Polishing wheels
Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Springhill Kansas
some mothers aluminum polish and a drill with a buffer thing, plus about 1.5 hrs per wheel. or you can take them somewhere $$$$$$$$$$$$. I did two of mine and got tired, still haven't done the other two and by now i need to do all four again. 
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
From: Bossier City Louisiana
Do the wheels have a clear sealer on them that has turned hazy? If they have been sealed, you will need to take a stripper to remove it before you can polish them. I fought this with a set of Centerline wheels before I realized that they had been sealed from the factory. Over time, the sealer breaks down and becomes cloudy or hazy.
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
From: Bossier City Louisiana
The one I used was Klean-Strip that I picked up from Home Depot. I read about it from "Corvette Magazine". It is a sprayable stripper that strips paint, epoxy and polyurethane from metal. You need to be careful with it because it is "stout stuff". You can test a spot on your wheel and if it has sealer on it, the sealer will begin to release within a minute.
Once the sealer releases, you can scrape it off with a plastic putty knife, wash it with water, dry, and polish with any aluminum wheel polish.
The down side is that the tires need to be removed from the wheels before the stripper is applied. Hope this helps!
Once the sealer releases, you can scrape it off with a plastic putty knife, wash it with water, dry, and polish with any aluminum wheel polish.
The down side is that the tires need to be removed from the wheels before the stripper is applied. Hope this helps!
Pro
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 564
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh PA
I've polished a LOT of rims.....
Any typical paint stripper will work (I prefer aircraft paint stripper- it's a bit more aggressive).
When you spray it on, I'd recommend spraying a small "blob" onto a piece of cardboard, and using a small paint brush to apply it around the bead of the tire. The rest of the rim, just spray it on...
After the clear-coat is gone, take a close look at the raw aluminum. If it has a slightly "rough" machined finish, use 400-grit wet-or-dry paper (use it with water and a few drops of liquid soap), and sand the rim with the paper until you have a smooth finish... Then, use your choice of mag-wheel polish (I prefer Wenol), and use a drill with a buffing wheel (you can buy them at Home Depot for about $7).
After buffing, then use the polish the rim by hand, one complete go-around on the rim, to make the finish look uniform, and you're done!
Any typical paint stripper will work (I prefer aircraft paint stripper- it's a bit more aggressive).
When you spray it on, I'd recommend spraying a small "blob" onto a piece of cardboard, and using a small paint brush to apply it around the bead of the tire. The rest of the rim, just spray it on...
After the clear-coat is gone, take a close look at the raw aluminum. If it has a slightly "rough" machined finish, use 400-grit wet-or-dry paper (use it with water and a few drops of liquid soap), and sand the rim with the paper until you have a smooth finish... Then, use your choice of mag-wheel polish (I prefer Wenol), and use a drill with a buffing wheel (you can buy them at Home Depot for about $7).
After buffing, then use the polish the rim by hand, one complete go-around on the rim, to make the finish look uniform, and you're done!
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 4
From: Celeste Texas
If you use a power tool on our wheels be careful near the slots. They grab the spining pad and make it hard to control the tool unless you are ready for it.
Don't use eagle 1. It's very abrasive and leaves scratches.
Bill
Don't use eagle 1. It's very abrasive and leaves scratches.
Bill
Intermediate
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Plainview NY
You should really first remove the clear with a stripper and then start sanding wet with 400 and work your way up to 100 grit (12-1500 if you feel like it) then buff with a tight sewn buff and Tripoli coumpound, then finish with white rouge... Then apply the mothers...
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Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,255
Likes: 82
From: Brampton Ont.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 659
Likes: 0
From: Flower Mound Texas
I just got mine done professionally. I'm here in Dallas, and they were between $125 - 145 per wheel. I was getting the car repaired after an accident and the insurance paid for two wheels, so I chipped in for the other two. All I can say is Wow! what a difference!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 552
Likes: 2
From: Waynesboro GA
Thanks for the Help!
Thanks for everyones help! I will need to strip first, then polish. I just finished the sanding and polishing the paint job and the car looks great! The wheels just need their turn! Thanks again for the advice!
