Author Topic: White Tuffs - should i or shouldnt i (opinions please !) (Read 5640 times)

squigly · « **on:** January 13, 2011, 11:20 AM »

I have some White Tuffs with Aluminium undrilled (original rivets) hubs and i was wondering should i bleach them or leave them and just clean them, i was once told BITD that even white brake pads leave black marks on them so should i bother with white pads or is that merely cosmetic ?

interested in your thoughts people.

pickle · « **Reply #1 on:** January 13, 2011, 11:27 AM »

they can be bleached back to a bright whiteness, you just need to cover the alloy hubbs in vasoline or something to stop pitting from the bleach. have a look through the tech stuff and there's quite a few 'how to' threads on it

brettypeeps · « **Reply #2 on:** January 13, 2011, 11:39 AM »

I us the new tuff pads on my Bike now as the rubber is a lot better and they stop you

old pads look great but the materials dont work like I remember them working BITD.

I would bleach them back to white aswell cover the alloy hubbs in vasoline

Quote from: pickle on January 13, 2011, 11:27 AM

they can be bleached back to a bright whiteness, you just need to cover the alloy hubbs in vasoline or something to stop pitting from the bleach. have a look through the tech stuff and there's quite a few 'how to' threads on it

wildon · « **Reply #3 on:** January 13, 2011, 11:53 AM »

I left my white tuffs in bleach for about 2 months and it done feck all $:-\$

SteveD · « **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2011, 03:21 PM »

yup old school white skyway tuff pads do leave black marks

dordymush · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2011, 01:47 AM »

Quote

I left my white tuffs in bleach for about 2 months and it done feck all

mine was the same.
sold em to steve p as they looked totally wrong next to the new white powder on my T/A.
dont ask me what the hell he put em in but they came out better than new.
i think he said a mix of bleach and costic sodea and something else lol.
pm him he might still know the mix.

squigly · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2011, 11:33 AM »

Quote from: wildon on January 13, 2011, 11:53 AM

I left my white tuffs in bleach for about 2 months and it done feck all $:-\$

this is also what i'd heard, that its not the best way, will go in search of other 'ideas' before i bleach them, perhaps its the type of bleach that matters, i'll go read the label of some toilet duck and see what it says !

BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2011, 02:21 PM »

1st - white mags and white brake blocks only leave black marks once dirt has mixed with the brake rub - hence black marks

2nd - cheap bleach doesn't work as well as good strong stuff that you pay money for - so cheap lidl bleach for £1 in a big tub is a bit watered down

3rd - a good wash and scrub - sand or razor of brake marks

4th - bleach to water rate - tub with enough bleach/water mix to cover the mags (do both mags as they should turn out both the same) turning over and rotation and stirring well

squigly · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2011, 09:18 PM »

well i started...

Before:

After a wash with hot soapy water and a non-scratch brillo pad thingy (sponge and green things you do the dishes with)

If anyone else is to try this i'd suggest a RED 3m scuff pad from an automotive paint suppliers as they're slightly more abrasive than the brillo pad thingy i used.
Next up will be some bleach, maybe at the weekend.

oldtired · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2011, 09:24 PM »

look loads better with just a good scrub

grease up the hubs well first , stickier the better , harder work to clean off butt better than ruined hubs

CD17 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2011, 09:33 PM »

I've had some that have come out great from bleach & some that looked $hit

I'm working on some OGKs at the mo & I have just been scrubbing them & they are starting to look great like new, it takes more time but is worth the effort

I must say I think the material that OGKs are made from seems better quality that Tuffs

oldtired · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2011, 11:38 PM »

"I must say I think the material that OGKs are made from seems better quality that Tuffs"

thems fighting words them is

ogk/tuff conkers then

aerostylie · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2011, 11:47 PM »

Can you guess the bleached one

6 weeks in total, took it out 3rd week and washed it down then back in again. Deffo grease anything metal.

For the rear, tried warm water, astonish oven cleaner and sponge but no where near the same brightness or got into the fiddly bits so that'll be bleached.

bobafett · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2011, 11:56 PM »

Quote from: dordymush on January 15, 2011, 01:47 AM

steve p............came out better than new..................i think he said a mix of bleach and costic sodea and something else........

