Auto Detailing 101 General discussion of auto cleaning and detailing. Learn tips and tricks to keep your Ford Ranger looking its best.

Dirty wheels wont get clean

Old Apr 12, 2008
  #1  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
Icon5 Dirty wheels wont get clean

My truck has had a dull finish on the wheels since I bought it and I have scrubbed them before with no luck in bringing the shine back. What you you guys suggest using to get the shine back? I have tried a bunch of different things, I think I need something really powerful.

They dont look like they are that bad but they are worst then they look. I have used different cleaners and scrubbed them.

Old picture but they still have the same dull finish, just now they have more brake dust on them.

Name:  truck1001.jpg
Views: 119
Size:  89.0 KB
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #2  
Redneckstone's Avatar
Level III Supporter
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 24,936
Likes: 11
From: usa
polish
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #3  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
I used some polish yesterday but after a hour of working with one area it was just starting to shine again.

Any polish that works good fast? I dont have the time to be spending hours cleaning wheels.
 

Last edited by schatten789; Apr 12, 2008 at 08:55 PM.
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #4  
Trigger01's Avatar
RF Veteran
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 18,788
Likes: 4
From: Knoxville, TN
Mothers Polish
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #5  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
Is the mothers mini power ball and polish worth getting?
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #6  
boomer27127's Avatar
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: washington
I use the mini power ball it works well and fits inside the holes on my wheels but I still hand polish them everyonce in a great while to get the few places the power ball cant
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #7  
Redrocket's Avatar
Member
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,993
Likes: 0
From: Waynesville n.c
i had a set once that looked like that took some wheel acid and it cleaned them right up then i took my power ball and polished them back to a shine
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #8  
korey89's Avatar
Member
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,672
Likes: 6
From: South, FL
Flitz is by far the best polish IMO
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #9  
04blackedge's Avatar
RF Veteran
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 23,426
Likes: 8
From: Durham, NC
Yeah mine are the same way, I use Mothers polish it takes a while but the end results are good.
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #10  
MattN03's Avatar
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 199
Likes: 1
From: Harrodsburg, KY
Get the Power Ball-it's well worth it. I had aluminum Centerline wheels on my previous Ranger and it made polishing the wheels so much easier, faster, and better results than what I could do by hand. I have used Mothers Mag/AL Polish, Meguiar's NXT Polysh, and currently have Meguiar's Hot Rims Metal Polish. Any of these well work well on bare aluminum using the Power Ball.
 
Reply
Old Apr 12, 2008
  #11  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
cool, thanks for the info guys, I think im going to get the power ball and give it a try along with some of the polish or something similar.
 
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008
  #12  
loudandproud's Avatar
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Mechanicsburg
The first thing you should do is go to a truck wash and tell them to brighten up the rims or Citrushine them. That will make them a nice uniform white aluminum before you go to polish...

I work at a blue beacon and we have truckers tell us to brighten their **** up really heavy because they then go and get it polish and it comes out better.
 
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008
  #13  
ns_red7's Avatar
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 558
Likes: 0
From: Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, C
Try autosol as well, that stuff is amazing. Best shiny metal polish available, imo.
 
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008
  #14  
Cooky65's Avatar
Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
From: Renton, WA
at my detail shop we either use degreaser which is ok to use on any metal, and wheel acid but wheel acid will damage them if they are aluminum
 
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008
  #15  
Downey's Avatar
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,470
Likes: 6
From: Muncy, PA
get 2 bottles of turtle wax but and tar remover put in on the wheels let it sit then polish it off about 30 min later it should give you a decent place to start. it looks like you need a cleaner first then a polish not just a polish.
 
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008
  #16  
dave01978's Avatar
Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
From: Romeoville, IL
http://www.waterlesscarwashproducts....on=show_detail the best metal polish ive ever used (and yes i do sell the stuff) you can check out the prefered vendor section for more info as well
 
Reply
Old Apr 17, 2008
  #17  
cchsbuzz19's Avatar
Member
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,417
Likes: 2
From: North Canton, Ohio
Maguires polish works real well to
 
Reply
Old Apr 17, 2008
  #18  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
I didnt know this thread was still alive.


Downey that is an old pic the wheels were clean when I polished the wheels.


I ended up using mothers mini power ball and power metal polish. It worked great, I only spent a couple mins on each wheel and they came out really nice.

I didnt get any good pictures of just the wheels, but here is a thread I made with pics I took a couple days ago.

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ad.php?t=62669
 
Reply
Old Apr 18, 2008
  #19  
winks's Avatar
Member
iTrader: (5)
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,872
Likes: 0
From: Jackson, New Jersey
Wow, I have never had that kind of luck with the powerball. Those came out good.
 
Reply
Old Apr 18, 2008
  #20  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
Yea they did, I could have spent more time and got them better. I think I spent about 20-30 mins on each wheel.
 
Reply
Old Apr 25, 2008
  #21  
ranger_key's Avatar
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
From: hartford,al
have you tryed purple power
 
Reply
Old Apr 25, 2008
  #22  
Downey's Avatar
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,470
Likes: 6
From: Muncy, PA
damn dude they came out really nice i have heard things about the power ***** just never used one might have to get one my moms mags on her van are getting dull might have to get one for her van
 
Reply
Old Apr 25, 2008
  #23  
schatten789's Avatar
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 735
Likes: 0
From: Matagorda County, Texas
I havent tried purple power. I may look in to it next time I need to polish tho.


The only problem I had with the power ball was I had to use alot of polish to keep the ball "Lubed" so that the friction didnt tear it up, also sharp edges tear it a little to. I think after I use it 2 or 3 more times on the wheels Im going to have to replace it.
 
Reply
Old Apr 26, 2008
  #24  
knightmare1015's Avatar
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 890
Likes: 1
From: unknown
Have you tried duragloss #851 wheel cleaner / Aluminum brightner? try that to get them ultra clean. then use these:





It will be a mirror type shine that you wont belive. use the Zymol first and let it get bone dry. Next use the turle wax ice and let the ice dry to a slight haze. Apply another coat of zymol and it will dry before your very eyes within 2 minutes. This will last about 18 months. here's the results over a year later:


Name:  100_0025.jpg
Views: 84
Size:  172.3 KB

This truck hasn't been washed or waxed in over a year. I was going to do that today but the weather said no. It still shines. The power ball I didn't like it at all. the mini might be ok for wheels but the polish didn't do that good of a job for me. I use what was shown above and for the tires and wheels I use Dura Gloss #851 wheel cleaner and aluminum brightner, Black Magic No scrub wheel cleaner and titanium tire wet gel.
 

Last edited by knightmare1015; Apr 26, 2008 at 09:21 PM.
Reply
Old Apr 30, 2008
  #25  
hatley's Avatar
Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Riverdale, Utah
use acid you wont even have to scrub
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
btm757
General Ford Ranger Discussion
37
Feb 14, 2011 12:04 AM
winks
Snapshots
21
Aug 3, 2009 08:36 PM
mossyoak03
Snapshots
22
Jul 21, 2009 01:39 AM
Trigger01
Snapshots
27
Jul 9, 2008 09:14 PM
Egor29
General Ford Ranger Discussion
13
May 22, 2006 12:24 AM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:40 AM.