It would take a bit of time, but it works great.

[LeeHammy]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, the polish then shark skin. (Shark skin you pick up at a marine shop or fishing store and it keeps your aluminium looking mint for years.) There are other brands but its used to coat aluminium boats to keep all the slime and stuff that sticks when you have your boat in the salt.

[CREGAN]

Started cleaning it up today. Took one side off and scrubbed each bar and tower with the ol' magic eraser (which desintigrated after only 5 bars). Tried the Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish and it did nothing. Still dull looking and somewhat rough. Just did a couple bars and one tower and sitting them next to the ones not done you can't even see a difference. Going to take a piece of it up to the shops tomorrow and try to find some Autosol. Do I have to sand it with some very fine sand paper or rough it up at all?

Anybody know if you can buy the foam/rubber that sticks to the feet of the rack where it touches the vehicle to prevent scratching it all up? The stuff on there currently is crumbling off into my hands when I touch it.

Craig

[Luna-Sea]

http://www.wickedproducts.com/wickedsho ... Metal.html

Soo soo shiny!
Right On!

[CREGAN]

I would try it if I could find it around here. Sounds like pretty impressive stuff.

Craig

[CREGAN]

Looking at it really closely, in the parts that were covered by the towers I am wondering now if it was clear coated.

[LeeHammy]

When I did mine I did go through about 10 Mr Cleans. But it did work. I also clear coated it. If your looking for the foam rubber stuff go get some foam tape. Its is used by HVAC techs and possibly plumbers. Comes in different thicknesses and sizes. Home depot might have it. I get mine at RSL but they are wholesale only and wont sell to the public. Or Plasti-Dip it. The home hardware out on Dunbar and 12 ish area stocks it.

[FalcoColumbarius]

You know, I have never tried this as a metal cleaner, per se ~ but it works wonders on my rims... "Simple Green". Worth the purchase as I guarantee you will find many uses for it whether it works on your basket or not. I somehow doubt that the basket would have been clear coated as it's main function requires things sliding across it, scraping it, tying down to it, &c., I don't think the clear would stand up to that. Could have been dipped and anodized.

Falco.

[CREGAN]

Thanks Falco. I have some simple green max and I used it on my engine and it made the aluminum look really bad. Cleaned everything off it, but it looked really dull and rough. I took pieces of the rack all over today (body shops, racing shops, etc.) and they all said they thought it wasn't clearcoated. I bought some autosol that I am going to try tomorrow, and one other type called magic mix. I also went all over trying to replace some of the nuts and bolts for the feet of the rack. Eventually found some that will work, but they are bare metal. Anything I can use to make them so they don't rust up like the others?

Also having a really tough time finding the protective foam and 3M clear stuff for the feet. Nobody has anything like it. Any suggestions that are Alberta friendly? We have no Lordco but we do have Gregg as I found out today and I think Acklands just lost a customer!

Craig

[FalcoColumbarius]

I also went all over trying to replace some of the nuts and bolts for the feet of the rack. Eventually found some that will work, but they are bare metal. Anything I can use to make them so they don't rust up like the others?

Paint them. Silver or any colour you like.

Regarding the foam: Home Depot; Rona... Boating supply shops are a good source for that kind of thing ~ I know you guys have no ocean front in Alberta but you have lakes so you must have some kind of boating suppliers. Another place to find useful stuff, like foam, are plumbing supply shops.

A lot of metal cleaners will initially make aluminium go black, this is where the elbow grease comes in. Do you have a power buffer? Canadian Tire carries one with terry cloth sleeves, it's not the best on the market but it's less than thirty bucks, so......?

Falco.

P.S.: I have used the Autosol on my rocker cover, works great. One other thing to consider is the make-up of the alloy, I'll bet the basket is not the same aluminium as the valve cover.