What to use to polish my new Iforged wheels?
08-31-2004, 09:27 PM
#1
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12'-'13-'14-'15
What to use to polish my new Iforged wheels?
I am getting a set of Iforged fully polished wheels and they will need a touch up polishing. What is the best polish and best method for easy and safe polishing?
I have some blue coral metal polish that worked great on the polished lip of my Roja wheels but these are fully polished and I unfamiliar with how prone to scratching and scaring the Iforged wheels are?
I have heard of people using a drill with an attachment to polishe the wheels to save labor time..............anyone know anything about this method? Thanks for any help
Cajun
I have some blue coral metal polish that worked great on the polished lip of my Roja wheels but these are fully polished and I unfamiliar with how prone to scratching and scaring the Iforged wheels are?
I have heard of people using a drill with an attachment to polishe the wheels to save labor time..............anyone know anything about this method? Thanks for any help
Cajun
08-31-2004, 09:46 PM
#2
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First off, I am assuming that the wheels DO NOT have clear coat?
If that is the case then I can definitely recommend the Mothers Billet Aluminum polish. Also, I've recently been using the Wenol polish and am having good luck with that on my HRE's. I've also heard that HRE actually recommends the Blue Coral polsih that you mentioned but I have not tried that yet.
Also, after you get them polished, I would recommend getting some "Wheel Wax". Just go to TireRack.com and you should be able to find it there as well as quite a few other places. It provides even greater protection and help stop water spots and a lot of the other dirt and grime from sticking.
Whatever you do, you are undoubtedly going to scuff them a bit when you polish them, thats just unavoidable. The metal is so soft its going to happen little by little but its really not all that noticeable.
Good luck and make sure that you KEEP THEM CLEAN. Without the clear coat they can be a b*tch to get clean if you let them get too bad.
If that is the case then I can definitely recommend the Mothers Billet Aluminum polish. Also, I've recently been using the Wenol polish and am having good luck with that on my HRE's. I've also heard that HRE actually recommends the Blue Coral polsih that you mentioned but I have not tried that yet.
Also, after you get them polished, I would recommend getting some "Wheel Wax". Just go to TireRack.com and you should be able to find it there as well as quite a few other places. It provides even greater protection and help stop water spots and a lot of the other dirt and grime from sticking.
Whatever you do, you are undoubtedly going to scuff them a bit when you polish them, thats just unavoidable. The metal is so soft its going to happen little by little but its really not all that noticeable.
Good luck and make sure that you KEEP THEM CLEAN. Without the clear coat they can be a b*tch to get clean if you let them get too bad.
Last edited by Ego-Trip; 08-31-2004 at 09:54 PM.
08-31-2004, 09:46 PM
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St. Jude Donor '03
Mother's billet polish. Red/silver label. Best I've found. 
(note this is different from the Mother's blue label mag polish).
Apply with a polishing cloth by hand, or a soft buffing wheel on a drill works well for the sides of the spokes, just use it lightly and don't apply too much pressure, let the polish do the work. Once buffed, wipe clean with a clean polishing cloth. it is very tedius to do by hand, the buffing wheel saves much work where it can be used, but due to the boltheads, can't be used everywhere.
Once you have them polished, get some wheel wax (I know the TireRack has it) and that will protect the finish nicely and greatly extend the time before you need to repolish them again.
Lastly, make sure you thoroughly wipe/dry the wheels after washing the car or if it's been in the rain...the standing water stains will etch into the aluminum and is tough to polish out.
(note this is different from the Mother's blue label mag polish).Apply with a polishing cloth by hand, or a soft buffing wheel on a drill works well for the sides of the spokes, just use it lightly and don't apply too much pressure, let the polish do the work. Once buffed, wipe clean with a clean polishing cloth. it is very tedius to do by hand, the buffing wheel saves much work where it can be used, but due to the boltheads, can't be used everywhere.
Once you have them polished, get some wheel wax (I know the TireRack has it) and that will protect the finish nicely and greatly extend the time before you need to repolish them again.
Lastly, make sure you thoroughly wipe/dry the wheels after washing the car or if it's been in the rain...the standing water stains will etch into the aluminum and is tough to polish out.
08-31-2004, 11:22 PM
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I'd use Mother's polish. It does a great job on all types of metal.
08-31-2004, 11:55 PM
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If you DO NOT have cleracoat, use Mothers but make sure you get the Billet Polish, not any of the others. If you do have have clearcoat, DO NOT USE the billet polish.
Also, call Craig at Mothers. He's one of the chemists and he'll give you instructions on how properly use the Billet polish.
Also, call Craig at Mothers. He's one of the chemists and he'll give you instructions on how properly use the Billet polish.
09-01-2004, 08:17 AM
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12'-'13-'14-'15
Gentlemen I thank you for all of your input on this. I take from the comments here that I will not be able to use the Blue Coral metal polish that I have and should get the Mothers billet polish? The wheels are Iforged Evolutions and ARE NOT clearcoated. Thanks again
Cajun
Cajun
09-01-2004, 08:18 AM
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12'-'13-'14-'15
Originally Posted by Y2Kvert4me
Mother's billet polish. Red/silver label. Best I've found. (note this is different from the Mother's blue label mag polish).
Apply with a polishing cloth by hand, or a soft buffing wheel on a drill works well for the sides of the spokes, just use it lightly and don't apply too much pressure, let the polish do the work. Once buffed, wipe clean with a clean polishing cloth. it is very tedius to do by hand, the buffing wheel saves much work where it can be used, but due to the boltheads, can't be used everywhere.
