Stock ws6 wheels professional polishing

**slikws6** · 06-30-2008, 04:03 AM

Has anyone ever had this done or any idea's who can do it?
I have a dull film on the rims and have tried everything including Jewlers rouge and several other polishes.

**GULLETT17** · 06-30-2008, 07:20 AM

i thought the stock aluminum wheels had clear on them? if not try some 1500 or 1000 grit wet sand paper and wet sand em. then go with the white jewlers rouge and finish off with mother polish. . . you will be happy. i swear by this process after doin it to my wheels, which were naaaasty and now have an almost chrome shine.

**Mr. Luos** · 06-30-2008, 09:02 AM

They are clear coated.
Which is what the problem is.

Remove the clear, and they will be much more of a maintenance pain in the ass.
But they will look 100x better.

If you leave the clear, treat them like you would your paint. Wheel polish isn't going to help.

**slikws6** · 06-30-2008, 10:12 AM

So is it the clear coat failing and this is whats making it look hazy?
I tried a paint cleaner and wheel wax first and no change.

**GULLETT17** · 06-30-2008, 10:32 AM

like luos said you need to just treat em like paint. . . wetsanding could still help but i would go less agressive maybe 2000, 1500 if you need to. then go with a good rubbing compound and then maybe a good cleaner polish. i dont have much experience with the clear coated aluminum wheels.

**CptMidway** · 07-13-2008, 11:38 AM

If you want to strip the clear go down to Home Depot and get JASCO. Apply it to the wheels and let it sit for a few minutes. Use a nylon brush to help remove the clear. Wash the wheels with water and reapply to any spots you missed.

**Levilz** · 07-13-2008, 01:37 PM

I used Klean Strip Auto stripper. You can get it at Auto Zone...

Here were the results

before

after

**third_shift|studios** · 07-14-2008, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Levilz

I used Klean Strip Auto stripper. You can get it at Auto Zone...

Here were the results

before

after

BOI-OI-OI-OING!

**slikws6** · 07-14-2008, 09:29 AM

That first pic is about the haze that I am talking about.
Are those the same wheels?

**CptMidway** · 07-14-2008, 11:41 AM

Yeah those are the same wheels. When I worked at a polishing shop we did a couple of those wheels. The clear coat isn't really that "clear", as the pictures show.
Spending some time really polishing the clear will make a difference though.

**slikws6** · 07-16-2008, 06:39 AM

Levilz,

What was the finishing proccess you used.
Did you have them re-clear coated or did you polished and wax them.
Looks realy good.

**Levilz** · 07-16-2008, 02:49 PM

Thanks for the complements.

Here is the process I followed. Really simple stuff. Don't follow the directions on the can exactly as it'll be a pain in the ass to deal with later.

1. If at all possible, have the wheels off the car with the tires, valve stems and any wheel weights removed. Mine didn't have tires on them and I had rear mounted weights, but I did leave the stems. I worked around them and it didn't hurt anything.

2. The stuff will burn your skin and eyes, so be sure and wear gloves and eye protection. Pour the stripper into a disposable can and use a chemical resistant paint brush to brush it on the wheel. Cake it on pretty heavy or it will dry too fast. Only brush it on in one direction too or something with the chemicals will not work as well. After the wheel is completely coated, let it set for 30 minutes or so. You will know when it's done, because all of the clear will have bubbled up off the wheel.

3. Here is where you get away from the directions a little. Instead of wiping off the stuff, spray it off with a hose. The higher the pressure, the better it will do, but a regular hose will work.

4. Dry the wheel completely and inspect it. If there is any clear left (there probably will be after one coat) it will look like small blisters or spots. If you find any imperfections, put on another coat of the stripper and do everything over until you're happy with the result.
It took me 2 coats and it seems like that is the norm.

5. When this is done, the wheel will look a lot better than before, even before you polish it. After the polish, it will really pop. For the polish, I used a Powerball and Mother's Power Metal Polish. I buffed each wheel with the powerball for about 15 minutes, then removed the residue by hand with a soft cloth.

As for reclearing them, It's kind of a personal preference thing. It wasn't worth doing for me. I've pretty well daily driven the car since doing it. I polish them once a week or so and it's held up great so far. You don't need to do it that much, but I go overboard sometimes. I will say it is a lot higher maintenance than reclearing as far as how often you need to clean them though. The bare metal seems like it a crap magnet, where cleared ones seem to repel a little better.
Either way, it looks very nice IMO.

That's about it. If you have any questions, shoot me a pm and I'll help the best I can.

**Levilz** · 07-16-2008, 02:51 PM

Yes, those were the same wheels too by the way.

**slikws6** · 07-17-2008, 04:05 AM

Thanks Levilz,

That some great info.
My car is not a daily driver so it gets babied in the garage and is tinkered with all week here and there.
So the extra up keep will be ok by me.
Thanks again have a good one.

**BirdFlewLS1** · 07-23-2008, 11:07 AM

You can also take the clear off...polish them, and them put a few coats of wax or sealer on them... I cant really name the sealer but its more of a wax...we use it on our racing trailors after we spend 2 days polishing all the aluminum. and it lasts a good year and a half...and thats with it sitting outside year round. just another option