Hey all, I've read the past posts on the subject of polishing, shining, anodized wheels. Has any one tried this method? My wheels really shine but not even close to the chrome-ish finish I would like1. I've tried all the wheel polishes on the market (all work about the same...Mothers,etc>). Do I really need to have them chrome plated to get that mirror look?. I'm considering the EZ OFF method. Has anyone tried this? Does it work? Thanks.

 

Matt,

Ez Off is a lye based cleaner. Don't think I would use it. To polish alloy wheels you should start with 200 to 400 grit wet sanding, go in stages up to 1200-1600 grit. Then use medium cut, rubbing compund, then polishing compound. Oh I forgot, a lot of elbow grease. On these alloys, I have run into a lot of impurities, especially on the center caps, so don't expect a perfect finish. Once they are polished an occassional cleaning with Nevr-Dull will renew them.

Dennis

 

Matt...

I've used this stuff for years on my RC cars. Often, a part will come anodized in some color that I don't like. Easy off (oven cleaner) can be used to remove the anodized surface from aluminum. After using easy off, the surface of the metal will be bare and somewhat rough (like touching paper). After removing the anodizing off the aluminum, it can be polished leaving you with a mirror like surface.

If you leave the chemicals on for too long, it can actually eat the metal unevenly leaving "pits" on the surface. If you get this stuff on aluminum accidently, it can actually stain the surface very quickly.

If your wheels have been chrome plated, I don't think the oven cleaner will work.

Regards,

Roger
87s4