whiteboyslo
FNG
I don't know how it is in everyone else's neck of the woods, but around here finding a set of OBS Alcoas can be a royal pain. They don't show up on Craigslist all that much, and when they do they're usually either gone within hours or the owner thinks they're gold. I eventually had to settle for a really rough set that, admittedly, I still paid too much for. But the beauty of a forged aluminum wheel is that it can be refinished quite easily, or so I had been told. Here's my end result:
This pic shows what they looked like after the final prep but before polishing:
I REALLY wish I would have snapped a few 'before' pics for you guys to show just how much went into them, but suffice it to say I have quite a few hours into each. There were some lessons learned along the way, so for anyone looking to do the same, here are my steps and tips.
Tools and materials:
Aircraft paint remover/stripper
Multiple grades of steel wool (I used 3, 1, and 0000, but I'd recommend at least one more grade in between 1 and 0000)
Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish
Mother's Billet Polish
RIMWAX by Smartwax
Mother's Powerball and/or Powercone
3/8 drive corded drill (unless you have a zillion batteries for your cordless)
Gloves and mask
Paint brush
Disposable foil tray
Microfiber towels and wax applicator pads
Paper towels or rags
1. Thoroughly clean all surfaces to be polished.
2. Use the paint brush to apply the paint remover to the wheel. I found it easiest to pour it into the disposable foil tray. Don't make the mistake I made; a plastic cup will not work. The stuff melted the cup, went through my crappy rubber gloves, and started to burn my hand before I knew it. Wearing a mask and/or doing this part in a well-ventilated area is a very good idea.
3. Let the paint remover sit until the clear coat is bubbling up and peeling off, about 30 minutes to an hour minimum. Rinse the wheel off and inspect for remaining clear coat. At this point, you may be tempted to grab a wire brush or wheel to get the last of it off. DON'T. At most, use the coarsest steel wool you bought and go at it, but the best bet is to simply apply an additional coat of paint remover and let it do its thing. Why? Remember, any scratch you put in now is one you have to either take out later or live with forever. Let the chemicals do their job.
4. Inspect the wheel for any damage that needs special attention. On one of mine, I had a spot on the lip where it looked as though someone took a hacksaw to it, about a 1/16" deep. Some QuickSteel made quick work of it. I also had some gnarly burrs on the lips that I took down with a file, but again, it's all about making the minimum amount of scratches possible. The lips on some of my wheels still look pretty rough up close, but they're smooth now and should hold air just fine.
5. Determine the finest grade steel wool you can use to get a uniform appearance. This will vary based on the condition of your wheel. Mine were pretty rough, so I started with '3'. You can guess what comes next. The key is to go in one direction (preferably in a direction concentric to the wheel as opposed to radially) and to keep going until the whole wheel is a consistent finish. When you're satisfied, give it a rinse, then start with the next finest steel wool.
6. After you're finished with the finest grade of steel wool, it's time to bust out the toys. I started with the much coarser Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish on the Powerball, then stepped up to the finer grit Mother's Billet Aluminum polish on the Powercone. I used two different tools because I didn't want to cross-contaminate the polishes (using the same tool defeats the whole point of using the finer polish), but there was no rhyme or reason as to why I used one of each except that I wanted to try them both. Overall, I found the Powercone much easier to use and more durable. Again, the trick is to always go in the same direction for a uniform appearance, including when you're removing the polish with the paper towels or rags. As a final measure, buff out the wheel with a CLEAN (preferably new) microfiber after using the Billet polish to really finish it off.
7. Apply the RIMWAX to protect the wheel from brake dust and tarnish, or consider a coat of clear coat if that's your thing. Again, buff it out with a CLEAN microfiber.
Some tips:
A. Be careful what, if any, wheel cleaner you use once you're done, especially if you don't re-apply clear coat. I used Meguiars Hot Rims Wheel Cleaner after I finished and it left spots that wouldn't come out, so I had to take the 0000 grade steel wool to the wheels and start all over again! I have since found Meguiars All Aluminum Wheel Cleaner and it's much milder.
B. Having the wheel on some kind of revolving pedestal makes the work much easier. I used a shop stool as my work table and it worked fantastically.
C. It's best to use new microfiber cloths instead of ones that have been cleaned. Microfiber's biggest strength is also its biggest detriment; it grabs everything. So, even if you have washed it, there's a good chance it has something on or in it that's going to scratch up the wheel and ruin your day.
d. IMPORTANT!!!!! To use the eBay center caps shown, you MUST use lug nuts with a 7/8" hex. On my pick-up, the studs are 9/16"-18 thread. So, I used 9/18"-18 acorn style (open) lugs with a 7/8" hex. Dorman PN 611-052.
