How to re-polish HRE wheels?

[Zmoney]

Hello everyone, I would like to re polish my HRE 547's as they are a bit dull. I have never done something like this before and was wondering if I could get some advice on what exactly to do so I don't damage the wheel. I believe there is clear coat on them so if someone can recommend a product they have used it would be much appreciated. I see some stuff on the net but thought I would ask my fellow primers on their experiences.

 

[Vanishing Point]

Here is a pretty good tutorial on cleaning/polishing clear coated wheels. I imagine yours are high polished clear coat, the other finish's offered on those wheels was high polish and chrome. Autogeek is a great resource for products and how to video's.

http://www.autogeek.net/how-to-clean-clear-coat-wheels.html

~Steven

 

[JD Cross]

If your wheels are clear coated can you tell if the clear coat has worn through to the base alloy?

If the clear coat is still intact then the dullness is due to damage to the clear coat likely from using abrasive brushes/polishes over the years which puts fine scratches in the clear and leaves it dull.
It is the same as damage to the clear coat on a car's paint.
Clear coat on wheels is there to protect the wheel alloy from oxidation just as the clear coat on your car protects the paint pigment underneath.

You should be able to polish most of the damaged clear coat using to same techniques as you would on a car with scratches in the clear coat.

I use a Meguiars dual speed polisher with their 105 polish (heavy scratches) then 205 polish (light scratches) to bring clear coat on wheels (or the car) back.
There are small pads available for polishers that can be used in the small areas on wheels and Mothers makes a number of foam wheel polishing pads that can be used in a 1/4" drill.

Once you've reduced the depth of the scratches on your wheels and they are looking better I'd suggest a good wax or sealant to help keep brake dust etc off the clear coast.
When washing wheels I use nothing more abrasive than a wool wash mitt (as I would on my car) to keep the clear coat shiny.

If your wheels are not clear coated then the aluminum will oxidize (rust) forming aluminum oxide which is dull.
Once the oxide is there no further oxidation will take place but the wheels will remain dull
In this case you need to remove the oxide with mildly abrasive metal polish.
Once you're restored the shine I'd suggest Autoglym alloy wheel protectant which will help slow down the formation of new aluminum oxide

 

[Zmoney]

Thanks! There is no clear coat on them so I will try your recommendations.

 

[docjohn]

are they anodized?

 

[Hugh]

are they anodized?

Oh John, I thought you'd never ask! Says Hugh with a pronounced lisp!

 

[docjohn]

you never miss a trick......:wink:

 

[Hugh]

you never miss a trick......:wink:

There was a point in my life that I never missed a trick or a john! LOL
I really should write a book.

Back on topic..........

Anodizing is a great idea. Since I just got my HREs back from the refinishing shop, in your opinion would anodizing protect and preserve the newly re-polished lips? The center spoke sections are painted so they wouldn't require the treatment.

 

[docjohn]

Hey Huge.....from my reading and personal experience with blitz wheels the anodizing process has to be understood by the owner to keep wheels nice.The clear coated anodized lip has to be treated like paint never use an acidic cleaner..ect.The problem is once the clear has been breached the anodized metal can haze and discolor..the fix is not simple since the anodizing extends into the metal by a few microns.

 

[Hugh]

Hmmm.... I guess I had it wrong. I thought if the wheels were anodized, that rendered a protective layer of clear coat moot.

http://www.anodizing.org/Anodizing/what_is_anodizing.html

 

[angus]

Yes Hugh, anodizing does not require any clear coat, it is "like" a clear coat, but they have electrochemically converted the surface so it will retain it's polish. It is tough and can stay polished for a very very long time - however - if you use a harsh chemical (wheel cleaner) or abrasive (even a "mag polish") it can breakdown the anodizing. I really wish people would just read the booklet that came with wheels and the cautions about using nothing but soap and water.

I don't know how many times over the years that people would roll into our shop after going to some car wash where the guy sprayed wheel cleaner on the wheels and destroyed the finish - It is truly sad.

Just use soap and water on anodized wheels - not much sticks to the surface anyway so it isn't really necessary to use anything harsh.

Now - back on the topic of HRE's,

If the wheels are as supplied, they are polished aluminum without clear and just need occasionally to be re-polished, I like to use the wadding polish, this is a piece of cotton that is soaked in polish, you tear off some and rub the (already washed and dried) wheel till you see black appear, then wipe off with a clean rag - this will take you 10 min or so a wheel once you get the hang of it.

You can use the mother's or meguires mag polish too, but I find that a lot of people get the white paste stuck in all the crevices.

The soap and water rule applies just as much to the HRE's because the polished finish will be dulled by many of the chemicals in wheel cleaners, the thing is - at least the HRE's can simply be polished again, the anodizing is much harder to replicate - in fact, I have not been able to have satisfactory results yet with the wheels I have sent out for anodizing.

- - - Updated - - -

Straight from Hugh's link:

"Ease of Maintenance. Scars and wear from fabrication, handling, installation, frequent surface dirt cleaning and usage are virtually non-existent. Rinsing or mild soap and water cleaning usually will restore an anodized surface to its original appearance. Mild abrasive cleaners can be used for more difficult deposits"

 

[docjohn]

so angus...what if anything can i do to correct the rainbow discoloration /etching/dullness of the blitz type 03 wheel lips that I of course contributed to over the years.