How to Polish Wheels
A nice car won’t be attractive and noticeable if you don’t know how to keep it clean and polished all the time. Don’t forget to polish your wheels when cleaning your car. Here are some tips you can follow to polish wheels.
Things You’ll Need:
Water
Car soap
Degreaser
400 grit sandpaper
Car polish
Rags
Coat sealant
Buffer
Drill
Steps:
Polishing your wheels is a 2-part method.
Cleaning Your Wheels
Take the wheels off to make sure you don’t leave some parts uncleaned.
Wash the wheels thoroughly with water and car soap to remove dusts and break off stubborn dirt that has collected on the wheels.
Remove remaining dirt with a soft cloth or rag. Be careful when doing this to avoid accidentally scratching the wheel.
Wipe the wheels dry using a soft cloth.
Remove grease by using wax or degreaser. Put some on a cloth and wipe the entire surface and parts of the wheels with it. make sure not to leave out any areas.
Wash your wheels again to remove any dirt that might have been mixed with the wax or degreaser.
Wipe your wheels dry.
Polishing Your Wheels
Sand your wheels using a sandpaper. Make sure to choose the right grit for your wheels. You might damage your wheels if you choose a grit that you’re not supposed to use. This step is essential, especially when there’s pitting on your wheels.
Use a drill with a sanding head when you need to sand big areas or when the pitting can’t be remedied by manual sanding.
Rinse your wheel to remove dusts and wipe it dry.
Apply an aluminum polish on the wheels and spread it using a soft cloth.
You may also use a drill with polisher to get things done quickly.
Inspect your wheels and get rid of excess polish. For hard to reach areas like around the caps, nut holes and valve stem, Use a screw driver with the tip wrapped with a soft cloth. Be careful when you do this to avoid getting scratches on your wheels.
Buff your wheels and use a coat sealant for a more finished look.
Tips:
Wheels made of magnesium alloy normally don’t need polishing. You can keep your mag wheels pretty by just simply washing off the dirt.
Before buying polish, make sure that it doesn’t contain ammonia or any anhydrous substances. These chemicals react with the metals of your wheels and would cause damage after some time.
Polishing your wheels doesn’t have to be time consuming. It’s not a complicated process. Save yourself some money by doing it by yourself. Follow the steps above and you’ll be sure to have a shiny ride.