Need recomendation for buffing/polishing raw aluminum

[Five9Dak]

Can anyone recomend someone or some business to professionally buff and polish my raw aluminum wheels? I am unable to remove the minor pitting that they have had since the previous owner and am finally ready to get them back to "as-new" condition.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/black99rt/DSCN1863.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/black99rt/DSCN1864.jpg

[hskr]

Find a local truck stop and ask some of the truckers where they get their stuff polished at. A lot of truck stops with repair garages have some people that do in house polishing.

[2k1AmberR/T]

That shit needs to be sanded down. Polishing won't remove the pitting.

[Addicted2Blue00]

find out where to get some busch alum polish, its the best polish ive ever used, for surface refinishin as said ask a trucker

[Addicted2Blue00]

http://www.buschshineproducts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3 the 2 black bottles in the pic is what i mentioned

[Intense RT]

Going to be a lot of work to remove those pits. Polishing will not do it. You'll have to remove material with sandpaper or a power tool with one of those scrubber balls (don't know the tech name for it) that has the rough grit in it like a green pad. I'd definitely seek out a professional. Don't want to get a wavy look in it from not removing material uniformly.:goodluck:

[kota360]

Check back with the wheel manufacturer. I had a set of Weld Pro-Stars that were pitted like that, I called Weld and at the time it was $20.00 per wheel to have them refinished. Now they are like brand new. If you put a new wheel beside one of my refinished ones, you could not tell the difference.

[Five9Dak]

I realise they will need to have a considerable amount of material removed to correct. I don't think any polishes that I can apply with my electric or air hand tools will do the job.

Either sanding, or stiff/rough buffing on powerful 6/8" buffs seems like the only way to go.

Good call on factory refinishing. So far the only quote I've gotten was 85 dollars a wheel.

[bttlefed]

I realise they will need to have a considerable amount of material removed to correct. I don't think any polishes that I can apply with my electric or air hand tools will do the job.

Either sanding, or stiff/rough buffing on powerful 6/8" buffs seems like the only way to go.

Good call on factory refinishing. So far the only quote I've gotten was 85 dollars a wheel.

Let me know what you come up with, I would love to do this to my weld's

[mtlcafan79]

I had a local place here quote $125/wheel. At this point I'd be taking them somewhere and clear them when you get them back.

[Five9Dak]

Yeh, I'm looking into top coating options. I think I kept up with them fairly well, these pits have been there the whole time I owned the things. Doesn't mean I nessecarily want to keep polishing them. The nooks and crannies are especially frustrating.

[kota360]

Let me know what you come up with, I would love to do this to my weld's

Call Weld and see what their cost is. Like I said before, it use to be $20.00 per wheel.

[Rick Adams]

I realise they will need to have a considerable amount of material removed to correct. I don't think any polishes that I can apply with my electric or air hand tools will do the job.

Either sanding, or stiff/rough buffing on powerful 6/8" buffs seems like the only way to go.

Good call on factory refinishing. So far the only quote I've gotten was 85 dollars a wheel.

Years ago, I did the wheels on my FWD Daytona that were pitted badly; removed the tire, put the rim back on the front, started it up, put it in low,
(still in the air) instant lathe :biggthumpup:
Dangerous? YOU BET!! But they still look good!

[Special Ed's R/T - Yaaaay]

Have you considered powdercoating them, then you'll be done with this issue forever :biggthumpup: There's a huge variety of colors & textures available, you might come up with something really trick.

[sunike32]

Rhino line 'em

[Special Ed's R/T - Yaaaay]

Rhino line 'em

LOL, that's always an option. You see all the new off road wheels they have now, with the teflon coating ? Nothing sticks to that shit.

[sunike32]

LOL, that's always an option. You see all the new off road wheels they have now, with the teflon coating ? Nothing sticks to that shit.

I saw on Trucks! or Truck U (are they the same?) where they were advertising either wheels with this coating or this coating that you could put on any wheel...NOTHING seemed to stick to it...the crap just hosed right off.

