aluminum wheels
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,409
Likes: 1
From: Goliad, Texas
aluminum wheels
we bought my truck last year from a small town dealership. when we washed the rims they didn't come clean.
my dad said someone sprayed them down with acid and forgot to spray the acid off after a little while. so when I see wheels like mine they look so good since my are coated with acid. my rims are the Ford factory 10 hole. is there anything I can do to make them shine?
my dad said someone sprayed them down with acid and forgot to spray the acid off after a little while. so when I see wheels like mine they look so good since my are coated with acid. my rims are the Ford factory 10 hole. is there anything I can do to make them shine?
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 502
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Yep, if no clearcoat they will polish out. Most older big rigs have bare alum. wheels, they get pitted and dulled-and always polish out. Pits will stay, but the shine always comes back. My Dads peterbilt has over 2 million kilometers on it, and after a winter of calcium chloride and sand-they polish out. Mind you he uses a HD grinder with a polishing wheel and compound, tough dirty work.
Maybe talk to some auto places or even truck places-might get a decent price to have someone do it for you, then you can see how its done.
Maybe talk to some auto places or even truck places-might get a decent price to have someone do it for you, then you can see how its done.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,409
Likes: 1
From: Goliad, Texas
it just so happens that my dad has a 1982 Peterbilt 359 and he is polishing the tanks today and yesterday. they look a lot better now. he can probably polish the wheels out; I never thought of that. he has a buffer, too.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 301
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i live in north alabama and i had check on a company in middle tennessee that refinishes wheels ,mine are the vintage western bullets 15x8 1/2 ,the clear coat is peeling and flaking ,i cant remember the name of the company but it was gonna be 350.00 too redo all 4 and he promised they would look like new maybe even better .i wanna go this route because i love my wheels and they are hard too find
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Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
They must have used wheel cleaner for chromed steel wheels which has an acid in it that makes the chrome very shiny. Unfortunatly that type of wheel cleaner will screw up the finish on aluminum wheels. I have a set of optonal Ford cast aluminum wheels, they are not clean coated and look like crap if not kept polished. I used a 1/4" air die grinder, some buffs and compound to shine them up. If the wheels are in good shape and you can stand spending some money on them I would get them polished and clear coated. I think Duplicolor makes a clearcoating for wheels that comes in a rattle can. The clear coat will keep the wheels looking purty for a long time without polishing.
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Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,409
Likes: 1
From: Goliad, Texas
alright, about 2 hours ago I took the front left wheel off. I washed it and started polishing. my dad gave me some kind of mother's something. the wheels are so bad that we're gonna have to get a buffer instead of just a rag.
Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Aluminum Cleaning!
Just a tip on these wheels if you would like it. I use a Polish called Zephyr Pro 40 you can look it up on the internet. I drive a Gas Truck for a JOB (Sucks to be me) but if all the clear is not off of the wheel take it to a truck wash nearby if you can and have them acid bath the PI?? out of them. Then take this Pro 40 if you are certain all the clear is off and get a towel that you dont want and polish them. It will take some time. I actually use a piece of tightly wooven carpet that works the best for me. Or if you have a high speed buffing wheel that works the best. It wont clean out the holes but they will look like a million bucks. Scrub till they turn black let it dry and use a clean towel and wipe it off. Good LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,409
Likes: 1
From: Goliad, Texas
yeah once again my dad has Zephyr, but we didn't try it on the rims today. (he drives a 18-wheeler so he has used every chrome/metal/aluminum polish even made......gotta keep those aluminums polished up). since I don't exactually have a summer job, yet, next week I will work on the wheels. I hope they turn out good.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,326
Likes: 48
From: Middle TN
On my alum wheels, I have been buying Eagle One "etching" wheel cleaner in a spray bottle at Auto zone. After a hard winter my wheels are as dull as can be. I spray them, wait a few min. and then rinse. I do this twice. Then I polish them a little with mothers and they look like new. The spray does most of the work. They make two kinds of wheel cleaner but you have to use the etching and caution never use etching on a painted or clear coated wheel.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 843
Likes: 1
From: USA
Take a look at my gallery. Those are Ford 10 hole wheels that have had the clear coat removed and then polished out. I have to give them a good polishing about 3 times a summer but they really look nice. BTW, they don't go out in the Ohio winters.