How To Prevent Damage to Alloy Rims
Protecting alloy rims involves polishing and waxing them on a regular basis. Brake dust, sun and salt (if you live in the northern hemisphere) are just some of the things that can damage your unprotected rims. Once your rims have been damaged, it's incredibly difficult to repair them. You would need to strip down the surface, sand out any of the damage, and repaint and reseal them. Unfortunately, on many occasions, damaged rims become pitted and cannot be fixed. So, in this instance, an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure.
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Things You'll Need
- Soap and water with sponge Water hose Buffer Polishing compound Wax with applicator Lint-free cotton towel Jack with jack stands Tire wrench Torque wrench
Instructions
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Caring for Rims
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1
Turn the lug nuts on all of the wheels counterclockwise one-quarter turn with the tire wrench.
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2
Jack up the vehicle using the front jack point. This will normally be located near the radiator and is an extension of the frame. Place the jack stands under the front pinch welds of your vehicle and lower it onto the jack stands. Repeat this process with the rear of the vehicle using the rear jack point and the rear pinch welds.
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3
Finish removing the lug nuts and remove the wheel.
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4
Wash the rim with soap and water thoroughly. Make sure you remove all of the dirt, brake dust and tar from the rim.
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5
Hose the rim off with a water hose and dry it with a clean cotton towel.
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6
Apply a small amount of polishing compound to the buffer pad. Begin working the pad in a circular motion with the buffer off, then turn the buffer on the lowest setting and increase the speed gradually while continuing to work the polishing compound into the rim. Make sure you cover all of the rim, including the underside/inner rim area.
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7
Wipe the rim down with a clean cotton towel.
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8
Apply wax to the rim in a circular motion using the applicator pad. Make sure you cover all areas of the rim, including the underside/interior rim area.
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9
Buff the rim by hand with a clean cotton towel. You should buff the wax into the rim using a circular motion.
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10
Repeat steps 8 and 9 three times to ensure good coverage of the rim.
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11
Repeat steps 3 - 10 for each rim.
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12
Put the wheels back on, lower the vehicle to the ground, and torque the lug nuts to 100 ft lbs.
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