Rhino lined wheels would be hilarious...although the poor sap balancing them probably wouldn't think so :jester:

[RobbyD]

I saw on Trucks! or Truck U (are they the same?) where they were advertising either wheels with this coating or this coating that you could put on any wheel...NOTHING seemed to stick to it...the crap just hosed right off.

Rhino lined wheels would be hilarious...although the poor sap balancing them probably wouldn't think so :jester:

Teflon coating...

[sunike32]

Teflon coating...

Yup :biggthumpup:

[Five9Dak]

I'm a sucker for billet. The only idea I had was black out the recessed areas, which made the spokes look thinner. I have a powdercoat set up, but my oven isnt big enough for the wheels. The tires are getting dismounted tommorow. I either I'll get all four polished and the rears widened, or if it ends up being cheaper, buy wider rears and have the fronts polished.

My work experience in the aerospace industry has always made me wonder why they don't anodize street wheels. Some racing wheels are. I don't think its cost effective to persue as wheels have a very large surface area and would have to be coated for a very long time.

Here are some concept photshops I did a LONG time ago, I had forgot about this idea for a while. The wheels now have engraved center caps instead of those ugly stickers. I should give this another shot with the newer body mods and staggered tires.

Before (I barely recognize it as my truck, this picture is at least four years old)
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/black99rt/cleanedup.jpg
concept
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/black99rt/comparo.jpg
detail
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/black99rt/chop3.jpg
result
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/black99rt/withwheelspeg.jpg

[Five9Dak]

Try to count how many times this guy says engineer, engineered or engineering.

OMG they do FEA and testing on their products!? No wai!

EDIT: Link http://video.weldracing.com/featured_landing.php?reset=true

[Five9Dak]

Weld said they won't refinish wheels from other companies. I'll try calling Boyd's tommorow, they are closed now.

[2k1AmberR/T]

I wouldn't put any black on those wheels. Just my opinion that I feel the need to share. They look great. Hell, without the up close picture of the pitting they look fantastic! I'm sure they bug the shit out of you but...that's only because they're YOURS! I'm the same way, hahaha.
But anyway I love the wheels just as they are. New wider rears and refinishing the fronts sounds like a good solid plan, I can agree with that. Painting/coating the inside/recesses black would be a sin. There's nothing like a set of polished aluminum wheels. I might spend 8 hours on one fucking rim but damn when they look good...they look GOOD!
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d112/2001AFRT/Carlisle/Carlisle039.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d112/2001AFRT/Carlisle/Carlisle021.jpg

[Five9Dak]

Yeh, the picture makes it look a bit worse than it is, and from eye level you can't really tell. But I want to make sure they last a while and don't get worse.

I spoke with a contact out on the west coast who owns high end polishing shop for aerospace and other industrial jobs. He warned me to be weary of cheaper quotes who may use too stiff a buff initially. (one made for steel) This could make the surface wavy or burnish the polish into the aluminum making the finished result cloudy.

[kota360]

I didn't think Weld would do someone elses wheel, contact the manufacturer of your wheels and see what they say.

[Addicted2Blue00]

if ur not worried bout removin the pittin go to the parts store n get a buffer ball n the polish i mentioned n theyll shine like chrome

[Five9Dak]

Yeh I have the garage level polishing stuff already and I can get them pretty damn shiny, I'm sick of knowing the pitting is there and want it corrected.

[Five9Dak]

Called Boyd- they said that they do not traditionaly do refinishing and their shop is booked until fall before they could even entertain that idea.

CCW won't touch them either.

[2k1AmberR/T]

Called Boyd- they said that they do not traditionaly do refinishing and their shop is booked until fall before they could even entertain that idea.

CCW won't touch them either.

I was going to suggest calling CCW for recommendations. They're quite friendly and usually can/will direct you to several places. I've looked into it in the past for the minor pitting my front wheels have from the stock Viper brake pads. They usually have some good ideas for what products to use to keep the freshly polished wheels sealed as well. It's a shame they couldn't help you out. If I had any of the old wheel polishing services bookmarked from last year I'd hook you up but I don't even know where to start looking at this point.

[Five9Dak]

Yeh the guy on the phone @ CCW was pretty friendly. He gave me some of the same pointers about screening finishing places that the guy on the west coast told me.