I have pollished aluminum American Classic Atlas wheels and I am wondering what I can use to keep them looking good. To I need to go out and purchase something special or can I use a pollish intended for clearcoat paint and then a wax?

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'97 F150XL 4.6L 5 spd 4x4
SC, Silver Frost
Clearcoat Metallic,
K&N air filter, Access
Roll-Up Cover, bug
deflector, rear custom
Ford mudflaps, Pioneer
Supertuner CD, 4 Cerwin
Vega Speakers. Future
mods: Spray-in bed liner,
shocks, Superchip,
stainless rocker panel.
* 9/27/99 installed
Factory Ford 60/40 seats
from Sonny's
* 10/13/99 installed
cat-back exhaust system
with dual pipes out back,
a Dynomax Race Magnum
muffler, and 3 1/2'
stainless slash tips.
* 3/9/00 installed BFG AT
285/75R16 on American
Racing Altas 16x8
http://sites.netscape.net/iridektm/homepage


[This message has been edited by iridektm (edited 07-13-2000).]

 

If they are clearcoated, you can just wash and wax them. If they are not, you need metal/wheel polish like Weenol or Mothers. There are alot of good wheel polishes, just read a few labels at the auto parts store.

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2000 F-150 XL,RC,LB,5.4,4R70W,3.55LS,
Class III tow/Payload #3/Convenience pkgs.,
4-wheel disc/ABS,Chestnut/Parchment 40/60,
Ford bedliner & gas/wheel/spare locks,
3" cold air box modification,Superchip,
Dynomax ultra-flow welded 3" cat-back.

 

i got some polished alloy's also. I use this stuff called eagle one. It says just spray on and wash off, but i scrub them with a regular wash mitt and they turn out really nice.

 

Max,

How convenient, a post from you just right on the topic I'm interested in.

I've got the offroad pckg., thus 17" 5 -lug cast aluminum. These are clearcoated, correct?

 

I believe they are clearcoated but I'm not positive. Good luck in your search.




------------------
'97 F150XL 4.6L 5 spd 4x4
SC, Silver Frost
Clearcoat Metallic,
K&N air filter, Access
Roll-Up Cover, bug
deflector, rear custom
Ford mudflaps, Pioneer
Supertuner CD, 4 Cerwin
Vega Speakers. Future
mods: Spray-in bed liner,
shocks, Superchip,
stainless rocker panel.
* 9/27/99 installed
Factory Ford 60/40 seats
from Sonny's
* 10/13/99 installed
cat-back exhaust system
with dual pipes out back,
a Dynomax Race Magnum
muffler, and 3 1/2'
stainless slash tips.
* 3/9/00 installed BFG AT
285/75R16 on American
Racing Altas 16x8
* 10/12/00 installed stainless steel rocker panel guards

http://sites.netscape.net/mikes97f150/homepage

 

Clearcoated

 

Max,

I just want to double check with you before I clearcoat wax my wheels. The vehicle sticker I got with my truck says the wheels are 17" cast aluminum...Are you positive they are clearcoated and not polished?

I could swear that there's a rainbow hue to them in the sunlight and when they get soap on them, so I'm pretty sure they are clearcoat.

 

My literature shows only one polished aluminum wheel and it's a 16"er.

 

To see if its clearcoated or not, first throughly clean the wheels with Dawn or car wash solution. Then get an abrasive such as 3M Finesse-It, Meguiar's Swirl Mark remover, or Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish, and rub the product with an old T-shirt on a small, inconspicuous CLEAN area of the wheel. If the shirt turns black, then its not clearcoated. If nothing happends, and the wheels simply look better, then they are clear coated.

Clearcoated wheels- Clean with car wash solution weekly, and wax with your favorite car wax or sealant such as Zaino or NuFinish twice a year, or when its hard to clean. Use a wheel cleaner such as Eagle One A2Z or Meguiar's Gold Class, when brake dust is stuck onto the wheels and car wash solution will not remove it.

Non-clearcoated polished wheels- Wash the wheels with a very mild cleaner. Do not use acid-based cleaners such as Meguiar's Gold Glass or Eagle One A2Z or it may permanately stain. Constantly polish with Eagle One or Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish till shiny and clean.

 

I have a set of the 17" aluminum rims found on the 4wds on my 2000 xlt sport. These rims came standard on the truck. They have not seen a western NY winter (bought a set of steel rims for this), but the rims have developed rust stain marks wcich ran out from the center hubs. I have tried everything to get it out (mothers polish, the whole 9 yards). Is it worth taking them back to the dealer? covered under warranty? I hope so, to nice of a truck to have something like this ruin it!