I couldn't find a sub forum for wheels so........

[P-Shooter]

I'm asking here. Sorry if I couldn't find it. haha

As you can see this is an OEM Toyota 4Runner wheel. The face is starting to oxidize. I used one of those frizzy 3" buffing balls and old Meguiars #4 heavy cut cleaner. Tried #2 fine cut first but didn't do much to clean oxidation. I had some Mother's Aluminum mag wheel cleaner that was given to me and did the test to the face of the wheel and no black. That's when I decided to use the Meg's cleaners here.

However, the part between the spokes (red circle in picture) is porous and tried using the Mother's polish there with the little red buffing ball. At first it was cleaning it up but then the black was getting worse on the wheels and not clearing up. It actually made the area turn black and was hard to clean up after. I stopped using it when I figured it wasn't working. It did make the area smoother to touch but the black residue could only be cleaned off so much.

I decided to use the #4 heavy cut cleaner in that section as well. Didn't see much improvement to making it brighter so I stopped using that as well after a few spoke areas. Finally just used recently purchased Meguiar's cleaner wax paste on face and between spokes by hand and was done with it.

Could I have done anything different regarding product and procedures? Opinions welcomed please!


[IMG][/IMG]

[The Guz]

Re: I couldn't find a sub forum for wheels so........

OEM wheels are generally clear coated. So treat them like you would paint.

The cleat coat appears to be failing on the face of the wheel. Polishing won't do much to fix that.

Sometime it is best to work by hand than by using what sounds like a mothers power ball.

[P-Shooter]

Re: I couldn't find a sub forum for wheels so........

Thanks for the reply. The heavy cut cleaner did help appearance wise on the face of the wheels but did not eliminate the oxidation. I did apply the cleaner/wax by hand and removed by hand also. To buff the face, I used this:

[IMG][/IMG]

[The Guz]

Re: I couldn't find a sub forum for wheels so........

For OEM wheels that have the machined finish under the clear coat, the finish starts to look oxidized. But in reality that is typically the clear coat starting to fail. It is hard to tell from the photo you posted. A closer photo would help. I suspect the clear coat starting to fail.

The power balls are nice but they can sometimes marr the finish on wheels. Not as noticeable on silver wheels. Slow speed is the key when using them with polishes meant for paint.

I meant working by hand as far as polishing and waxing. You may want to consider moving up to a sealant which will last a little longer on wheels than a cleaner wax. Either one will make your wheels easier to clean.

Which reminds me, did you clean your wheels prior to any of this? If so did you use a wheel cleaner and agitation?

[Nick Winn]

Re: I couldn't find a sub forum for wheels so........

Many Factory Wheels are typically an aluminum alloy based metal which are then painted & clear coated. It is common for the clear coat on the wheels to break down & fail with wear & tear, just like it is common for the clear coat paint on the vehicle itself to fail after years of wear & tear. For the wheels, your best bet may be to have them repainted. There are actually many companies which specialize in "Alloy Wheel Repair" and many times have a mobile operation where you can have your wheels repaired & repainted for $100 or so a wheel.