What to do with these wheels...

[KJW Detailing]

These are a set of wheels on a friends car. Don't ask how they got like this, but I'm trying to determine what, if anything can bring the lip back to looking like a polished lip, as opposed to a dull faded etc. etc....

My thinking: P21S Gel, IronX, Optimum Metal Polish

[rider9195]

Definitely give them a very thorough cleaning first off with a good wheel cleaner. Then go at it with P21s polishing soap or Opt Metal Polish. Seal them up so this doesn't happen again.

[Divine Details]

I would use sonax instead of p21s much better for really dirty wheels like those.


Chad@Divine Details

[A-train]

Sounds like you should get good results from the process you've got lined up. Iron X will be a must.

[RoadRageDetail]

That lip looks clear coated. Go hammering on it with a metal polish and you'll get some shine back but it will look marred up to no end.

Treat it just like any other clear coat. Once its clean, clay it. Once its free of contaminants, polish and wax/seal it.

[BobbyG]

That lip looks clear coated. Go hammering on it with a metal polish and you'll get some shine back but it will look marred up to no end.

Treat it just like any other clear coat. Once its clean, clay it. Once its free of contaminants, polish and wax/seal it.

BINGO!!

Most is not all wheels, especially factory are clear coated today. I'd go with some strong but meant for wheel cleaners. These combined with a Daytona brush should prove to be very successful in removing most of the grime.

Claying can be your 2nd step as I'm certain there are embedded deposits that need to removed.

CarPro Iron-X is another great product that specifically attacks iron and other particles further removing them.

Mothers makes some nice foam tools designed to be used with an ordinary drill. Use a general compound and polish and you'll be surprised how nice they'll become...

[ScottB]

if clearcoated, you can still use a paint polish or paint cleansing lotion to help bring back some coloring and remove oxidation.

[KJW Detailing]

good evening gents,

update...thoroughly cleaned, ironx, p21s, and mothers ball with optimum wheel polish...as you can see, some visual improvement can be seen, but that one spot at the bottom of the wheel took 20 minutes polishing. I feel that their is something I'm missing or something i can also incorporate to receive faster results.

Any suggestions?

[ShineTimeDetail]

Looks like either its bare aluminum and its pitted or its clear coat failing. Either way I would sand then polish with with a high speed buffer and a buffing rouge....a 6000 rpm buffer would fix it in a jiffy.

[TimmyG]

Looks like either its bare aluminum and its pitted or its clear coat failing. Either way I would sand then polish with with a high speed buffer and a buffing rouge....a 6000 rpm buffer would fix it in a jiffy.

Agreed.

[KJW Detailing]

if i were to sand, what grit would you recommend i start at?

[KJW Detailing]

Progress...had to do a bit of wet sanding this evening. Started with 600 grit and finished with 1500 grit. Tomorrow I'll be using the mothers power ball and optimum metal polish. My buddy told me he would buy a wheel specific wax for his wheels and then as a gift allow me to keep it. Suggestions on what I should go with?

Thanks!

[DonMTV]

What type of buffer is 6000 rpm?

Don

[RoadRageDetail]

Since you're removing the clear coat layer, and don't plan on respraying after you polish, you need to follow up with a sealant designed for bare metal. Wheel "waxes" are designed for those with clear coat, and would still work well with the black spokes but wouldn't offer any long term protection to the now-bare lip.

Something like this should do the trick
Wolfgang MetallWerk™ Concours Metal Sealant, aluminum sealant, metal protectant, chrome sealant (http://www.autogeek.net/wolfgang-metal-sealant.html)

[KJW Detailing]

Here are the wheels all finished. RRD thanks for the advise and I'll make a purchase of that product. I think these came out great, considering this was my first time every wet sanding wheels.