remove pitting from oem dull alloy type rims

[zedjr10]

Whats the best way to remove pitting from the oem dull finish alloy rims. Never done this before so don't know. Have read use steel wool and some vinegar. Is this the same with the dull alloy finish?

[wtfisafleek]

If it's truly pitted you'd have to either fill in the pits or cut down the present finish. You may just be able to wetsand with a high grit and then use some compound to bring some luster back so the pits aren't as noticeable. I did this on my wheels and the results were fanastic. I used 800 grit sandpaper with the water hose attachment set to mist, and once I'd rubbed down everything real well with that, I switched to the Mother's Powerball (the one with the long stem) stuck in my drill and Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. Then I buffed it off with a towel afterward.

[Bunta]

You did your center caps using the same method?

[wtfisafleek]

No I didn't touch those. They were already pretty clean.

[zedjr10]

Those look clean clean clean. Was there a dull alloy finish rims for 92 ex models. Mine and some others i've seen have a dull finish it seems stock. Is this right or did my alloy finish just get dull looking over time?

[Fleetw00d]

Those look clean clean clean. Was there a dull alloy finish rims for 92 ex models. Mine and some others i've seen have a dull finish it seems stock. Is this right or did my alloy finish just get dull looking over time?

The dull finish is age. OEM was shiny like these that I had refinished:



What they look like on the car shows up better in the MRT for Ruby (90 LX)

[zedjr10]

The dull finish is age. OEM was shiny like these that I had refinished:



What they look like on the car shows up better in the MRT for Ruby (90 LX)

What process you use to get it looking that good.

[zedjr10]

If it's truly pitted you'd have to either fill in the pits or cut down the present finish. You may just be able to wetsand with a high grit and then use some compound to bring some luster back so the pits aren't as noticeable. I did this on my wheels and the results were fanastic. I used 800 grit sandpaper with the water hose attachment set to mist, and once I'd rubbed down everything real well with that, I switched to the Mother's Powerball (the one with the long stem) stuck in my drill and Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. Then I buffed it off with a towel afterward.

Did you start with 800 grit? Anything else you do to get that shiny finish. Does it really look that good in person?

[Fleetw00d]

I used RimWorks in Dayton, Ohio. They grit blast the wheels, powder coat the color between the spokes and the back of the wheel; remachine the face, then powder coat clear. $125 per wheel, but they look brand new.

[zedjr10]

I used RimWorks in Dayton, Ohio. They grit blast the wheels, powder coat the color between the spokes and the back of the wheel; remachine the face, the powder coat clear. $125 per wheel, but they look brand new.

I want to do it on the cheap if i can or i will wait till i can justify spending $500 on cleaning them. I definitely want to keep the oem wheels. I got alot of pitting on the inside parts.

[Fleetw00d]

Just requires a lot of elbow grease. I've used the process described by wtfisafleek. I used the car as a lathe to spin the wheel while I used a sanding block and progressively finer grits to smooth the edge and face while trickling water on it. I have used an 80 grit Scotchbrite disc to smooth out curb rash on the outer edge.

On a set of aftermarket wheels I managed to remove the corrosion and polish the outer lip: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showpost...4&postcount=24

[wtfisafleek]

I used RimWorks in Dayton, Ohio. They grit blast the wheels, powder coat the color between the spokes and the back of the wheel; remachine the face, then powder coat clear. $125 per wheel, but they look brand new.

Those sound great, got any pics?

I want to do it on the cheap if i can or i will wait till i can justify spending $500 on cleaning them. I definitely want to keep the oem wheels. I got alot of pitting on the inside parts.

Do it! It's just a car payment...

[Fleetw00d]

Those sound great, got any pics?

The picture in my post above shows a wheel that was refinished by RimWorks; like I said, they show up better in the photos in my MRT and the "Rescuing Ruby" thread.

[zedjr10]

Do you think my clear coat is still on rims. Wouldn't sanding the rims show it as it would peel off. I am about to do my rims or at least try. I am trying to cut down on any costs or steps. I have sanded them down some with 80 and 160 and never seen anything like a clear coat come off. Realized this is too much work to go all the way to mirror like finish by hand. 5 inch orbital sander only gets half of the rim. I am also think of buying this nice 3 inch mini polisher or a 7 inch polisher. Am just wondering is it small enough to get the rest or close to it.

[Fleetw00d]

It is usually pretty obvious if the clear is still there or not. Any of the techniques above will pretty much require you to sand off/through the clear coat to be able to clean up the aluminum. Once you have them cleaned up, you could potentially find a local powder coater to do them in clear, or get some clear wheel paint to try to preserve the finish.