Aluminum wheel restore.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 1
From: PA
Aluminum wheel restore.
I am try to bring some slots back to life. One has a little more pitting than the rest. Is there a product that works on pitting ? Do,I just need to buff it more ? Help me avoid snake oil...
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,335
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
Don't know of any product that works on pitting other than elbow grease.
I just did a set of factory rims a month or so ago, spun them slowly on a manual lathe and used a die-grinder with a scotch-brite disk to blend out some light pitting where bubba installed lead weights.
Then went and buffed everything with flitz.
The same company that that makes flitz also sells an aluminum pre-cleaner that seems to be designed to remove the oxidization layer prior to buffing, must be a weak acid. Haven't tried it, looks/sounds like it might be handy, might just be weasel squeezings though.
Mooser
I just did a set of factory rims a month or so ago, spun them slowly on a manual lathe and used a die-grinder with a scotch-brite disk to blend out some light pitting where bubba installed lead weights.
Then went and buffed everything with flitz.
The same company that that makes flitz also sells an aluminum pre-cleaner that seems to be designed to remove the oxidization layer prior to buffing, must be a weak acid. Haven't tried it, looks/sounds like it might be handy, might just be weasel squeezings though.
Mooser
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 497
Likes: 0
From: Streator Illinois
I agree with Mooser about the elbow grease. If the pitting is not too deep, you might try wet sanding with 1000 and then 1500 and 2000 grit followed up by machine rubbing compound and then a good grade of polishing compound.
Terry
Terry
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
Don't know of any product that works on pitting other than elbow grease.
I just did a set of factory rims a month or so ago, spun them slowly on a manual lathe and used a die-grinder with a scotch-brite disk to blend out some light pitting where bubba installed lead weights.
Then went and buffed everything with flitz.
The same company that that makes flitz also sells an aluminum pre-cleaner that seems to be designed to remove the oxidization layer prior to buffing, must be a weak acid. Haven't tried it, looks/sounds like it might be handy, might just be weasel squeezings though.
Mooser
I just did a set of factory rims a month or so ago, spun them slowly on a manual lathe and used a die-grinder with a scotch-brite disk to blend out some light pitting where bubba installed lead weights.
Then went and buffed everything with flitz.
The same company that that makes flitz also sells an aluminum pre-cleaner that seems to be designed to remove the oxidization layer prior to buffing, must be a weak acid. Haven't tried it, looks/sounds like it might be handy, might just be weasel squeezings though.
Mooser
as well! In fact on one set I did, there was curb rash on the outer edge so I started with a file before moving on to sandpaper and worked my way to some Semi-chrome to get a chrome like finish... Good luck... GUSTO
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,335
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
You can usually throw cash at it
I've never come across a process that will remove pitting without washing away everything around it. Electro-polishing would be the closest and it's still just eating away all of the material in the pit and beside the pit, eventually it will blend everything together but it's not something I'd recommend for the average user, especially on aluminum.
There are usually a few company's around that re-surface wheels, normally about $100 a piece.
For shear entertainment, check utube for wheel polishing videos', there's some death defying diy polishing machines being built in bubbaville.
Mooser
I've never come across a process that will remove pitting without washing away everything around it. Electro-polishing would be the closest and it's still just eating away all of the material in the pit and beside the pit, eventually it will blend everything together but it's not something I'd recommend for the average user, especially on aluminum.
There are usually a few company's around that re-surface wheels, normally about $100 a piece.
For shear entertainment, check utube for wheel polishing videos', there's some death defying diy polishing machines being built in bubbaville.
Mooser
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,789
Likes: 7
-Filed the curb rash
-Used 120 grit up to 1000 sandpaper everywhere
-Then hit them with a small buffing wheels on my die grinder using cutting and then polishing compounds.
-Masked off the slots and painted semi-flat
Even with all that, I couldn't get every single little pit out of the surface...the wheels were just in really bad shape. But unless you bend down and look very closely, you can't see them.
Cost very little to do. Took a while, but they came out ok...pretty satisfying in the end.
Before:
After:
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 49
From: Bridgewater nj
Eagle1 mag cleaner. The one that has the warning Not For Use With Clearcoats. I stopped in a truck stop chrome shop and they had some good stuff for aluminum! Can't remember the name but tell them what your doing and they'll steer you in the right direction
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,503
Likes: 33
From: McGrady NC
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
White Diamond - bought it at Advance Auto Parts in the care care section. Good stuff to clean off oxidation. Mine sat for seven years under a shed exposed to the weather. The wheels were almost white with oxidation. This stuff cleaned them up nicely.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 1
From: PA
Nice ! I hope mine will look that good....
Yep, pretty much what I had to do with the wheels on my 73....
-Filed the curb rash
-Used 120 grit up to 1000 sandpaper everywhere
-Then hit them with a small buffing wheels on my die grinder using cutting and then polishing compounds.
-Masked off the slots and painted semi-flat
Even with all that, I couldn't get every single little pit out of the surface...the wheels were just in really bad shape. But unless you bend down and look very closely, you can't see them.
Cost very little to do. Took a while, but they came out ok...pretty satisfying in the end.
Before:
After:
-Filed the curb rash
-Used 120 grit up to 1000 sandpaper everywhere
-Then hit them with a small buffing wheels on my die grinder using cutting and then polishing compounds.
-Masked off the slots and painted semi-flat
Even with all that, I couldn't get every single little pit out of the surface...the wheels were just in really bad shape. But unless you bend down and look very closely, you can't see them.
Cost very little to do. Took a while, but they came out ok...pretty satisfying in the end.
Before:
After:
Pro
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 691
Likes: 25
From: Boynton Beach Florida
