Wheel polish(ing)

[Waynester]

Whats the best method and best polish? Elbow power..? What about a mop?
There are a few areas where presumably water has penetrated the lacquer.
would taking the lacquer off be the way to go - keep on top of polishing etc..
Not looking to split or send away i just want to get them gleaming as much as poss.


(Tried searching but having issues with my work Mac!).

Edit: sorry its a 400 with Oz's

Edited by Waynester on Friday 18th April 14:02

[gsx600]

I had my tyres taken off, then carefully masked up the centre and took the rims to a local polisher (Bracknell) who did a smashing job for £20 a wheel.

Came up great and still looking good (2 for sale if anyone wants )

Still no laquer on them to go mangy, and just spray them with WD40 in the winter to keep the worst of the crap from sticking to them, then wipe them clean in the spring

[rev-erend]

The first thing to do is to remove any wheel weights (front face only) and lacqeer.

The lacueer I've removed with cellulose thinners and marigold gloves and it takes ages.. I believe MattMan did it with Nitromoors .. but either way the tyre really needs to come off - as it probaly won't agree when it soaks into the tyre.

Once the lacqeer is off its polishing time - I use Autosol (Solvo) polish, remove with clean labms wool cloth (3 times) then you can add a further buff with a buffing machine if needed.

If the wheels are really bad - then you can use various polishing tools to get back to the shine but it must be said that most are too abrasive for a wheel and work OK on a rough cast plemum but can scratch up a wheel.

A referbed wheel taken arart, diamond cut, polished, and resealed is around £175 a wheel many places cannot even be bothered and wont take on the work !

An alternative is just some wet and dry use wet .. and polish up after..but they would have to be bad to start with !

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

If you want to take your time over them,

I could pos lend you 2 wheels, so you don't keep on having to taken them off and on.

Leigh

[Waynester]

TVRleigh_BBWR said:

If you want to take your time over them,

I could pos lend you 2 wheels, so you don't keep on having to taken them off and on.

Leigh

Some good tips here chaps - thanks.

Cheers for the offer Leigh - think i'll just do a wheel at a time.
I think the results will be worth it.

[matt-man]

As rev said, take the laquer off...Nitromors is the stuff to use, and bejeezers does it do the job! Soon as it touches the wheels, it stands up and looks like hot clingfilm!

Defo take it off...heres mine last year, they do need more polishing but pretty shiny!!!

[combine]

Numpty question , why do they put laquer on in the first place ?

[Waynester]

combine said:

Numpty question , why do they put laquer on in the first place ?

To protect from corrosion -maintain the shine.. i'm guessing.

Looking good matt.. did you split the rims? How did you work the Nitromor stripper around the bolts?

[Hormone]

Iv'e goota dash as I have the megarun to do today but I did mine without taking the tyres off or spliting the rims. I posted details on a thread on here not long ago. If you do a search you should find it.

[matt-man]

Waynester said:

combine said:

Numpty question , why do they put laquer on in the first place ?

Looking good matt.. did you split the rims? How did you work the Nitromor stripper around the bolts?

Thanks! I didnt split the rims, and i was lucky as most of the areas around the bolts are good...i would strongly recomend anyone doing this method NOT to go past the edge where the bolts are fitted as you will never get in there to polish without splitting the rim!!

Just carefully does it...