Polished my billet aluminum rims!!

[PROJECTX]

I thought I`d do a detail on my rims using some of Adam`s Polishes #1 and #2 followed up with Poorboys Wheel Sealant on my billet rims.

Below are a few pictures after cleaning. The rim appears to be in decent shape but are dull with a haze and lacks shine:

Yeah, it could be better than this!
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/b4_2.jpg

A close up of surface reveals tiny surface scratches and marring.
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/b4_3.jpg

The polish leaves a haze after polishing that is easily wiped clean. The darker black areas of the haze is reminents of the polish at work.
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/polish1_1.jpg

Here is the rim after using Adam`s Polish #1
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/polish1_2.jpg

A close-up of the rim shows how the surface has become noticeabley smoother.
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/polish1_3.jpg

Here is the rim after using Adam`s Polish #2. In general I think if your wheels are kept up you could probably get away with just using Adam`s Polish #2 to help maintain the shine.
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/polish2_1.jpg

Here`s a final picture with wheel sealant applied:
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/whsealeant_1.jpg

Poorboys wheel sealant is great and provides extra protection. I swear the wheel shines even more after 2 layers.

The Final picture. Rim detailed with Adam`s Polishes #1,#2 and 2 coats Poorboys Wheel Sealant:
http://www.2020truckclub.com/gallery/albums/album07/whsealeant_2.jpg

Feel free to leave any advice or comments. You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I don`t think I would have near the knowledge if it wasn`t for all my reading here!! I got 3 more wheels to finish...

[mix300]

One word ... SWEET.............. :mohawk

Man I will say they look good. I have been working on a set for weeks now. Sanding, cleaning and sanding, then steel wool and now finally getting ready to polish.... Any advice.

[audiboy]

I honestly think they look like two different wheels. Great job!

[MS22]

Nice work!
You will be able to maintain the shine using only the #2 polish. That bottle of #1 will last through a few bottles of #2 but they are the best metal polishes I have come across.

[Boss_429]

They look very nice! What product(s) and tool(s) (mitt, brush) do you use to wash them?

[PROJECTX]

One word ... SWEET.............. :mohawk

Man I will say they look good. I have been working on a set for weeks now. Sanding, cleaning and sanding, then steel wool and now finally getting ready to polish.... Any advice.

Wow your really getting down to business with sanding and everything. Must of had years of neglect! The great thing is you should be able to get them looking like new again. I`m not sure what grit of sandpaper you are using but I would think as one of the last steps before actually polishing would be to get a super fine grit like 2000 and wet sand. Once done clean the wheels up really well and then start polishing. I used a microfiber towel along with Adam`s Polish #1 to get the surface smooth and free of micro scratches. Adam`s Polish uses a chemical cut so it`s more controlled and easier to work with. I stick to using microfiber because it is least likely to cause scratching while polishing. Just rotate the towel around as it will get pitch black, but then you know it`s working.
When your done polishing be sure to seal in all your hard work with some Poorboys Wheel Sealant. It`s really nice stuff and again you only need a little bit so all the products I mentioned really go a long way!

[Brk4euros]

Lookin` real real nice!

[fatchance]

Looks great.
You might want to try Mothers Power Ball. Their video shows Billet as a prime canidate for its use.

[Totoland Mach]

WOW! Great job...and that`s coming from someone who maintains a set of Team III Halibrands almost weekly.

I might try the sealant myself. The durability issue is constant with polished aluminum wheels.

Fantastic work...Congrat`s

Totoland Mach

[Fatboy2]

Looks Great!

I am wondering if the same process would work on the solid Harley Fatboy wheels? (They are a bear with fine grooves in the wheel.)

[91LSMAN]

Looks like rims with a different finish-great work!!!

[PROJECTX]

They look very nice! What product(s) and tool(s) (mitt, brush) do you use to wash them?

Thanks!, To wash the wheels I rinse them off with the hose first then I spray on some Four Star Ultimate Wheel Cleaner let sit for a while then wash off with a soft mit (Adam`s Professional Wash Pad) and a clean bucket of water. I think it`s critcal not to use brushes etc. on billet wheels because even the slightest abrasion causes scratches.

[mix300]

Well I just finish polishing three of wheels. I still think they could be a little better. I am thinking of buying the adams to see if I get an even better shine on the wheel. My brother came over this Meguiars hots shine aerosol tire dressing... I give it a 0 rating crap.. what a mess. But you can see the wheels have come a long way. First pic is what new england weather (salt, snow and more crap) will do to a clear finish on wheels.

The second pic is after hours of cleaning, sanding, clean and more sanding.. you get the idea.

I have the pbs sealant ,, stuff is great.

[PROJECTX]

Well I just finish polishing three of wheels. I still think they could be a little better. I am thinking of buying the adams to see if I get an even better shine on the wheel. My brother came over this Meguiars hots shine aerosol tire dressing... I give it a 0 rating crap.. what a mess. But you can see the wheels have come a long way. First pic is what new england weather (salt, snow and more crap) will do to a clear finish on wheels.

The second pic is after hours of cleaning, sanding, clean and more sanding.. you get the idea.

I have the pbs sealant ,, stuff is great.

Nice job !! I feel your pain when you talk about how much polishing you had to do. You should really give Adam`s a try it is so easy to use, and very nice to work with. I`ve tried a lot of different polishes and this is definitely my favourite. You gotta love billet, no matter how bad it is with enough work you`ll almost always come out with a great looking wheel. The trick is finding products that don`t require you to spend 1 hour per wheel to get them looking great.

[mix300]

Projectx I just wanted to say thanks. I got the Adams metal polish 1and2 today. Did one of the wheels over. I`m sold. Adams ease of use and no harsh orders. Sweet.