jgg85234
New member
- Feb 21, 2013
- 267
- 0
From several feet away, the wheels look OK.
From up close, you can see the damage.
This is the left rear wheel, which I haven't touched yet.
Another photo
Left front - after FG400, Wool Pad, and rotary buffer.
These are the original wheels on the 1989 Pathfinder. I can find replacements, and I can still order new ones (for a lot of money) from a Nissan dealer. They say aluminum alloy wheels - flat silver finish
What I haven't been able to find is whether these are painted, clear coated, or just finished. I started with just a hand pad, and some Flitz polish. The pad turned immediately black, which told me I was rubbing on aluminum.
Before I started, it's the light colored sections that felt rough. After the FG400 pass, the wheel feels smooth everywhere. I didn't clean it up all the way (the black comes off) just to show the contrast better.
My question is, am I dealing with Aluminum Oxide that needs to be removed with more polishing, and perhaps the right chemicals (Flitz Aluminum Pre-Cleaner comes to mind), or have the years just rubbed off the painted coating on most of the wheel?
In the early years when we got this truck it went through a lot of car washes, as I was overseas and my wife would just take it there to get it cleaned. They've looked like this for a long time, but they weren't like that when new.
I would rather fix them than replace them. I have access to auto painters and powdercoaters.
Feed back please
Jim
From up close, you can see the damage.
This is the left rear wheel, which I haven't touched yet.
Another photo
Left front - after FG400, Wool Pad, and rotary buffer.
These are the original wheels on the 1989 Pathfinder. I can find replacements, and I can still order new ones (for a lot of money) from a Nissan dealer. They say aluminum alloy wheels - flat silver finish
What I haven't been able to find is whether these are painted, clear coated, or just finished. I started with just a hand pad, and some Flitz polish. The pad turned immediately black, which told me I was rubbing on aluminum.
Before I started, it's the light colored sections that felt rough. After the FG400 pass, the wheel feels smooth everywhere. I didn't clean it up all the way (the black comes off) just to show the contrast better.
My question is, am I dealing with Aluminum Oxide that needs to be removed with more polishing, and perhaps the right chemicals (Flitz Aluminum Pre-Cleaner comes to mind), or have the years just rubbed off the painted coating on most of the wheel?
In the early years when we got this truck it went through a lot of car washes, as I was overseas and my wife would just take it there to get it cleaned. They've looked like this for a long time, but they weren't like that when new.
I would rather fix them than replace them. I have access to auto painters and powdercoaters.
Feed back please
Jim
