Light alloy wheels are mainly subject to polishing, since steel wheels are prone to natural corrosion. Polishing aluminum wheels is not a difficult task, and its essence can be described in a short article.
It is recommended to polish rims in a well-ventilated area, protecting the respiratory tract with a respirator. Before polishing, the paint coating should be completely removed from the discs. To do this, you can use any paint remover. Subsequently, the paint will rise in a few minutes, after which it will need to be cleaned off using a spatula.
On a note
The protective layer covering light alloy wheels, after polymerization, becomes harder than the alloy itself. You can remove it by sanding, but this is a rather long and labor-intensive task. This film can be dissolved with a special agent. However, not every paint thinner is effective. If the properties of the product are not known, then it should be tested.
In some cases, the primer is strong enough that you may need to reapply paint remover. After scraping off all paint residues, wipe the disc dry.
After removing the paint, a porous structure is exposed on the surface of the discs, which needs to be smoothed out. This can be done using a grinding machine and sandpaper from “R-80” to “R-1000”. Next, it is better to switch to manual grouting with sandpaper from “R-1500” to “R-2500”. As a result, the discs will appear shiny. You can enhance it with any polishing agent, for example, Turtle wax “Silver chrome”, etc.
The time that will have to be spent on polishing depends, among other things, on the shape of the inside of the discs. The fewer recesses and the lower the relief, the faster the work will go. The most difficult wheels to polish are those with many small interlocking spokes. True, today such a design is no longer fashionable.
However, specialized workshops periodically encounter the need to polish spoked wheels. The customers are owners of collectible cars. Jewelry work, because... you have to go around each knitting needle from all sides with a hand drill with a polishing head.
Kits for adding shine to wheels
No matter how you polish car wheels, using a machine or manually, to give them a unique shine, in any case you will need the following set of tools:
- A polishing machine or drill with a circular attachment (if the work is not planned to be done manually).
- High pressure washer for washing.
- Degreaser and car shampoo (you can purchase a special degreaser shampoo).
- Set of lint-free towels.
- A set of skins of different grain sizes (from 250 to 3000).
- Polishing paste (the polishing result depends on the quality of the paste).
- Protective varnish.
Set for polishing car rims
What should be the nozzle on an angle grinder for polishing a car?
No matter how carefully the driver operates his favorite “iron horse,” sooner or later small scratches, chips, abrasions and cracks will begin to appear on the surface of the car’s paintwork. Such damage occurs not only as a result of careless driving, but also due to small stones, branches flying towards you, temperature changes and much more. To renew and protect your car’s paintwork, all you need to do is purchase an angle grinder and select the right wheels for polishing your car.
Polishing discs have different characteristics and are suitable for different purposes, so when choosing products you need to pay attention to their types and scope of use.
Types of polishes
Today, the range of wheel polishes is quite wide and is divided into the following types:
- Powder. This category is aggressive, as it consists of hard particles that help cope not only with scratches, but also with other various defects. Using powder polishes requires special care and at least a little experience in this field, otherwise there is a chance of damaging the disc even more and not correcting the defect. The main advantage of such products is durability and wear resistance.
- Creamy polish used by owners of new cars. These pastes are easy to work with; they gently polish the surface and form a protective layer that preserves shine for a long time.
- Solid polishes, for example, GOI. Carrying out work with such means is not quite easy, but due to their high-quality composition and low price, they have not lost popularity for many decades. The only disadvantage of such polishes is their rather short service life, that is, the polishing of car wheels lasts until the first wash.
Estimation of labor costs
The first step is to determine whether you really want to perform this operation. After all, during the process you will have to inhale vapors of chemical compounds and polishing dust for several hours. You will also have to get your clothes and hands dirty. In addition, polishing car wheels will require financial investment. And all this so that the discs reflect the puddle near the garage.
If the car owner agrees to this, then it is worth purchasing protective gloves (preferably rubber). Experts also recommend using a respirator. After all, beauty is good, but health is more important.
How to polish wheels
Grinding discs requires some knowledge and skills, so if a car owner performs this work for the first time, he must strictly adhere to the rules and instructions so as not to harm the surface and achieve the desired result.
These recommendations apply to absolutely all types of wheels. Therefore, polishing can be done on both chrome wheels and aluminum wheels.
Grinding discs requires some knowledge and skills.
Sequencing:
- The first step is to prepare the disks for use. To do this, remove the wheels from the car (you can grind and polish them without removing them), thoroughly clean them of dirt, using a special detergent and a hard sponge, if necessary. Afterwards, rinse off the soap solution with clean water, wipe the surfaces dry and degrease them.
- If alloy wheels are polished for the first time, the surface will be protected with a special varnish film, which will require an additional special tool to remove.
