Scared to polish chrome rims

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jw

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I ordered some 1z metal polish. I have 22 inch chromes that have some rust marks and some dull looking areas. I've never polished wheels before, what's the best way to go about this? Is there anything to worry about, I'm scared i'm goint to ruin the rims.
 
jw- If you already have rust I'd be most concerned with *that* ruining the rims. Note that rust only happens on chromed surfaces when the chrome/underlying plating has been compromised so badly that the steel surface underneath *can* oxidize/rust.



I've never used that 1Z product, but chrome plating is pretty hard stuff. Using made-for-chrome products, sooner rather than later, oughta at least help things a bit, but don't expect miracles as it sounds like they're already kinda messed up.



IME chrome only has a few different conditions: perfect, superficially marred, lightly compromised (the white/blue/green "soft corrosion"), badly compromised (rust), and delaminated (the plating actually peeling off). Of those, anything worse than the "lightly compromised" is, sorry to say, very bad news.
 
chrome (in the automotive world of finishes) is virtually bulletproof. it can be damaged, but it is one of the most durable finishes out there. go ahead and polish it up, just watch for the flaking and "lightly compromised" state listed above. also, make sure you aren't using anything very abrasive. IME most metal polishes clean chemically and very very light abrasive.
 
jw said:
I ordered some 1z metal polish. I have 22 inch chromes that have some rust marks and some dull looking areas. I've never polished wheels before, what's the best way to go about this? Is there anything to worry about, I'm scared i'm goint to ruin the rims.
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You probably spent some bucks on those rims and tires. Your scared to polish them in fear of causing more damage, my question is why did you let it get to that state in the first place?
 
Legacy99 said:
You probably spent some bucks on those rims and tires. Your scared to polish them in fear of causing more damage, my question is why did you let it get to that state in the first place?
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per one of the 3 or 4 other post he made about the same chrome rims:nana:



they came on a car he bought
 
Yes I just purchased a car with these rims. It may not be rust spots, I just some little specks that are rust colored
 
Probably brake dust and other ferrous particles stuck to the grime on the finish.



I'd try to clean with a quality wheel cleaner and lots of suds.



Then with an old clay bar, consider claying the wheels to safely get rid of those ferrous particles.



Then use a quality chrome polish like Mothers that is light and also leaves behind some protection.



Try using a light spray wax (spray on, wipe off) like FX for routine protection against dust.
 
Legacy99 said:
You probably spent some bucks on those rims and tires. Your scared to polish them in fear of causing more damage, my question is why did you let it get to that state in the first place?
Click to expand...



+1 i have had several pairs of chrome rims on different vehicles and laughed at all the products out there to "clean" them, the only thing i ever had to do was take a wet cloth and wipe, then a dry cloth to dry, looked good as new
 
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