Recondition and Polish Aluminum Wheels

Buff Your Truck Article

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Depending on the wheel you are working on you may have to strip off clearcoat. Most Hummer factory wheels have this coating.

So here's the process I went thru:

  1. Remove the clear coat with paint stripper
    1. A. Brush on (use gloves)
      * they say apply plastic wrap over your layer of stripper so the stripper wont dry out so quickly
    2. B. Brush off the flaking clear coat. Don't scratch the wheel
    3. C. Repeat if necessary
  2. Rub with 0000 steel wool pad on any spider lines.
    (Not much, just the bad areas and in the same direction as the wheel has been machined/ cut “with the grain”)
  3. Speed ball and mothers mag wheel polish (follow the directions)

    4. "This is the top secret part"
  4. The wheels never shined this much before and it only took one time with the speed ball.
    I made a thin paste of corn Starch and water, dipped the speed ball in this paste and buffed the wheels till dry. "It doubled the shine to a mirror like finish"
  5. Optional: Put a coat of Carnuba Wax on the wheels.