Aluminum wheels

I recently bought a set of wheels and tires from PA99XploderSport.. wheels are M/T Classic II aluminum uncoated.. the wheels are pretty oxidized from use on winter conditions so dirt, road salt, brake dust and other hard crusty things have clinged pretty good on them.. i managed to clean them out smooth using 0000 steel wool and WD40 but i was left with white oxidation spots and other impurities that would not go away.. i already tried mother's aluminum polish, nerver-dull, mother's billet polish, powerballed it, hand rubbed it, etc.. basically, i've tried almost every aluminum wheel polishing product out there that could be bought from autozone, pepboys, wal-mart and advanced auto parts.. i am just lost on what to do to get rid of those SPOTS!!

here's a couple of pics of what i'm talking about:

FROM THIS:

TO THIS:

BUT WAS LEFT WITH THESE WHITE SPOTS!!!:

little help please?

 

[parad1mg]

bump

 

[Turdle]

OK-
you can try to remove the clear powdercoating.

Believe it or not-there are several industrial strength degreasers that may work-
try soaking them in a solvent called "aircraft stripper" if you can find it-
the coating will then be released engough to powerwash it off.

Then a good polishing with a mother's powerball will make them look good.
You'll need to polish them often though. Aluminum stains very easy.

Best to have them blasted and powdercoated a color you like.

blasting will be around 10.00 per wheel, ( I'd charge 15.00)
since they are aluminum you need only coat the face. That should be around 35.00 per wheel.

 

[parad1mg]

the wheels do not have any kind of protective coating on them ( http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/tech.php?bulletin=t6 ) so its just bare, polished aluminum.. i know wal-mart has the aircraft stripper thing in a can.. would it be OK to use it on un-coated aluminum?

i agree with the powerball thing since it already made the wheels shine, but those dang spots make it look retarded..:frustrate

OK-
you can try to remove the clear powdercoating.

Believe it or not-there are several industrial strength degreasers that may work-
try soaking them in a solvent called "aircraft stripper" if you can find it-
the coating will then be released engough to powerwash it off.

Then a good polishing with a mother's powerball will make them look good.
You'll need to polish them often though. Aluminum stains very easy.

Best to have them blasted and powdercoated a color you like.

blasting will be around 10.00 per wheel, ( I'd charge 15.00)
since they are aluminum you need only coat the face. That should be around 35.00 per wheel.

 

[parad1mg]

bump..

 

[falcaraz]

I wet-sanded my wheels with ultra fine sand paper to remove any oxidation and spots and it worked like a charm. It's alot of work but they come out looking like mirrors.

 

[parad1mg]

i tried sanding (wet sanded) a small area of the wheel with 2000 grit and i didnt go through it a lot in fear of damaging it.. then i buffed it out with rubbing compounds followed by an aluminum polish but there were still scratch marks that were left from the sanding process..

is there a special rubbing compound just for aluminum?

I wet-sanded my wheels with ultra fine sand paper to remove any oxidation and spots and it worked like a charm. It's alot of work but they come out looking like mirrors.

 

[parad1mg]

bump.. yes, i'm kinda desperate for more info

 

[falcaraz]

I started with 800,1000,1500, then 2000 and they came out great.

 

[parad1mg]

oh ok.. what did you use to buff the scratches out? did you go straight to tripoli then white rouge after that?

 

[KJMac]

Get som muriatic acid and put it in a spray bottle(use rubber glove)and spray down each wheel then let it sit for about a minute and hose it off.
It may take 2-3 applications? then polish them. My friends have done this and they turn out great with less elbow grease.

 

[parad1mg]

i'm staying away from acid and acid-based cleaners since these are uncoated aluminum wheels..

 

[falcaraz]

i used 3m rubbing compound to get rid of the 2000 grit scratches.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Just use aluminum brightener- they'll clean right up.

 

[Charlie]

Just use aluminum brightener- they'll clean right up.

Helps a lot, cleans them up nice.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

If you use aluminum brightener, only spray it on one wheel at a time, have the hose nearby. Spray it on there evenly, don't let it run, it will foam up white. Rinse it very well, make sure you get all of it from behind the wheel weights. Aluminum brightener is an acid and should be kept off your skin and definitely out of your eyes. That being said, a detail supply place should have it by the gallon- I always put that 1 gallon with 1 gallon of water in a pump up sprayer. Works great.

 

[KJMac]

Look at the label, I bet it has Muriatic acid in it! I paid about 4.00 agallon at the hardware store.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I've used aluminum brightener on many wheels, you have to be careful and methodical, but it can be used safely and no amount of polishing can match it.

 

[parad1mg]

Ha! i just found a way to get those wheels back into shape.. i sanded off all imperfections, then buffed the scratches out with a tripoli compound.. cleaned the surface again and then followed it with a polishing compound that just polishes and doesnt have any more cutting action and finished it off with an off the shelf aluminum polish (used mother's polish).. the result is all worth the effort.. although i did it on one section of the wheel only to test the results.. the tires and wheels are in a tire shop right now 'cause i wanted the white letters to be on the outside and they're getting balanced after..

thanks for the ideas guys!

i'll post some pics of the final product as soon as i get 1 wheel done.. (but dont expect it anytime soon since it takes long hours just to wetsand all those pits and oxidation out.. )

 

[BIGHVM]

These spots are infact, damage in the metal, its the ways this metal rusts!
you have to machine them out- I am starting with a restore on mine, I have the standard wheels as found on the Limited Explorer on my Northface here in the UK, If you look real close you will see very small machining tool marks from the making- I will be doing this my self and will loose those marks as I will be using hand power tools, a detail sander and aluminium oxide paper to start and finishing with wet and dry, 400, then 800 and 2000 till I get a mirror finish, after a wash and dry I will clear coat, three times at least to leave a perfect finish. Yes I could pay to have this done, but it is hard to find a wheel restorer to do the wheels and have them machined to show the lines around the alloy as the standard finish- most will do what I am doing and leave the surface flat.

Good luck and you are doing a great job!

I will post pictures when I get to the alloys, for now I am doing the spare, steel wheel started 2 days ago and have taken the paint and surface rust off, today I will coat with a rust converter, dry, fill and prime- thats as far as I expect to get today as I am taking my time as I want a flawless finish that will last.