Polished Aluminum Wheel care.

DETAILROOKIE

DETAILROOKIE

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Hello All!!

As some of you may know I recently purchased an Explorer and it came with polished aluminum wheels. This is my first car with these types of wheels and not sure how to care for them. So far I have cleaned them with Sonax full effect wheel cleaner and clayed them to take off some tar they had. I have also put hydro blue on them to protect them.

What is the best way to protect these wheels and is there any way to polish the little swirl marks off of them? It drives me nuts when the sun hits them and I see all of the swirl marks.

Thanks for all of your help and great advice.
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If they’re polished aluminum wheels, shouldn’t they shine like chrome? Have you tried using some metal polish on them? Not only would it transform the shine, but it might diminish those fine scratches. I recommend the Britemax Final Shine Metal Polish & Sealant. Stuff is good!

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Also, investing in 1 of these metal polishing cones is a no brainer.

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Eldorado2k said:
If they’re polished aluminum wheels, shouldn’t they shine like chrome? Have you tried using some metal polish on them? Not only would it transform the shine, but it might diminish those fine scratches. I recommend the Britemax Final Shine Metal Polish & Sealant. Stuff is good!

c8335b72a66c8115aec99073797be6df.jpg


6372a457fff87289748c67517e681b47.jpg


Also, investing in 1 of these metal polishing cones is a no brainer.

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That looks awesome!!!

I tried a little of Coliinite's metal wax on them and it did not do much, but I did not go too aggressively since I wasn't sure if it would damage the wheels. Now I'll try it and see if it helps.

Thank you!!

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Did they come with those scratches pre instilled? Where they caused by the claying? What kind of wheel brush do you use? IMO it’s best to use a wash mitt to clean aluminum wheels and that’s only if you have to agitate.

Britemax also makes a stronger metal polish that could be ticket to removing those scratches. I’ve never used that 1 though.
 
Eldorado2k said:
Did they come with those scratches pre instilled? Where they caused by the claying? What kind of wheel brush do you use? IMO it’s best to use a wash mitt to clean aluminum wheels and that’s only if you have to agitate.

Britemax also makes a stronger metal polish that could be ticket to removing those scratches. I’ve never used that 1 though.
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They wheels came with the scratches and they had tar deposits all over them, not sure how since it only had 14 miles when I bought it. I always use a wash mitt and use the 2 bucket method for my wheels too. I did a light claying with mothers speed clay and I did not see any marring afterward.

I'll look into the brightmax thank you!

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DETAILROOKIE said:
That looks awesome!!!

I tried a little of Coliinite's metal wax on them and it did not do much, but I did not go too aggressively since I wasn't sure if it would damage the wheels. Now I'll try it and see if it helps.

Thank you!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Autogeekonline mobile app
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I’ve never used that Colinite Metal Wax, but reading the description just now says that it’s a non abrasive metal cleaner wax. Most of the reviews talk about chrome wheels. The 1 review where it was used on aluminum mentioned a far from perfect finish due to haze.

If you’re in a pinch and want to experiment with them, Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish also works great and can be found locally. Use a new terry applicator or a microfiber applicator and microfiber towels to buff it off.
 
And not that I’m doubting your knowledge on the wheels, but 1st and foremost make sure they’re really bare metal before using any metal polish on them. You know how to test for that right? Wipe some polish on them and if it turns the applicator black you’re good to go. If not then stop because they’re coated and metal polish is not to be used on them.
 
Eldorado2k said:
And not that I’m doubting your knowledge on the wheels, but 1st and foremost make sure they’re really bare metal before using any metal polish on them. You know how to test for that right? Wipe some polish on them and if it turns the applicator black you’re good to go. If not then stop because they’re coated and metal polish is not to be used on them.
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Thank you!!! I did not know that trick, I'll test it out next time I wash the car. Collinite is the only metal polish I have, so I'll go out and get some mothers tomorrow. Thanks again!

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DETAILROOKIE said:
Thank you!!! I did not know that trick, I'll test it out next time I wash the car. Collinite is the only metal polish I have, so I'll go out and get some mothers tomorrow. Thanks again!

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Get yourself a Mother's Cone to be used with a drill. Will save you a ton of time.
 
Eldorado2k said:
And not that I’m doubting your knowledge on the wheels, but 1st and foremost make sure they’re really bare metal before using any metal polish on them. You know how to test for that right? Wipe some polish on them and if it turns the applicator black you’re good to go. If not then stop because they’re coated and metal polish is not to be used on them.
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This. I bet these are just painted in a hyper silver finish and clear coated.
 
BSoares said:
This. I bet these are just painted in a hyper silver finish and clear coated.
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I think you are right as well. When I did the polish the applicator didn't show any black. It usually does when I do my neighbors aluminum wheels.

If they are hyper silver, do I just have to live with the scratches or can I just use regular polish to try and remove them?

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Factory wheels are typically clear coated. I am 99.9% certain that these are clear coated and I suspect the defects you are seeing are under the clear as part of the wheel finish. My uncles 2010 Camaro has polished aluminum wheels similar to these as does my uncle who has the 2002 Corvette. No matter how much they were polished with a paint polish, the finish of the wheel was that of the wheel finish under the clear coat. You can treat these wheels like paint in terms of polishing.

If your applicator did not turn black when you used the metal polish then that is a clear indication that they are clear coated.
 
The Guz said:
Factory wheels are typically clear coated. I am 99.9% certain that these are clear coated and I suspect the defects you are seeing are under the clear as part of the wheel finish. My uncles 2010 Camaro has polished aluminum wheels similar to these as does my uncle who has the 2002 Corvette. No matter how much they were polished with a paint polish, the finish of the wheel was that of the wheel finish under the clear coat. You can treat these wheels like paint in terms of polishing.

If your applicator did not turn black when you used the metal polish then that is a clear indication that they are clear coated.
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Thank You! I guess I'll have to live with them or get new wheels! Lol my birthday is coming up so perhaps I'll be able to convince my wife to get me new wheels as a great bday gift!

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Try a regular paint polish on a small test spot and see if the towel comes up black. I have doubts about that Colinite Metal Wax being a proper indicator due to it having no abrasives. Grab a regular finishing polish from your shelf and check.
 
DETAILROOKIE said:
Thank You! I guess I'll have to live with them or get new wheels! Lol my birthday is coming up so perhaps I'll be able to convince my wife to get me new wheels as a great bday gift!

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It shouldn’t be a lot of cash to have them refinished, especially if there’s no damage like curb rashes or a bent rim. You might even be able to pick a different color if you like.
 
As others have mentioned, those factory rims have a clear coat on them, as do 99+% of the factory high-polished rims. Please don’t use our Mag & Aluminum Polish on them.

The marks you show appear to be under the clear coat, so there’s no easy way to remove them unless you want to strip the coating, polish the marks out, then have them recoated.

It’d likely be less expensive to buy different rims, and cheaper still to just live with it.
 
forrest@mothers said:
As others have mentioned, those factory rims have a clear coat on them, as do 99+% of the factory high-polished rims. Please don’t use our Mag & Aluminum Polish on them.

The marks you show appear to be under the clear coat, so there’s no easy way to remove them unless you want to strip the coating, polish the marks out, then have them recoated.

It’d likely be less expensive to buy different rims, and cheaper still to just live with it.
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Thank you for your response!

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