Yep Steve gets his white tuffs mint - check this thread out - the nerve toxin formula is about post #11

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=116368

jT Racing · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2011, 12:34 AM »

somebody was adding hydrogen peroxide and getting good quick results, but i'm not validating any home chemistry experiments

squigly · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:57 AM »

Quote from: J.T Racing on February 10, 2011, 12:34 AM

somebody was adding hydrogen peroxide and getting good quick results, but i'm not validating any home chemistry experiments

blimey, never thought of giving them a perm !

so here's Steves ingredient list:

Quote

Mine only needed a few hours each to soak ... there's no time scale and it depends how bad your wheels are really Undecided Just make sure you keep a keen eye on things to make sure the hubs don't get ruined in the process Wink

I used boiling water (enough to cover one wheel), a 2 litre bottle of cheap bleach with a cup full each of caustic granules and washing powder. The oven cleaner was the spray foam type which I applied and left to soak before they went in

seems a bit hectic, but looks like it works, my hubs are mint with no corrosion so they'll just buff up and there are no gouges out of the rims either so should turn out top notch <fingers crossed>

P.S. Still need a frame to bolt them too, kinda open to offers too as i'll only know what i want when i see it, until that opportunity arrives i'll pop them on a flatland bike i have here.

wildon · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2011, 12:12 PM »

Quote from: dordymush on January 15, 2011, 01:47 AM

Quote
I left my white tuffs in bleach for about 2 months and it done feck all

mine was the same.
sold em to steve p as they looked totally wrong next to the new white powder on my T/A.
dont ask me what the hell he put em in but they came out better than new.
i think he said a mix of bleach and costic sodea and something else lol.
pm him he might still know the mix.

Nice one .. i had a look through his thread .. i'll give that a go

spesh · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2011, 04:49 PM »

i used hot water neat bleach and salt and it worked fine
took two weeks with a top up of hot water and bleach and stirred twice a day

squigly · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2011, 09:47 AM »

Any tips on removing a sproket thats been in situ for the best part of 20yrs, penetrating oil has never really worked for me all the years i've worked on cars, sure it keeps the item moving over rough threads AFTER you've cracked it free, does heat work on a tuff hub ? or do i just need a bigger hammer ?

brettypeeps · « **Reply #19 on:** February 24, 2011, 10:05 AM »

Due to the fact you have alloy hubs and a steel freewheel you are likely to have some dis-similar metal corrosion there so I would be soaking it in penetrating oil for a day then take it to your Local Bike Shop (LBS) where they have a tool that should remove it.

Generally they won't hammer off.

squigly · « **Reply #20 on:** February 24, 2011, 11:57 AM »

i should get off my lazy arse and make a two pronged tool that a ratchet will fit onto so i can crack it free with a torque wrench, perhaps a trip to the LBS is easier, but where's the fun in that !!

brettypeeps · « **Reply #21 on:** February 24, 2011, 01:52 PM »

Quote from: squigly on February 24, 2011, 11:57 AM

i should get off my lazy arse and make a two pronged tool that a ratchet will fit onto so i can crack it free with a torque wrench, perhaps a trip to the LBS is easier, but where's the fun in that !!

If you dont want to reuse the freewheel you can always clamp it in the Vice... tight... Then use the wheel to unscrew it

squigly · « **Reply #22 on:** February 28, 2011, 02:57 PM »

Quote from: brettypeeps on February 24, 2011, 01:52 PM

Quote from: squigly on February 24, 2011, 11:57 AM
i should get off my lazy arse and make a two pronged tool that a ratchet will fit onto so i can crack it free with a torque wrench, perhaps a trip to the LBS is easier, but where's the fun in that !!

If you dont want to reuse the freewheel you can always clamp it in the Vice... tight... Then use the wheel to unscrew it

I think this is the way forward. Failing that i'll hit it with an angle grinder.

squigly · « **Reply #23 on:** March 01, 2011, 10:02 AM »

Tried in the vice, no good this is seized solid so.....

Lost my rag with it last night and took a Die grinder to the sprocket to get the bulk out of the way, cut one side of the inner race which will now allow penetrating fluid into the threads at last will do the other tonight maybe and knock it off in two parts, took some pics (not for the feint hearted!) will post them all up when i know there is a happy ending !

squigly · « **Reply #24 on:** March 01, 2011, 09:12 PM »

Cut 1 of 2 to remove the outer race:

Cut 3 to remove the inner race, you have to be really carefull not to nick the hub with this cut !

then you have to repeat cut 3 at about 90' and knock the segment of inner race out with a drift away from the thread, then use something like a pair of pliers on the newly exposed face pulling apart to relieve the tension and just unwind it, this helps reform and clean out the thread, rather than just busting it in half and leaving the thread contaminated, unless you have a huge die to run the thread clean again ?

Then off to the sink for the first clean up, Makro has a special on 5ltr tubs of Domestos so i have one of those ready too, just need a container