Rims need some TLC
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 117
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From: Watertown, WI
Rims need some TLC My buddy has a pair of these Polished Aluminum American Racing TT2 Rims on his car that he is selling. I told him I would like those rims to put on my Trans-Am I asked how much he wanted and he said "Just take them, they havent been taken car of and look like ****"
I snapped a picture for you all to see. They have never been taken care of, (cleaned, polished etc) and they need a bit of work but I think they can be brought back to a nice polished shine. There are no scratched or anything, just these heavy brownish/black brake dust residue that is caked on there pretty good.
I did a bit of searching on here but I admit I know jack about wheels and upkeep and polishing. So if someone could help walk me through a great process to get rid of the grime and bring these things to a sparkling shine. Thanks in advance.
I snapped a picture for you all to see. They have never been taken care of, (cleaned, polished etc) and they need a bit of work but I think they can be brought back to a nice polished shine. There are no scratched or anything, just these heavy brownish/black brake dust residue that is caked on there pretty good.
I did a bit of searching on here but I admit I know jack about wheels and upkeep and polishing. So if someone could help walk me through a great process to get rid of the grime and bring these things to a sparkling shine. Thanks in advance.
i have this stuff that's like an acidic type spray for polished wheels. use a brush and scrub after you soak them. If they were mine i'd wetsand them to get rid of any pitting or heavy oxidation.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Watertown, WI
Well that is a relief, now, how do I do that? haha
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Watertown, WI
Any recommendations on which brand of polish to go with? I heard Mother's is pretty abrasive compared to other polishes but a good one nonetheless
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You need to use some sort of cleaner to remove the brake dust before you start sanding on them. Something like Iron X or Adams Deep Wheel cleaner.
I would also use Flitz Aluminum pre cleaner, I think that's what it's called.
Get them as clean as you can before you start sanding/polishing on them. You will get much better results if you do.
I would also use Flitz Aluminum pre cleaner, I think that's what it's called.
Get them as clean as you can before you start sanding/polishing on them. You will get much better results if you do.
I think the point me and several others are trying to make is that you FIRST need to get rid of the oxidation, rust, brake dust, etc. before you start wet sanding it. You do that buy using a product like Flitz. Once all that **** has been removed from the wheels and you have a clean surface to work with, you then can proceed with wet sanding, followed by using a good polish like Adams 1 and 2, or whatever you'd like to use. Not following those steps would be like waxing your car before you wiped all the dust off it; hence, you need a clean surface to work with.
Mine were pretty bad when i got the car. They've come a long way since what they were when i got the car. They weren't as bad as O/P's but still they were very oxidized and pitted.
Top cap is how most of the wheel looked when i bought it. The bottom was the look after the first time ever touching bare aluminum wheels
Top cap is how most of the wheel looked when i bought it. The bottom was the look after the first time ever touching bare aluminum wheels
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Watertown, WI
Awesome guys! I really appreciate all the info about the products to look for and what to do. It was a big help. I will be tackling this project this week and I will get some "after" pics for you all. Thanks again! 