I'm looking for recommendations on a cleaner polisher for badly oxidized Alcoa wheels. In the past I've used Deep Alume from Phat Performance Parts. It worked great but the wheels weren't as far gone. Also, Deep Alume is meant for hand polishing and I'd like to avoid that if I can. Thanks.
jor
Couple options John, if you have a big truck stop there they might have a service that can clean them up. Or get a power ball and cone by Mothers along with the mothers aluminum polish and drill motor and have at it. ^.^d
I have used wet/dry sandpaper starting with 320 grit, working up to 3000 and then lightly polish.
But a guy at a truck stop with a 4-1/2"
grinder is a lot easier on you..........or you might try a grinder yourself.
Be careful using a caustic chemical as it will tend to remain in the pores of the aluminum and when mixed with water it will eat the aluminum and weaken the wheels, unless specially made for your application.
But not on your FT, correct? Your year should have DuraBrite.
Google Wolfgang metalwerk.
I do like Andy said--Mother's Mag & aluminum wheel cleaner and their power ball on a drill. Works great! Then I use Turtle Wax Ice Synthetic Polish. And the wheels and coach are 27 years old!!!
I wash coach & wheels with Armorall Wash & Wax. Once or twice a year I polish entire coach with Turtle Wax Ice.
I thought Alcoa had their own product... I will look
Call your local Big Truck wash and ask who does high speed polishing, I run into guys all the time that will polish them out for 5 or 10 bucks a wheel.
Do not high speed polish durabright wheels. Confirm whether you have them or not before you proceed.
X2......Ours were polished by others and left scratches that I will NEVER be able to remove. >:D
Also important to note durabright wheels are easy to clean but they never really achieve that up close mirror finish.
Mothers Aluminum Polish and Speed Ball on variable drill....go slow..!!!! keep the heat down..
Color me "old school", ours needs a clean today, so I'll wash the tires and wheels and do the tires first, then the wheels, all manually. The adjustable stool is a must. By the way, the amount of cleaning liquid used on the right should be modified as per heat and attention span. ^.^d
Lowes sells a liquid polish for the aluminum truck boxes that they sell. Worked better for me than anything else.
Tried polishing the " holes " in our wheels but gave up on that fight. Instead I tried using a small wire wheel on a cordless dril just smaller than the hole is. I only did the wheels on one side cause I wasn't sure if I'd like it and I didn't want to " re polish " all those €%#bg£^ holes if I didn't. I think it worked well and plan to do the other side.
Carefull though, DO NOT let the wire wheel jump out of the hole. That tool is NOT friendly to the polished face of the wheel. You'll have to do the sandpaper thing to fix it. Don't ask how I know this.
When y'all clean and polish your wheels, do you remove the lug-nut covers? How about the "hub caps"?
Thanks,
Trent
Mike,
Won't you get spatter from the wheel polish on the tires?
Trent
Thanks, Mike. Your real-world experience has enlightened at least one of us today. ^.^d
Trent
I did take off the lug nut covers--when the fronts were chrome plated plastic. But, due to so many of those being cracked or just plain gone I just purchased two packs of (10) lug nut covers (stainless steel) for $4.79/pack of ten from Big Rig Chrome Shop.com
Our lug nuts are 1-1/2" so finding metal instead of plastic in a RV catalog was next to impossible.
Just happened to drive by this place (across the highway from EAA Flyin airport, on the west frontage road) by Oshkosh, WI.
Might want to check them out--lots of LED lights, etc at reasonable prices. Super prices on LED clearance lights!!!
OP here. Thanks to all for the advice. This project is down the line a bit but I'll collect what I need. I also have aluminum mirrors. Thanks.
jor
Knowing you, I'd say, when you come to visit us in Ajo, I could shave off the reflection of the wheels. ^.^d
Mike...you need to modify those photo's...Pacifico is first then the cleaning starts...lol
Nope, I was raised by my Irish Grandmother, who always said, "A wee nip of Jamesons with morning tea is good for your heart."
When working, it was not possible, nor when driving. However, when we're at a Park and not going anywhere, I take her advice: "Geez, Grandma, my heart does feel better!" ^.^d
Stump,
I met a guy at the campground this past weekend who does this for a living. His name is Gator from Lake Charles, La and told me he has been doing this for 25 years. He works at truck stops, campgrounds, etc and saw my rig. He asked me to demonstrate his skills on one of my wheels. He uses a Makita polisher/grinder with a big polishing wheel and a rouge bar. We didn't take the wheels off so he had to do some of it by hand. He had his own cleaners and waxes and his lady friend to follow up behind him.
I was so impressed with his touch with the polisher and results I let him do all the wheels, the mirrors, and he even polished the headlight lenses! Only took a couple of hours and all for $100 bucks! Money well spent because the rears were really bad and it was hot and humid.
Jerry
What a difference a $100 bill can make!!
Nice job, need this guy to come to Fla.
Where you at? I keep hoping to run into one of those polishing pros, but it never happens. I'd happily give a $100 for that job. ^.^d
I had a good "wheel" man at my Foretravel store. Eddie was the best.
Wheels came out like the pictures and he shined up the old Ftx's to match