Polishing Wheels

[1K9]

I wash, clay bar the polish. i just use a DA polisher and Chemical guys heavy metal polish or mag polish. once clean and shiny use a quality sealer. i usually do it on a tire change.
Heavy Metal Polish |
Wheel Guard Wheel and Rim Wax |

The people make good products. I use the Diablo wheel cleaner for the cars.

 

[barbagris]

I wonder is they could match the super fast and sexy blue of my bike?

If you pay them danger money: maybe!. But Ceramic coating sounds like a really fun idea to try on wheels. I have done guns in the past and also did my Guzzi discs (not the bit the pads bite). You do need to really bake ceramic though. Remove bearings or replace after.

 

[Bondysbike]

Use this and you will thank me for saving you a bunch of work. I have aluminum wheels on my 67 Barracuda and this cuts the polish down to half. I use it also on bike.

DIAMOND WHITE

Yes this is great stuff!

 

[mully95]

Yes this is gr eat stuff!

Yeah... that's what I'm trying to tell everybody. lol

 

[gR3yWolf]

If your desire is to get them to look like polished chrome, then you will be disappointed because the high magnesium content of the cast alloy prevents such a look. However, you can come close if you use 500-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper to remove all traces of the machining tool marks, then polish like mad. Coat with high quality paste wax; it will make the inevitable repolishing much easier. Caswell Plating had a ton of excellent low cost tools and supplies...I highly recommend them as a source.
Of course, doing this with the wheel off and stripped of brake rotor disc makes it a tolerable job. Run a metric tap in all the rotor disc mounting screw holes to remove the old Loctite. Reinstall with blue or purple medium strength Loctite.

 

[Willyone]

If your desire is to get them to look like polished chrome, then you will be disappointed because the high magnesium content of the cast alloy prevents such a look. However, you can come close if you use 500-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper to remove all traces of the machining tool marks, then polish like mad. Coat with high quality paste wax; it will make the inevitable repolishing much easier. Caswell Plating had a ton of excellent low cost tools and supplies...I highly recommend them as a source.
Of course, doing this with the wheel off and stripped of brake rotor disc makes it a tolerable job. Run a metric tap in all the rotor disc mounting screw holes to remove the old Loctite. Reinstall with blue or purple medium strength Loctite.

Agreed, getting aluminum to look like chrome is about impossible, not gonna happen.

Back in my Harley Shovelhead days I'd use rubbing compound on the aluminum, same stuff used on paint that needs cleaning up. Last summer I helped a bud with his ride. I used Wizards Turbo Cut on a wheel chucked into a cordless 90 degree drill. It worked like a champ. Then used Raceglaze sealant/polish on the parts. Results were very good, way better than either of us expected. I actually impressed myself

 

[Dr.D]

If your desire is to get them to look like polished chrome, then you will be disappointed because the high magnesium content of the cast alloy prevents such a look. However, you can come close if you use 500-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper to remove all traces of the machining tool marks, then polish like mad. Coat with high quality paste wax; it will make the inevitable repolishing much easier. Caswell Plating had a ton of excellent low cost tools and supplies...I highly recommend them as a source.
Of course, doing this with the wheel off and stripped of brake rotor disc makes it a tolerable job. Run a metric tap in all the rotor disc mounting screw holes to remove the old Loctite. Reinstall with blue or purple medium strength Loctite.

I understand. I’m just looking to bring the wheel back to a new looking aluminum wheel then seal and make future buildup easier to remove. It’s more like a restoration. I don’t need a chrome shine.

 

[Dr.D]

I have them finished and back on the bike. Whew what a job. It took about three hours per wheel. The rear was so bad that I started with 800 grit paper but it was not removing the defects that I was trying to remove. I had to go back to 220 paper. Then 320, 400, 800, 1200 and finishing with a polishing compound and White Diamond polish on a rotary sponge on a drill. Looks good now.

 

[Tal]

Nice job brutha..nice job...thats a big effort!!

 

[Dr.D]

Nice job brutha..nice job...thats a big effort!!

Thanks Tal. I did some of it at the office. I hope the patients didn’t mind the sweaty dentist hanging over the top of them.

I had a buddy ask me about doing his. I told him I get $100 per hour.