Stock Wheels

[Bullwinkle]

My stock aluminum (clear coated) wheels are messed up from the wheel cleaner i've been using. It looks like faded water spots all over them. Is there any way to restore them?

Also, what do you detailers use on tires to make them look new. I don't like the shiny look, just the new tire look. It seems like everything on the market makes tires shine. I have to drive down a dirt road every day, so I can't use anything that dirt will stick to.

[Ward83]

Wesley's works pretty well on the tires, especially on raised white letter tires. i've had good luck using meguiar's quick detailer on the wheels. It doesn't fix the scratches and water spots, but it hides them pretty well. You might try buffing or polishing the wheels for a longer lasting fix.

[Bullwinkle]

I've tried buffing (by hand) with a 3M brand buffing compound and that just seemed to fade the clear coat so that there is no shine at all. The tire cleaner damage is still there. Do you think I would get better results with a buffer? I didn't want to do a whole rim in fear of making it look worse. At this point I don't care because they're spotted up pretty bad.

[Ward83]

Well, if the clearcoat is flaking off, then it's probably too far gone. Otherwise I'd say it's salvageable. Try a finer polish, like something you would use on your paint. It might be worth it to try one of those mother's powerball things and a drill too.

[Pete-FWA]

If the clear coat isn't peeling off, then you can use a polish and a machine to try to clear the spots and staining.

Powerball is an inexpensive way to go unless you have a rotary polisher already. Use some finer compound and run it with the Powerball to see if you get any satisfaction.

Often, the damage done by wheel cleaners or anything that is allowed to dwell on a hot wheel is through the coating. This means you won't get complete or even any results from polishing. Sometimes the polishing or subsequent wax product contains some kind of oils that will make the white appear better until it washes off.

Rubbing compound by hand will generally dull a surface (as you found); however, on a polishing pad at speed on a machine, it will break down into finer and finer grit to give you a much nicer look than you could ever achieve by hand.

Which 3M compound did you use?

For tire dressing on the new car deliveries I used to do and on my personal cars as well, I like the matte finish of Meguiar's Endurance tire gel. It is not greasy, but lasts through washings and rainstorms. Be sure to get the regular, not the high gloss if you go with their Endurance product.

[FarmTruk]

Good luck on polishing the wheels. Sounds like good advice has already been posted.

On the tires, I use Westley's. Get's the black black, and the white white. Follow with regular ArmorAll on a cloth, let sit a few minutes, then wipe off with a clean cloth.

Too bad dust sticks to it like a mother.

[Bullwinkle]

If the clear coat isn't peeling off, then you can use a polish and a machine to try to clear the spots and staining.

Powerball is an inexpensive way to go unless you have a rotary polisher already. Use some finer compound and run it with the Powerball to see if you get any satisfaction.

Often, the damage done by wheel cleaners or anything that is allowed to dwell on a hot wheel is through the coating. This means you won't get complete or even any results from polishing. Sometimes the polishing or subsequent wax product contains some kind of oils that will make the white appear better until it washes off.

Rubbing compound by hand will generally dull a surface (as you found); however, on a polishing pad at speed on a machine, it will break down into finer and finer grit to give you a much nicer look than you could ever achieve by hand.

Which 3M compound did you use?

For tire dressing on the new car deliveries I used to do and on my personal cars as well, I like the matte finish of Meguiar's Endurance tire gel. It is not greasy, but lasts through washings and rainstorms. Be sure to get the regular, not the high gloss if you go with their Endurance product.

I don't know which compound it is. A friend of a friend owns a body shop & gave me a small un-labeled container of it.

Thanks for the tips; i'll try your suggestions.