How to clean rusty wheels?

Hi All - am thinking about buying an original set of wheels for my 78 Bay but can't afford to have them sand blasted and primed. What's the best way to clean them and prep them myself? I don't need a perfect job, just getting the majority off will do.

Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

 

I used a 3" brass wheel from toolstation in my drill .

 

I use a steel wire wheel in a grinder.

 

OK - both these sound doable by me, but what condition are they left in afterwards? Doesn't this scratch them terribly badly?

 

the brass wheel on the drill is not too harsh you don't need to bare metal them.
Quick etch, prime then colour.
Heres how mine turned out

 

They look fantastic!
Cheers

 

60 grit aluminiun oxide paper works well by hand without the attendant risk of deep scoring. Personaly I found the profile of the stock rim very difficult to clean using a powered wire brush. Multi-jointed abrasive retainer does it for me.

 

That is a great name for a band

 

3m paint and rust stripper discs work better than wire wheels. Digs out all the rust.

 

By the way madpad - what paint did you use? I want a pastel/ off-white and it seems yours are that colour?

 

I had my underneath blasted in feb (i think) and had the wheels done at the same time but never got round to painting them , i looked at them last week and they had got a little rusty , i removed them and i was abl to clean them up with a knotted wire brush in my grinder and they came up pretty easy , just a little fettling with a bit of sandpaper.i did both front and rear
A couple of coats of smooth hammerite on the rear then i cleaned the fronts up again , , a coat of spray etch primer, some high build primer then 3 coats of spray gloss white upol paint , no sanding between coats , i figured i need all the paint on there that i can .
although the paint says its gloss white it is actualy quite a nice subtle cream , not at all pure brilliant white

i read a thread a few days back in which someone complained about bad workmanship including over spray on tires , with this in mind i spent ages masking up the tires as they were still on the wheels

 

I like Sproggy's approach. I need my bus back on the road soon and not taking off the tyres appeals to me right now. Also I like them in white, but mine are currently silver. Would this have been a standard colour for a 79?

 

Yeah silver on later bays fella but I know most spray them white. They also have the earlier hubcaps where as the later hubcaps have a raised centre, I believe?

 

Thanks to all for the advice - worked out quite well I reckon