how to clean step boards on SUVs/AUVs

[Dianne]

what is the best cleaner for step boards (Aluminum and Stainless) on
SUVs and AUVs?... I've tried the 3M SS cleaner, mukhang malinis
nga pero hindi masyadong makintab like new... also, marami kasing
slots ang aluminum stepboards (e.g., yung mga surestep)... kaya hirap
linisin para kumintab. Yung SS naman sa CRV, sandali lang kikintab,
konting ulan, dull na naman ulit.

[theveed]

Clean it well muna, I would suggest you use a good all purpose cleaner first, scrub well (don't use a harsh pad), then start polishing. Just like paint, a scratched up metal surface will look dull.

Polish it well using a good metal polish like AutoSol then after getting the desired results, protect the surface with a cheap synthetic wax. These areas need to be cleaned often to avoid accumulated dirt from seeping in.

[Dianne]

Yung AutoSol ba Theveed is yung nasa white plastic container na maliit?
and yung cheap synthetic wax is car wax, like yung mga turtle wax, etc.
na mura lang?...
what is the best scrubber na hindi harsh, di kaya ng foam pads lang to
remove the imbedded dirt sa mga slots eh... so, we're using yung
Scotchbrite, though we're suspecting nga na yun ang nakakapagpadull...

sa SS naman, MF towel lang.. ill try to include it na when we wax, 1st time
ko nadinig na puwede iwax ang SS, we'll try it, Tnx... :P

[theveed]

Autosol looks like this...



If you have embedded dirt, why not use a wheel cleaner to clean them? Grab yourself a bottle of Eagle One A2Z wheel cleaner, a trimmed down paint brush and get dirty.. wear gloves, though.

If you've used scotchbrite, then you really must use the polish coz dami nang fine scratches yan.

Be careful with the stepping boards, wax the metal parts lang, not the part where you actually step, madulas pa kayo nyan...

[afrasay]

Ako scoba pag stuborn dirt. Yun soap for tires yun din gamit ko sa StepBoard. Ok lang kahit hindi makintab. In the first place inaapakan naman siya. Pero ngayon hindi ka na siya nililinis...














...inalis ko na kasi :mrgreen:

[OTEP]

afrasay,

Pareho pala tayong nabawasan na ang nililinis. Hehehe.

[Dianne]

Got it last night... P 85.00 per tube sa True Value, Rockwell Mall..
Thanks for the advice Theveed. Sorry guys, kelangan namin step board
dahil sa mga pamangkin kong maliliit na sumasakay, kung puwede nga
lang tanggalin... :lol:

[theveed]

pag laki nya konti pwede na tanggalin hehe...

[Dianne]

Taka ko lang, bat gusto ni utol meron... nagmumukha raw
astig yung CRV at Adventure... di ko nga magets... ako naman
functional ang habol ko... siya looks... addtl pogi points nga ba
ang bull bars and stepboards?... well ako basta gamitin and
malinis/makintab tingnan okay, dami kasi mukhang sa mga
FX (no offense meant) and yung mga painted, parang di maganda...

[theveed]

I'm with you in the looks dept... I find them cheap and ugly... (no offense to those who has em)... but they are functional... I guess that's why the new expedition has retractable side boards.

I also don't buy the "bullbar protection" thing... with really light bumps, yes, yung bullbar lang matatamaan and not the bumper and stuff... but for me, it's such a hassle to increase the length of your car (troublesome when parking, making U turns, etc), more hassle when cleaning. And the worse for me is when you have regular fender benders, instead na yung bumper lang ang masisira, madadamay pa yung mga ilaw, fenders and whatever the bars are "protecting" coz uurong yung bullbar and hit the body. Dumami pa sira... possible chassis damage rin.

Oh well...

Let us know how the polish worked out.

[carnovice]

..pahabol lang:

I did the following on my father's surf recently: (The stepboard is aluminum with grooves.)
-Process 1: Used EO-A2Z All Wheel Cleaner on 1/3 of the stepboard and just hosed it off. Ok naman, looked clean and bright. Did a second pass of EO-A2Z and used a soft brown (local) scrub before hosing off. Cleaner, of course, but no spectacular improvement.
-Process 2: Used Armor All MPC on 1/3 of the stepboard with water and scrubbed also. Came out with almost the same result as first process.
-Process 3: Used Tide and water and scrubbed again on the last part, hosed off. Not a far cry from the first 2 results.

Conclusion: I will stick to tide and water if and only if the dirt or grime will not be removed by water and scrub alone. Kasi for me no spectacular difference with the different products e. For maintenance, water and light scrubbing will do for me. For konting "show," will use use either of the first 2 process, whichever is in my reach at the time.

Theveed is right with the polisher, its the only thing that will bring back the "new look" talaga.

I think the stainless ones will need extra attention, and it will be more fun and rewarding to detail. While the aluminum ones look great already just by being clean. Although a little application of AA-Low Gloss on the inner, vertical part of the aluminum stepboard which faces the "audience" will be a plus. Konti lang ha, anyway it won't last that long kasi di naman maaabsorb.

Note: I did the tests so I'd know what to do and what I need in the future. Light scrubbing lang for all processes.


Opinion ko lang naman...

[size=18]carn vice[/size]

[theveed]

teka, bat nagdouble post tapos Dianne ang pangalan ng 1st post ni Ogie?

Weird bug..

BTW, I found out something cool the other day... I sprayed some APC+ sa muffler ko (stainless) na super dumi and black na... then got a loofah pad (yung pangligo, pero flat na parang patty) and used that to scrub... Hanep, 2 scrubs lang naging kulay bakal ulit muffler ko... hehe... It's not as abrasive as a steel wool.

[carnovice]

Yup, when it happened I noticed above that "Logout [ Dianne ]" was displayed, although I had to login naman to reply.. weird. So I re-posted, but had a hard time in the process, oks lang naman.

Okay pala loofah, hehehe! Arbor ko nga sa wife ko -kung papayag!

[size=18]carn :lol: vice[/size]

[OTEP]

nagmumukha raw
astig yung CRV at Adventure

Siguro dahil may OEM stepboards ang mga SUV's. Siyempre sunod sa uso. Pero mas cool talaga ang wala. :mrgreen: Ayoko kasi ng maraming borloloy sa sasakyan like those front and rear bullbars, those chrome taillamp thingies, mga sticker, etc.. Nagmumukang pampasadang FX, eh.

Siguro yung spare tire cover ang next kong tatanggalin.