Cleaning Polished Aluminum Wheels

[Coursey]

I just got a set of Billet Specialties polished wheels.

I am wondering what is the best products/procedures to use to keep them clean? i.e. removing brake dust/bugs without causing scratches.

[66SuperSport]

I've used glass cleaner and a microfiber towel to clean and Mothers Billet Polish to get any small imperfections out.

[HotRod47]

When I bought my wheels from Billet Specialties they said to wax them first thing. They say it helps to keep them clean and keep the polish up nice.

[Coursey]

When I bought my wheels from Billet Specialties they said to wax them first thing. They say it helps to keep them clean and keep the polish up nice.

I did not know that. What type of wax are you supposed to use?

[61ragtop]

Subscribed....

[LS6 Tommy]

We used to use Zoops on the polished aluminum wheels on the GT1 car. STuff from a weekend's worth of racing rinsed off with a garden hose. It's no longer in production, but I'm told Shineseal is very similar. Touch up the polish on your wheels, then hit them with Shineseal (or Zoopseal if you can find it).

http://shineseal.com/

Tommy

[chr2002ca]

I tried applying Zoopseal and it was an absolute nightmare and looked horrible, and I followed the instructions very carefully. Had to remove it with paint stripper. On my new set of Budniks, a fine terrycloth towel and water and a few drops of soap works good enough for me to keep them clean. Just be gentle when wiping them off and change out towels often. About 2 times a year I hit them with Mother's Billet Aluminum polish and their power cone(much better than the ball). I tried a bunch of different polishes and techniques and that combo works the best for me. Never felt like I needed to wax them. You could get them clearcoated, but that reduces the shine by about 10%(according to Budnik).

[mc84_zz4]

I have used Mothers Billet polish, with the Mothers Powercone and the results are amazing.
I have also used it by hand with a micro-fiber towel, for small touch-ups, and you get the same results,
just the fingers can take a bashing depending on your wheels.
The Billet polish clears up scratches and leaves them looking like a mirror in a few minutes.

(Of course, I wash and clean the wheels first, blast them dry with an air hose, then get the billet polish on them.)
HTH

[FreedomRims]

Some items we wrote about back in February on our blog relating to cleaning wheels:

Wheels can easily become dirtied, and will require some extra attention. While specialized equipment / chemicals are not necessary to keep them looking their best, they will need polishing and cleaning more often than not. Since the surface is all intended to look “shiny” and / or polished it only makes sense to believe it will require more work to keep them looking good.

When properly maintained, and kept dent / scratch free, the finish should last for a long time. Wheels are designed to be durable, look good and provide the quality look that many people crave. Harsh chemicals, hard brushes and other cleaning agents can do more harm than good to chrome rims.

Be sure to let your wheels cool down before you do ANYTHING to them!

Liz
Freedom Rims
Chrome Rims (http://www.shopfreedomrims.com)

[Turbo Rob]

I use a products called "Gords." This stuff is outstanding, makes your wheels looks great, and I have even used it to make my exhaust system look good.

http://gordsaluminumpolish.com/

Gord has a few videos on his site - and the stuff really works like he shows it working.

Rob