Spots on Uncoated, Polish Aluminum Wheels

[JCz04Bimmer]

Ok, so I feel like an idiot for letting my upkeep of my wheels slip but for about 3 weeks up in Jersey we had some horrible weather. My car stays outside under a car cover and, because of over a foot of snow, I couldnt even clean my wheels. So, a combination of brake dust and salt accumulated. The part I'm talking about is a polished forged aluminum lip. I cleaned them up as best as I could and still seem to have this blotchy spot junk on them. Its 100% smooth to the touch so it isn't dirt. I've used everything from Eagle One Nevr Dull, to Mothers Billet, to Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. I even tried some Flitz. Can't get this junk off. What am I doing wrong? I've heard some people say that its not how hard you press but rather for how long you scrub? Does anyone have some specific tips on how to tackle this? Length of scrubbing action? Circular? Linear motions? Let it sit? Take it right off? Use Microfiber to apply and then buff off? Or use the Flitz polishing ball I have attached to my drill capable of 1400rpm?

Ok, thanks in advance. I really don't want to see these wheels get into any state of disrepair.

[bigron62]

can you post a pic so we can offer advice?

[JCz04Bimmer]

crap, just parked my car over in my garage a few blocks away. i'll post some pics ASAP.

But, until I do... best way to describe it is blotchy, slightly darker than the rest marks throughout only the non-clearcoated polished aluminum lips. I'm thinking that its just discoloration/oxidation thats really cooked in there. Perhaps Wenol is a product I should try. I might try some MEguire's NXT All Metal Polysh just cuz I can get that at any Pep Boys. Can anyone offer me advice on simply the BEST way to polish raw aluminum? Fast linear motion for 5 minutes? Or is just 30 seconds about right? Thanks.

[bigron62]

try the flitz ball and aluminum polish if that wont remove it then you need some buffing wheels for your drill and some compound .. heres the stuff i use

[rhillstr]

:yeah :yeah
I would add getting metal compound bars, the felt wheels attached above and SISAL wheels.
Good link with explanations of compound and grades. You can get compound at Sears and maybe Dwayne???

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffing.htm

[JCz04Bimmer]

Interesting. I don't have THAT fancy of a drill. Its just a Craftsman 14.4V-EX with a low-high speed of 0-600rpm and 0-1400rpm. Though I do have a dremel that came with a TON of polishing heads that look like that, only smaller. I'll try to use it on a small portion of the wheel and see if it works. But I think the two speeds are something like 15k and 35k RPM which is ALOT higher than drills. Is it safe to give it a shot?

From that website you pointed me to, this kit seems like the best combination of supplies I'd need right: http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/alpolkit.htm

Also, which polish out there, over the counter, is more strong/abrasive. I obviously need something with a bit more kick. I have in my arsenal right now: Mother's Billet, Mother's Aluminum & Mag, Eagle One Nevr Dull, Eage One A2Z, Flitz, Flitz Polishing Ball, Craftsman Drill (see above), Dremel,

Also, when using Flitz, the way I used it was... I applied it with a microfiber towel, moderate amount, rubbed it across the surface for about 30 seconds with fast back and forth motions, then used the flitz polishing ball at 1400rpm to remove the film and once it was gone, I moved on. Like I said, this left the wheel still looking hurtin'. Granted, from a distance, they look VERY shiney, and very clean. But, when you get a bit closer, you can see what I've described above

[JCz04Bimmer]

:bump: ?

[tubafeak]

As long as you're careful, you should get pretty good results with the dremel polishing wheel as long as you use some sort of heavy paste rouge polish. The Dremel stuff is good, Home Depot has a kit for metal polishing and the stuff that comes in that works well too.

[JCz04Bimmer]

Originally Posted by tubafeak

As long as you're careful, you should get pretty good results with the dremel polishing wheel as long as you use some sort of heavy paste rouge polish. The Dremel stuff is good, Home Depot has a kit for metal polishing and the stuff that comes in that works well too.

Cool. I just got back from going at the wheels. Managed to clean them up fairly nicely but it still looks like there are some faint (much fainter than before) spotting in the finish. I used a Spiral Wound buffing wheel that attached to my drill. I used it on high. The dremel was just way too small to go at them wheels. I applied a hefty amount of Mother's Billet and then used the wheel is rub it into the wheel nice and good. Then I used a MF towel to wipe it off. The results were good for now. I'm going to see how they come out when I finish it up tonight after dinner. Then I'll tackle whatever extra things I need to buy. I'm thinking first I'll pick up some Wenol. Right? Or is Wenol basically the same as the Flitz stuff that didn't work? I guess I'm just sort of intimidated to buy all the compound stuff. I am a quasi-newbie :boohoo

[Edwa]

I have the same problem with my Eagle 101's. The were polished and sealed with AIO in mid-Nov.
I thought the AIO would have held up much better than this.... These pics were taken AFTER washing.

[JCz04Bimmer]

OK, VERY VERY similar thing I have. It does not have nearly the same kind of hazing that you have however the spotting that you have, that is what I got. Again, mine are not nearly as hazy, in fact, after polishing them up, they incredibly shiney now, but still have those spots you see in the pictures (faint, but there)

[Edwa]

I tried to clean them up this past weekend. I spent 1.5hrs and did not even finish one wheel. I used Mothers. I am looking at the brown/tripoli bar from this site http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffing.htm as a step up in aggression. I am still trying to find someone in my area who will polish them up....I just do not have the time.

What's everybody else in the NorthEast using to protect their wheels? I thought that AIO would have worked....at least for the winter.

[Poorboy]

there are two parts to taking care and maintaining uncoated wheels...

first..is the procedure... speed and heat is needed to be generated to remove the spot and oxidation from the aluminum ...the use of a drill with a plishing ball, a dremel , or a buffing wheel will get you the best and easiest results....getting the right tips and buffs like shown above in Big Ron's pictures will mAake doing the work easier.

second is the products...to remove the haze and oxidation, most metal polishes will do the trick with the right equipent from above, by hand the choices will get slimmer, the problem with most metal polishes are that they include silicone in them, first for easier use and then for leaving so called protection. The only problem with that is silicone and heat don't mix, when the wheel gets hot from braking or highway driving the silicone will suck in moisture and then haze as it cools. I've dealt a lot with this with Street Rodders who have these types of wheels and also deal with it in their engine compartments where billet is commonly used for show. Heat and silicone don't mix! ...

the solution to this is to either use silicone free polishes or remove the silicone after polishing with a second silicone free final polish and sealant.

Hope this helps

[JCz04Bimmer]

OK, So I've also decided that my just-bought 14.4v Craftsman drill sucks. It dies on me after no time at all. So, do you suggest I go to a corded drill and never have to deal with a dying battery again or upgrade just to the 18v one they have at Sears for the same amt of money.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by JCz04Bimmer

OK, So I've also decided that my just-bought 14.4v Craftsman drill sucks. It dies on me after no time at all. So, do you suggest I go to a corded drill and never have to deal with a dying battery again or upgrade just to the 18v one they have at Sears for the same amt of money.

lived that nightmare too:lol I prefer corded for work that will take more that a few continuous minutes