Cleaning Accuride aluminum wheels

[joeplazek]

Originally Posted by SCVJeff

I have the Mothers large and small balls, the wedge lookin foam polish thing, and Flitz large and small felt balls for finishing. I just need to learn to go easy on the polish cuz it's a bugger to get off when it cakes up :(

Not real sure what I think of the Flitz polish though

I use a varsol on a rag to take the black off. Then wipe it down clean with another rag. After that it really takes on a brighter shine when you wash it off again with hot water and car wash soap. I seen this on you tube and tried it,, works great!

joe

[Deucenut]

I haven't polished my wheels yet. They don't look too bad. But someone mentioned it already. Aren't the wheels coated with something and don't need polishing? If so, does the coating come off over time necessitating the polishing of the wheels? My wife's mustang had aluminum factory wheels that are coated and the manual specifically states not to polish them.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Deucenut

I haven't polished my wheels yet. They don't look too bad. But someone mentioned it already. Aren't the wheels coated with something and don't need polishing? If so, does the coating come off over time necessitating the polishing of the wheels? My wife's mustang had aluminum factory wheels that are coated and the manual specifically states not to polish them.

Deucenut,
Yes, there are some coaches out there with "Coated" aluminum wheels. Accuride wheels have a name for their coating but, I cannot think of it right now. But, in any case, I don't care who tells you something to the contrary but, it's almost impossible to remove that coating with aluminum polish. That stuff is HARD!!! It has to be to endure the conditions of the road, dust, heat, debris hitting it, possibly hundreds and hundreds of washings with harsh soaps, brushes, and more.

So, the use of some aluminum polish is NOT going to do any harm to it. I know, 'cause I've tried to do it (damage a coating on purpose) just to see if I could. The only way I could was with a commercial stripper of some sort.

You can tell easily if you've got a coating or not. If it doesn't say so on the wheel itself, (like I think Accuride does) then, simply apply some polish, like Mothers, Semi-Chrome, or other brands of hand paste types in about a two inch square spot and, if there's no coating on them, the rag (using just one finger wrapped up in the rag) will turn black almost instantly. If there's a coating on it, you can rub almost 'till your next birthday, and there will be no blackening of the rag, PERIOD!

If the coating was/is that weak, that it would come off that easily with only some aluminum polish, than it would damage easily from day to day runing down the road and washings and more.
Scott

[Deucenut]

So if there is a coating, does polishing the wheel do any good?

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Deucenut

So if there is a coating, does polishing the wheel do any good?

Deucenut,
Well, the point is, you wouldn't be polishing anything. You could rub all day and it won't look any different. While there are some folks out there that like the coating because they don't have to maintenance any of their wheels, I personnally don't like the coating because even though that coating is a fairly stong substance, if it does chip, it can and eventually will, allow moisture underneith the chipped edges and start corroding the aluminum around the chip. Then it starts to look real bad. Then, your in for some serious work.

The move then would be to buy some aircraft quality/compatible paint stripper (aluminum safe type stuff) and remove the coating and now, you maintenance/polish the wheel. It's really no big deal for me. I kind of like it. I pick a day, a nice day, and put on some music from the outside stereo on the coach and sit down and, polish away for a while 'till I get tired. I don't have to do all the wheels in one day. I do one, take a couple day break, then do another one and so on.
Scott

[KSCRUDE]

Alcoa and Acuride both make their wheels in a plain mill finish, which is the cheapest. Then they polish this mill finish and you have the old classic polished wheel, which when new is the shiniest I think. Then they have the coated polished wheel which is shiny, but I think the coating gives is a funny looking sheen. This is also the most expensive of the three, by about $35 over a mill finish. The polished wheel falls in between. Most new trucks and motor homes are specked with the the coated wheels nowadays. They do look good and never need polished. They both just recommend washing with soap and water and a soft rag. Alcoa calls their coated wheel the durabrite. Acuride calls their coated wheel the acusheild. If you drive a lot of dirt roads the sand will blast the coating off the coated wheels in time. It will also blast the polished shine off the polished wheels also. If I ever do drive a motorhome on dirt roads it is at about 30 mph max as this helps with the sandblasting effect. My MH has the stainless covers on steel wheels, and I talked to the local Goodyear dealer where we buy all our truck tires and wheels at about aluminum wheels for the Ford F53 chassis. He sails he can only get the polished in the 19.5 size in both Aloca are Acuride. I said no deal as I don't like the up keep of polished wheels. They are a pain. They do make the coated in the 22.5 and 24.5 in both brands. If you keep the coated wheels clean, and stay off of sand and gravel roads they will look good for a long time. The polished will look good for a long time also if keep clean, and maybe polished every year or too.when polished they will look like new again, but it only last so long then they get dull. I prefer Alcoa over Acuride, just mainly because of the hole size. By the way Alcoa invented the coated, durabrite wheel, the Acuride followed with the acusheild version.

[Deucenut]

I was looking at my wheels this morning and noticed some corrosion around the lug nuts. I'm assuming the coating has come off probably when the tires/wheels have been removed from the vehicle etc. Is there anything I can do about this?

Secondly, since I have the Accuride wheels with the coating, I understand you guys correctly, there is no point in polishing them because it will do nothing?

[FIRE UP]

Deucenut,
You're seeing corrosion/rust from the lug and lug nuts. It can migrate from under the lugnuts to the outer surface of the wheels. It's been reported here and other RV forums a few times. Many folks will put a light oil or grease on the lugs and bottom of the lug nut to try and deter this type of thing. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

As for polishing your "coated" wheels, yep, it's not doing anything. If you'd like, you can wax them, after they're washed with the rest of the coach and that will just protect the suface of the coating, just like it does for paint etc. on the coach.
Scott

[SCVJeff]

I saw a do-dad at a truck parts house years ago that was a buffing gizmo that fit on a drill with a hole in the center big enough to slide over top of a lugnut. Shoulda bought one.. :(

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by SCVJeff

I saw a do-dad at a truck parts house years ago that was a buffing gizmo that fit on a drill with a hole in the center big enough to slide over top of a lugnut. Shoulda bought one.. :(

Shoulda,Woulda, Coulda.

Sorry
Sammie.