Cleaning Aluminum Rims

**00GREENMACHINE** · 10-30-2006, 08:15 PM

I have debated to get the mothers mini power ball. I have a lot of small places it would work good in beside my arm. Anyone have luck with it polishing aluminum rims? Would my poorboys blue polish work?

**MagicCity33** · 11-09-2006, 12:03 PM

I picked up the mini ball and the large ball last week. The mini ball was $19.96 and the large ball was $18.96 I plan on using it for the very same reason. I`ll let you know how things turn out if I can get it done Sunday after church. I wanted some PB Wheel wax but opt. for Mother`s wheel P & S. (It was only $4.96)

I`m going to get som PB later when my funds have been replenished.

**budman3** · 11-09-2006, 12:20 PM

I use the big Powerball on the wheels on our Motorhome and it does a good job. I have tried PB`s for polishing aluminum and it works- but IMO Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish yeilds better results and is easier. I would suggest picking some of that up and using that rather than the PwC.

With the Mothers, just take some polish (I use my finger) apply it directly to the wheel, smudge the polish around the wheel, crank up the drill (electric if you`ve got it), work it in until it`s black (or longer) and wipe off with an old MF. You`ll be impressed

.

**Beemerboy** · 11-09-2006, 12:22 PM

I can`t speak for the ball but a designated aluminum polish would be a better choice...Having just did some rims I found that metal polish was better than anything else...I did use some PB Pro-Polish and it was good but not as good as the aluminium polish...a trick that will really help you once you have finished polishing and before you wipe the rim down....get some baking soda and put that on a rag and wipe on to the rim...the BS will absorb all the black stuff off, then with a clean towel wipe the rest off...I know this sounds crazy, but it will blow you away how well it works and leaves the rims spotless of smears

**budman3** · 11-09-2006, 12:32 PM

Dave- never heard about the baking soda trick before. Do you just put it on the towel dry?

FWIW, I have recently bought some buffing balls/wheels that I can use with a rotary and a drill but haven`t really used them yet. I also got Busch Metal Polish which is another very good metal polish.

**Beemerboy** · 11-09-2006, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by budman3

Dave- never heard about the baking soda trick before. Do you just put it on the towel dry?

FWIW, I have recently bought some buffing balls/wheels that I can use with a rotary and a drill but haven`t really used them yet. I also got Busch Metal Polish which is another very good metal polish.

BUD

I got the tip some years back from a polishing house up in Washington State, while looking for someone to do polishing on my jeep rims...after talking to this guy and finding Zephyr Pro40..I decided to do it myself...I can post a pic of the results if you like ...

After you get done polishing the wheel and all the black residue is on the rim...I take an old MF towel and sprinkle some on the towel, them wipe on the rim..it takes the black stuff off the rim straight away...I don`t think that I have ever used something that worked so well...There is a little light dusting of BS still on the rim. I use a clean MF towel and spray with S&W to lift that...I have also done this on my chrome wheels and it works the same for removing all the product and leaving them smear free

**00GREENMACHINE** · 11-09-2006, 01:30 PM

thanks for all the answers guys. I ended up using the white pad that came with my pc and I used some s100 cleaner polish I had laying around. MAN what a difference, they are blinging now. I have to get another digital camera and take some pics. I wish I had taken them before and after. They look pure like chrome ones now!!!

**Beemerboy** · 11-09-2006, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by 00GREENMACHINE

thanks for all the answers guys. I ended up using the white pad that came with my pc and I used some s100 cleaner polish I had laying around. MAN what a difference, they are blinging now. I have to get another digital camera and take some pics. I wish I had taken them before and after. They look pure like chrome ones now!!!

Polished aluminum I think looks better than chrome, in some cases...here is the rim that I did and you can see the bling in them

**crobinso** · 11-09-2006, 02:51 PM

Dayam that polished aluminum looks sick, as the young boys say. (That`s a good thing.)

Dare I try the baking soda on my brushed aluminum wheels?

Charles

**MagicCity33** · 11-09-2006, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Beemerboy

BUD

I got the tip some years back from a polishing house up in Washington State, while looking for someone to do polishing on my jeep rims...after talking to this guy and finding Zephyr Pro40..I decided to do it myself...I can post a pic of the results if you like ...

After you get done polishing the wheel and all the black residue is on the rim...I take an old MF towel and sprinkle some on the towel, them wipe on the rim..it takes the black stuff off the rim straight away...I don`t think that I have ever used something that worked so well...There is a little light dusting of BS still on the rim. I use a clean MF towel and spray with S&W to lift that...I have also done this on my chrome wheels and it works the same for removing all the product and leaving them smear free

Thanks for the tip I`m going to try that myself. I have to first do some rim correctional work but after all of the sanding and cleaning I`m going to give it a go. The bad part about my rims are they have a coating and after my sanding I may have to use some silver satin paint after I finished polishing in some areas according to a couple of people I`ve talked to.

Although I`m a little skeptical I`m still going to give it a go.

I`m sick of looking at the nicks in the rims!!!!!!