Hope y'all enjoy! I'm getting them installed Friday and can't wait to see it all together. I've wanted these wheels for years!
Mike
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This pic shows what they looked like after the final prep but before polishing:
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I REALLY wish I would have snapped a few 'before' pics for you guys to show just how much went into them, but suffice it to say I have quite a few hours into each. There were some lessons learned along the way, so for anyone looking to do the same, here are my steps and tips.
Tools and materials:
Aircraft paint remover/stripper
Multiple grades of steel wool (I used 3, 1, and 0000, but I'd recommend at least one more grade in between 1 and 0000)
Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish
Mother's Billet Polish
RIMWAX by Smartwax
Mother's Powerball and/or Powercone
3/8 drive corded drill (unless you have a zillion batteries for your cordless)
Gloves and mask
Paint brush
Disposable foil tray
Microfiber towels and wax applicator pads
Paper towels or rags
1. Thoroughly clean all surfaces to be polished.
2. Use the paint brush to apply the paint remover to the wheel. I found it easiest to pour it into the disposable foil tray. Don't make the mistake I made; a plastic cup will not work. The stuff melted the cup, went through my crappy rubber gloves, and started to burn my hand before I knew it. Wearing a mask and/or doing this part in a well-ventilated area is a very good idea.
3. Let the paint remover sit until the clear coat is bubbling up and peeling off, about 30 minutes to an hour minimum. Rinse the wheel off and inspect for remaining clear coat. At this point, you may be tempted to grab a wire brush or wheel to get the last of it off. DON'T. At most, use the coarsest steel wool you bought and go at it, but the best bet is to simply apply an additional coat of paint remover and let it do its thing. Why? Remember, any scratch you put in now is one you have to either take out later or live with forever. Let the chemicals do their job.
4. Inspect the wheel for any damage that needs special attention. On one of mine, I had a spot on the lip where it looked as though someone took a hacksaw to it, about a 1/16" deep. Some QuickSteel made quick work of it. I also had some gnarly burrs on the lips that I took down with a file, but again, it's all about making the minimum amount of scratches possible. The lips on some of my wheels still look pretty rough up close, but they're smooth now and should hold air just fine.
5. Determine the finest grade steel wool you can use to get a uniform appearance. This will vary based on the condition of your wheel. Mine were pretty rough, so I started with '3'. You can guess what comes next. The key is to go in one direction (preferably in a direction concentric to the wheel as opposed to radially) and to keep going until the whole wheel is a consistent finish. When you're satisfied, give it a rinse, then start with the next finest steel wool.
6. After you're finished with the finest grade of steel wool, it's time to bust out the toys. I started with the much coarser Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish on the Powerball, then stepped up to the finer grit Mother's Billet Aluminum polish on the Powercone. I used two different tools because I didn't want to cross-contaminate the polishes (using the same tool defeats the whole point of using the finer polish), but there was no rhyme or reason as to why I used one of each except that I wanted to try them both. Overall, I found the Powercone much easier to use and more durable. Again, the trick is to always go in the same direction for a uniform appearance, including when you're removing the polish with the paper towels or rags. As a final measure, buff out the wheel with a CLEAN (preferably new) microfiber after using the Billet polish to really finish it off.
7. Apply the RIMWAX to protect the wheel from brake dust and tarnish, or consider a coat of clear coat if that's your thing. Again, buff it out with a CLEAN microfiber.
Some tips:
A. Be careful what, if any, wheel cleaner you use once you're done, especially if you don't re-apply clear coat. I used Meguiars Hot Rims Wheel Cleaner after I finished and it left spots that wouldn't come out, so I had to take the 0000 grade steel wool to the wheels and start all over again! I have since found Meguiars All Aluminum Wheel Cleaner and it's much milder.
B. Having the wheel on some kind of revolving pedestal makes the work much easier. I used a shop stool as my work table and it worked fantastically.
C. It's best to use new microfiber cloths instead of ones that have been cleaned. Microfiber's biggest strength is also its biggest detriment; it grabs everything. So, even if you have washed it, there's a good chance it has something on or in it that's going to scratch up the wheel and ruin your day.
d. IMPORTANT!!!!! To use the eBay center caps shown, you MUST use lug nuts with a 7/8" hex. On my pick-up, the studs are 9/16"-18 thread. So, I used 9/18"-18 acorn style (open) lugs with a 7/8" hex. Dorman PN 611-052.
Hope y'all enjoy! I'm getting them installed Friday and can't wait to see it all together. I've wanted these wheels for years!
Mike
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