Restoring aluminum wheels
#11
Here's a couple of products I might suggest trying...
Hot Rims™ Metal Polish
"Meguiar's® Hot Rims™ Metal Polish is formulated to quickly restore dull metals to a brilliant mirror-like finish. With advanced SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive Technology) you will get a significant cut and a fine finish without scratching or micro marring that is safe and effective on all uncoated metals and chrome. Hot Rims Metal polish will also provide amazing results by hand or when paired with Meguiar's Hot Rims Wheel Polisher."
and/or/both
Finishing Metal Polish
"Meguiar’s® Finishing Metal Polish was designed as a finishing polish for uncoated metal surfaces to remove the fine blemishes that limit shine. Its gentle finishing polish contains ultra fine abrasives that create a brilliant, mirror-like finish and can be applied by hand or with Meguiar’s®DynaCone™ Polisher."
I personally have not used either product but...
I've been happy with the results from Meguiar's products.
If you try them, please let us know your results.
___________________
Merlin
Hot Rims™ Metal Polish
"Meguiar's® Hot Rims™ Metal Polish is formulated to quickly restore dull metals to a brilliant mirror-like finish. With advanced SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive Technology) you will get a significant cut and a fine finish without scratching or micro marring that is safe and effective on all uncoated metals and chrome. Hot Rims Metal polish will also provide amazing results by hand or when paired with Meguiar's Hot Rims Wheel Polisher."
and/or/both
Finishing Metal Polish
"Meguiar’s® Finishing Metal Polish was designed as a finishing polish for uncoated metal surfaces to remove the fine blemishes that limit shine. Its gentle finishing polish contains ultra fine abrasives that create a brilliant, mirror-like finish and can be applied by hand or with Meguiar’s®DynaCone™ Polisher."
I personally have not used either product but...
I've been happy with the results from Meguiar's products.
If you try them, please let us know your results.
___________________
Merlin
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks guy's! I ended up sanding up to 5000 grit then polishing with a cotton wheel in my drill and blue magic then finishing with a power cone and mothers billet polish. I got the wheels looking awesome but the crack seems to still be there so I'm trying to sell or trade them. I loved how they looked on my truck so I got a set of raceline renegades to replace them. The racelines are only 8.5 wide and 0 offset vs the 10 wide welds with - 24 tho :/ I'm asking 600 or best offer for the wheels. I'm tired of looking at them lol. Also would be interested in trading them for lightning parts, ported 2v 5.4 heads plus cash on my end, A 4r70 (preferably not working) plus cash, or a Henry 22lr or 22mag or a bolt action 17hmr
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Here's the race lines. They are 5x5.5 so I had to get adapters to run them. Luckily a forum member had some quality ones laying around that he sold to me for 50 including shipping. These wheels only ran me 400. Just wish they were wider
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
#19
Looks like a poor weld job in that one pic. Are these 2 piece wheels where the spokes are machined from a blank and welded to the rim? If not, good thing you decided not to use them!
Anyhow, they did polish up nicely. What you would do now if you were to keep them, or pass on to whoever you sell them to, get some automotive clear coat and Chrome paint promoter. Not 100% sure if the promoter is for clear coat on aluminum or not, so need to verify that, but if you were to paint a chrome, you would spray the promoter on first, then the paint so that it actually bonds.
Either way, putting a coat of clear on to protect the finish is something to consider. One spray of an acidic solution, like some power wash soaps have will turn those shiny pieces of metal into an artifact. You will be up and down. I spent weeks polishing the tanks on my Mack truck only to come in on a Monday after the lease company came out and power washed the trucks and found my freshly polished tank had turned a dull gray. I was up a storm.
Anyhow, they did polish up nicely. What you would do now if you were to keep them, or pass on to whoever you sell them to, get some automotive clear coat and Chrome paint promoter. Not 100% sure if the promoter is for clear coat on aluminum or not, so need to verify that, but if you were to paint a chrome, you would spray the promoter on first, then the paint so that it actually bonds.
Either way, putting a coat of clear on to protect the finish is something to consider. One spray of an acidic solution, like some power wash soaps have will turn those shiny pieces of metal into an artifact. You will be up and down. I spent weeks polishing the tanks on my Mack truck only to come in on a Monday after the lease company came out and power washed the trucks and found my freshly polished tank had turned a dull gray. I was up a storm.
#20
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks guy's. Yeah the weld job is terrible and they are a one piece wheel. It really should have never been welded because of the location of the crack. But it is going through the barrel not the spoke. I really don't want to put much more into the but I'll look at coating them for sure.