I’ve done some searching on here and I think I have a good idea of what I need. I’d like to get some confirmation though. First, I think they’re aluminum rims. I’ve noticed some oddities though. The barrels look like they have/had paint on them and it looks like there might be rust? I’ve been pretty aggressive with cleaning in the past but I want to get them looking amazing. A couple years ago, I scrubbed them front and back with steel wool and used aluminum polish in a green bottle (turtle wax maybe?). They looked better than they ever had. I could never get the “bullet holes” and bolt holes clean though. I’m thinking about using my dremel to get those areas as well as to smooth some knicks and chips.
When it’s warm enough to keep water from freezing on the drive, I want to get started. My plan was to use wheel cleaner to get them as clean as possible. I’ve read that’s not good for “raw” aluminum. Is that what these are? If so, I’ll go with car shampoo. After most of the crap is off, I want to polish the “bullet holes” and bolt holes. Has anyone used a dremel for this? If so, what attachments are best? I’ve tried a mother’s ball/cone but it’s sort of textured in the holes and I could never get them clean and shiny.
After I get the holes cleaned up, I think I could use the ball/cone to polish out the face. Should I try Adams metal polish or do I need something more aggressive? Would #1 and #2 be most effective? I’m trying to get the mirror-like finish.
Then once I’m happy with them, I need them to stay that way. I’d say ceramic coating would my best bet. Would it be cheaper to pay someone to do it? The wheel coating kit is around $100. I think I’d be comfortable doing it myself but I might feel better having a pro do it just to make sure it’s done correctly and lasts.
Question
Bscott94
I’ve done some searching on here and I think I have a good idea of what I need. I’d like to get some confirmation though. First, I think they’re aluminum rims. I’ve noticed some oddities though. The barrels look like they have/had paint on them and it looks like there might be rust? I’ve been pretty aggressive with cleaning in the past but I want to get them looking amazing. A couple years ago, I scrubbed them front and back with steel wool and used aluminum polish in a green bottle (turtle wax maybe?). They looked better than they ever had. I could never get the “bullet holes” and bolt holes clean though. I’m thinking about using my dremel to get those areas as well as to smooth some knicks and chips.
When it’s warm enough to keep water from freezing on the drive, I want to get started. My plan was to use wheel cleaner to get them as clean as possible. I’ve read that’s not good for “raw” aluminum. Is that what these are? If so, I’ll go with car shampoo. After most of the crap is off, I want to polish the “bullet holes” and bolt holes. Has anyone used a dremel for this? If so, what attachments are best? I’ve tried a mother’s ball/cone but it’s sort of textured in the holes and I could never get them clean and shiny.
After I get the holes cleaned up, I think I could use the ball/cone to polish out the face. Should I try Adams metal polish or do I need something more aggressive? Would #1 and #2 be most effective? I’m trying to get the mirror-like finish.
Then once I’m happy with them, I need them to stay that way. I’d say ceramic coating would my best bet. Would it be cheaper to pay someone to do it? The wheel coating kit is around $100. I think I’d be comfortable doing it myself but I might feel better having a pro do it just to make sure it’s done correctly and lasts.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
14 answers to this question
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now