Bootlegger's Deluxe
10-05-08, 09:49 PM
I have a lot of wheels. my s10 alone has 5 sets now, and i have other trucks that need attention too. I have decided to make a thread dedicated to restoring and cleaning up both factory and aftermarket wheels. the three types of wheels i plan on dealing with are factory clearcoated aluminum wheels, factory steel wheels, and aftermarket polished aluminum wheels.
first off, we'll start with the aftermarket aluminum wheels, because i have already started with that set of wheels. here is a pic of the cleanest out of the 5 wheels...
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/bigbrownbird/STA70862.jpg
what i did was first remove the wheel from the truck, cleaned off any debris. i used some Eagle 1 brand self etching wheel cleaner. its a blue bottle, spray style, and sold at most retailers that carry automotive products. i sprayed it on, let it set up for about a minute, and rinsed it off. This stuff worked great!! I was so impressed i almost put the wheels on without polishing them! After the wheel had dried, i gave it a good hand polishing with a terry cloth and some Mothers mag and aluminum polish. About an hour later, this is what the wheel looked like....
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/bigbrownbird/STA70861.jpg
this was actually a lot easier than i thought, and pictures dont do justice to the shine!!
Next time, i'll tackle a factory steelie...
first off, we'll start with the aftermarket aluminum wheels, because i have already started with that set of wheels. here is a pic of the cleanest out of the 5 wheels...
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/bigbrownbird/STA70862.jpg
what i did was first remove the wheel from the truck, cleaned off any debris. i used some Eagle 1 brand self etching wheel cleaner. its a blue bottle, spray style, and sold at most retailers that carry automotive products. i sprayed it on, let it set up for about a minute, and rinsed it off. This stuff worked great!! I was so impressed i almost put the wheels on without polishing them! After the wheel had dried, i gave it a good hand polishing with a terry cloth and some Mothers mag and aluminum polish. About an hour later, this is what the wheel looked like....
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/bigbrownbird/STA70861.jpg
this was actually a lot easier than i thought, and pictures dont do justice to the shine!!
Next time, i'll tackle a factory steelie...