Tomm Willians

I’m currently working on cleaning up a nice late 70’s Follis 472 and am wondering if there might be an easy method for getting the spokes and hubs clean? I’ve contemplated just having the wheels completely re-spoked and clean the hubs while they are out but maybe there’s another method ?

rhender 

I'm about to undertake the same project so I'm just commenting to follow this thread.

Thanks,
Ray

'02 nrs

synthetic steel wool works wonders on carbon spokes.chrommax on dull alloy hubs.

dedhed

built wheel cleaning the hub body I use a long rag back & forth like shining shoes. Around the spokes at the hub and rim is just a bunch of painstaking, time consuming hand work. No real quick & easy way. Just cleaning I use old toothbrushes etc. but for hand polishing it's just tedious.

Barry2 

Sit in front of the TV for 30mins per night and polish spokes one at a time.
No shortcut.

Barry

bikeaddiction1

FYI. You can subscribe to a thread but clicking on "Thread Tools: and selecting "Subscribe to this Thread". It took a while before I figured that out.

Gresp15C

A toothbrush and a bit of mineral spirits works pretty well. It will remove the worst of the grime.

kingston 

I've used a power washer on some old wheels before. Did an ok job of getting most of the grime off.

HillRider

Are the spokes rusty or just dull? If rusty, it's probably best to replace them with modern stainless steel spokes. If just dull, metal polish and time will do it.

vane171

I would use some large brush like for shoe shining with semi stiff bristles and dip it liberally in some paste cleaner for metal surfaces and brush across the spokes summarily with light hand.

You can also use that brush used for cleaning inside bottles or round openings, they can be got in various sizes, also dip them in some polishing shining paste and thread them through those smaller spoke openings near the hub. Of course, it is dirty job, best done outside and in some old coveralls or swimming trunks.

Or as said above, it makes for a nice job while watching tv. In that case, I would use a rag dipped into a paste cleaner and do one spoke at a time. But your fingers will suffer when working next to the hubs, brush is easier and better but more messy, way more.

Geepig

After a long day at a computer I find an hour in the garage cleaning wheels or regreasing hubs very therapeutic.

Mr. 66

I've taken to use auto tire/wheel cleaner for such. I have to be careful around the tire branding it will damage the logos. Just wet the rims spray on, using a very light brush, it foams rinse and repeat if needed.

It will work on hubs but I'm careful not to get it in the bearings. Works great on crusty brake scum and cranks to. It's not a degreaser, it leaves the rubber clean, I have not seen that hurts paint but it may.

Here are some crusty cranks cleaned with Armour All tire cleaner



It took a couple of applications on the cranks

bikeaddiction1

Did you remove and disassemble the cranks? I usually do on very cruddy ones as fighting to get between chain rings can take more effort. If you method is working without disassembly it could be a great time saver.

Mr. 66

For the the above, I did/do remove the cranks but that was for rebuilding the bottom bracket. They were not disassembled but it is more convenient to clean off the bike. If there is any residue left I use some wd40 and water on a rag. I try to avoid disassembly.

JohnDThompson 

An old toothbrush and mineral spirits works well for those tight places.

capnjonny 

When I do a restoration/service I first strip the bike of all its brightwork( everything but the frame itself).
I place all the rusty bits in a large plastic jar full of white vinegar and let soak overnight
Greasy things like chain and derailleurs go in a mineral spirits bath
After soaking in vinegar I rinse and inspect. surface rust usually just wipes off. crusty rust will get scraped and/ or coated with rust remover (navel jelly ) then rinsed
Often times I will chuck a wire brush into my drill press and use it to clean rusty or dirty nuts and bolts and other parts.
Cranks are sometimes disassembled. other times cleaned with tooth brush and small wire brush. Teeth are often passed under wire brush on drill press to clean just the ends.
In between chainrings, soak in mineral spirits then take a strip of cardboard cut from Amazon box and run between the rings.
Chains, soak in thinner then set rotary wire brush on drill press so the bristles just touch the drill table and pull the chain from side to side as the brush rotates, turning the chain so all sides get brushed.
Wheels, clean hubs with small brass wire brush and/ or tooth brush and mineral spirits (I keep solvents in small squeeze bottles so I can drip small amounts onto rag or into tight places)
After scrubbing , slip terry shop rag in between spokes and polish hub
For stainless spokes Soak 0000 steal wool in thinner then slide up and down spokes. Tooth brush/ spirits scrub around nipples at rim.
Rims, wipe down with spirits then use 3m white polishing compound to remove grime and stains .
For greasy derailleurs, after soaking , use tooth brush and solvent to scrub/ loosen caked on grease .

With all parts. after cleaning wash in hot water and Dawn detergent, dry. If concerned about part rusting , coat with wd40 then wipe off excess.

Cleaning caged bearings. Soak in solvent, then using compressed air, blow remaining grease out of bearing race and re grease.

sch

capnjonny: reminds me of the '70s, kind of enjoyed taking bike apart to its smallest component parts (except freewheels/deraillers) and
cleaning last bit of greasy dirt off, then polishing aluminum parts with metal polish and putting it all back together, usually could
do this in one night. Now I clean the chain every few months in situ and scrape chain crud off CW/cassette/jockeys 1-2x yr and
wash bike 2-3x/yr. Total take downs like of old only when doing rebuilds with new component groups, maybe 5-8 yr intervals.
How you spend your time changes a lot between age 28 and age 70.