Once you have them polished, get some wheel wax (I know the TireRack has it) and that will protect the finish nicely and greatly extend the time before you need to repolish them again.
Lastly, make sure you thoroughly wipe/dry the wheels after washing the car or if it's been in the rain...the standing water stains will etch into the aluminum and is tough to polish out.
(note this is different from the Mother's blue label mag polish).Apply with a polishing cloth by hand, or a soft buffing wheel on a drill works well for the sides of the spokes, just use it lightly and don't apply too much pressure, let the polish do the work. Once buffed, wipe clean with a clean polishing cloth. it is very tedius to do by hand, the buffing wheel saves much work where it can be used, but due to the boltheads, can't be used everywhere.
Once you have them polished, get some wheel wax (I know the TireRack has it) and that will protect the finish nicely and greatly extend the time before you need to repolish them again.
Lastly, make sure you thoroughly wipe/dry the wheels after washing the car or if it's been in the rain...the standing water stains will etch into the aluminum and is tough to polish out.
Cajun
09-01-2004, 08:44 AM
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also another trick on polishing billet. I use mothers billet and a cheese cloth rag... after polishing, I use some cornstarch, its almost like using clay on your clear coat paint, it removes any of that mist tha'ts on the surface.. it will remove stuff (polish ) that the rag wont remove...
Here is a quote:
BARE (NON COATED) ALLOY WHEELS: Bare aluminum and alloy wheels need the most care. Aluminum wheels oxidize much faster than other types. The amount of time required to polish aluminum wheels depends on their condition. It is usually easier to polish them more often. To polish aluminum wheels, use duct tape to guard the tire from the polish staining it. The duct tape will not leave any residue on the tire, yet it will stick unlike many other types of tape. Polish the alloy wheels using a cream aluminum polish. Apply using a soft towel or diaper. Polish in the direction of the wheel. Use moderate pressure and turn the towel often. The towel will turn black from the aluminum-polishing residue. A terry towel may be used on severely oxidized wheels to rough them in, followed by a soft diaper to finish. When satisfied with the renovation to the wheel, wipe the majority of the excess polish from the wheel. To final polish and increase the gloss of the polished wheel, wipe the wheel with cornstarch. Cornstarch can be purchased at any supermarket. Dip the clean towel into the box and wipe the wheel thoroughly with the cornstarch. The cornstarch will absorb the excess polish from the pores of the aluminum and eliminate any streaks in the finish. To remove any cornstarch powder, use compressed air. Very severely oxidized wheels may be wet sanded with a very fine wet or dry sanding paper prior to polishing. If you are unsure about sanding aluminum wheels, it is better to consult a professional rather than risk damage to the wheel.
Here is a quote:
BARE (NON COATED) ALLOY WHEELS: Bare aluminum and alloy wheels need the most care. Aluminum wheels oxidize much faster than other types. The amount of time required to polish aluminum wheels depends on their condition. It is usually easier to polish them more often. To polish aluminum wheels, use duct tape to guard the tire from the polish staining it. The duct tape will not leave any residue on the tire, yet it will stick unlike many other types of tape. Polish the alloy wheels using a cream aluminum polish. Apply using a soft towel or diaper. Polish in the direction of the wheel. Use moderate pressure and turn the towel often. The towel will turn black from the aluminum-polishing residue. A terry towel may be used on severely oxidized wheels to rough them in, followed by a soft diaper to finish. When satisfied with the renovation to the wheel, wipe the majority of the excess polish from the wheel. To final polish and increase the gloss of the polished wheel, wipe the wheel with cornstarch. Cornstarch can be purchased at any supermarket. Dip the clean towel into the box and wipe the wheel thoroughly with the cornstarch. The cornstarch will absorb the excess polish from the pores of the aluminum and eliminate any streaks in the finish. To remove any cornstarch powder, use compressed air. Very severely oxidized wheels may be wet sanded with a very fine wet or dry sanding paper prior to polishing. If you are unsure about sanding aluminum wheels, it is better to consult a professional rather than risk damage to the wheel.
09-01-2004, 08:54 AM
#11
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I am having my HRE 540's non clear coated professionally polished this week. Thanks for the information on Mother's Billet and corn starch. You can get wheel wax which is very good at www.wheelwax.com.
09-01-2004, 09:34 AM
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I have the iForged wheels also and they are a son of a gun to keep looking perfect. I have used everything mentioned above and have found nothing to perform as well as Wenol (see http://www.autogeek.net/wenol1.html ). They have two levels of abrasiveness as well as a wax. All of the others mentioned work great but Wenol requires the least effort and gave me the best result.
09-01-2004, 04:22 PM
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St. Jude Donor '03
Originally Posted by ccajun4real
You have 19/20 setup on your car right? What size tires you running and what brand? Thanks
Cajun
Cajun
They are getting near the end of their life though. and they will get replaced this winter with either Michelin PS2s or Yokohama AVS Sports in the same sizes.
09-01-2004, 08:00 PM
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12'-'13-'14-'15
Originally Posted by Y2Kvert4me
Pirelli Pzero's 275/30/19 and 285/30/20. My wheels are 19x9.5 and 20x10.
They are getting near the end of their life though. and they will get replaced this winter with either Michelin PS2s or Yokohama AVS Sports in the same sizes.
They are getting near the end of their life though. and they will get replaced this winter with either Michelin PS2s or Yokohama AVS Sports in the same sizes.