Strong but safe cleaner for polished aluminum semi wheels?

[RaskyR1]

So my bother called me last night as his oldest boy is going to be doing some work for his grandfather on the farm this summer. Apparently he`s going to put him to work cleaning and polishing the aluminum wheels on all his trucks. However, he told me that in the previous years he starts by cleaning the wheels with an acid prior to polishing. This struck me as odd as I`d assume the acid will etch the wheels to some degree and only make more work for the polishing stages....no?





So my questions is for any of you that have spent some time cleaning polished aluminum big rig wheels, what are you using for a cleaner? I don`t know the condition on the wheels, trashed I`m sure being in MN. I may just tell him to get some Sonax FE but I`m sure it`s far more expensive then the acid he`s using and not sure if he`ll go for it.





Thanks,

Rasky

[Barry Theal]

Rasky,



Tell them to stick with acid. It will flash the alluminum and make polishing a lot easier. Well if you can actually make alluminum polishing easier. The only real alternative I have found is steam to cleam the wheels and then Polish them out. BUt it all depends on the wheels condition.



This is a pretty good aluminum cleaner that can be found locally at Napa. It doesn`t flash as heavy as some of the stuff I have used.



NAPA AUTO PARTS (http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=DG_853_0006546136)

[imported_ww2717]

Hey Chad:

I have used a product called FLITZ and the drill attachment foam buffing ball that Flitz sells. Working fairly well.

[RaskyR1]

Rasky,



Tell them to stick with acid. It will flash the alluminum and make polishing a lot easier. Well if you can actually make alluminum polishing easier. The only real alternative I have found is steam to cleam the wheels and then Polish them out. BUt it all depends on the wheels condition.



This is a pretty good aluminum cleaner that can be found locally at Napa. It doesn`t flash as heavy as some of the stuff I have used.



NAPA AUTO PARTS (http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=DG_853_0006546136)





Thanks Barry. I`ll have him check it out...I`m still waiting to hear back on what products he`s currently using. ;)

[Jokeman]

Rasky,



Tell them to stick with acid. It will flash the alluminum and make polishing a lot easier. Well if you can actually make alluminum polishing easier. The only real alternative I have found is steam to cleam the wheels and then Polish them out. BUt it all depends on the wheels condition.



This is a pretty good aluminum cleaner that can be found locally at Napa. It doesn`t flash as heavy as some of the stuff I have used.



NAPA AUTO PARTS (http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=DG_853_0006546136)



Barry nailed it.