- Now it is necessary to evaluate the nature of the defects, because the choice of material for grinding will depend on this. So, for example, if the damage is minor, then you need sandpaper P600-1000, if the scratches are deep, then you need to use sanding paper with a coarser grain. Grinding car wheels will consist of several stages, each of which will last 3-5 minutes. After each stage, it is necessary to wash the surface and wipe dry with a soft cloth to check the quality of the work. The final sanding should be done with P3000 grit sandpaper.
- It is imperative to check for corrosion and, if necessary, remove it by grinding.
- We thoroughly rinse the discs, thereby eliminating dust and other dirt residues that may have arisen during cleaning, and wipe them dry with a soft cloth or towel.
- You can proceed to polishing. To do this, apply the paste to the machine or polishing wheel and begin to rub it in with circular, uniform movements. This stage takes from 60 to 90 minutes. For hard-to-reach places or polishing the disc shelf, you can use a toothbrush, but only with soft bristles.
- Most often, one coat of polish is not enough, so be prepared to apply 2-3.
A special varnish is applied to the discs after grinding.
After polishing is completed, all that remains is to apply a special varnish, also in several layers, which will preserve the result for a long time. After it dries, rinse the discs with water and wipe dry.
Do-it-yourself polishing of cast wheels is carried out in the same sequence.
How to polish a cast shelf to a mirror with your own hands?
Having collected everything we need, we return to the garage and get to work. Take one of the chrome rims and clamp it using a tire changer. Of course, you can polish it on the car by lifting it with a jack, but this is very inconvenient. So the machine is a solution to many problems.
You need to wear rubber gloves on your hands, as we will be working with chemicals. A respirator should also be used.
We tear off a piece from the coarsest-grained skin and, pressing it to the surface of the disk with the palm of our hand, remove the top layer.
Then we take a finer-grained sandpaper and start cleaning it. We continue to work until we reach the finest grained skin. Be prepared for your hands to be very sore, you may get calluses. Mirror polishing of wheels is not for the weak.
Expert opinion
Ilya Vyacheslavovich
Consultant for body repair at krasymavto.ru
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If there are deep defects from the curbs, we remove them with a grinder, but do it very carefully.
Now we take a drill, attach a felt circle to the Velcro, apply GOI paste and slowly, in a circular motion, polish it over the entire rim. You will see how the surface becomes almost mirror-like. Wipe the disc rim with a clean cloth. After the initial polishing, we change the felt circle to a woolen one, and apply a metal polish with a protective effect to it. We proceed to the final polishing of the surface.
After that, all that remains is to assemble the disks. Now accept the admiration of car owners.
Useful! Not only is your car very beautiful, but you achieved it with your own hands.
Precautions and Tips
Any car repair work requires compliance with basic safety rules so as not to harm either your own health or the car, so when working on polishing wheels you need to do the following:
- Stock up on a respirator, special glasses and gloves, since during grinding dust will be released, inhaling it is strictly not recommended, and most polishing products are toxic and contact with the skin is also not advisable.
- You don't need to put in a lot of physical effort to remove defects; light pressure will be enough.
- Do not allow the surface to overheat; grinding should be done at low machine speeds, or manually at a slow pace.
- Before buying a polish, you need to study the composition and make sure that it does not contain ammonia and other acids that can damage the body coating and cause corrosion.
- If it is not possible to remove the discs, it is recommended to perform polishing manually so as not to accidentally touch other parts of the body while working.
- If during work black stripes appear on the surface or it overheats, you need to wash it and start the whole process again.
How to grind?
There is nothing special or supernatural about disc grinding. General principles apply here. Initially, the wheel disk is processed with coarse-grained abrasive materials. As for the type of abrasive, it is selected according to the type of defect that needs to be removed. Then materials with finer grains are used. Finish processing with each material after removing traces of processing with the previous abrasive.
It is important to consider the following points:
- During the processing process, it is recommended to constantly remove the mixture of metal powder and abrasive from the surface. All this again scratches the surface of the disk.
- When switching to a finer abrasive material, the surface of the disc to be treated must be wiped with a cloth.
- Grinding is carried out at the lowest possible speed to prevent overheating.
- There is no need to put in a lot of effort. The process must be controlled visually. If necessary, grinding can be stopped for a while. Using a coarse-grained abrasive for work can result in miscalculation of the effort and disruption of the disc profile.
Cost of service in car services
The cost of polishing wheels to a mirror shine in car services is quite varied and depends on many factors:
- wheel size;
- required polishing area;
- nature of defects;
- number of wheels that need to be polished;
- promotion and demand for car service.
Thanks to all the above factors, the pricing range is quite wide, for example, the cost of completely polishing 4 discs with size R=16 varies from 15 to 24 thousand rubles. The same work, but with size R=23, can cost from 20 to 40 thousand rubles.
Wheel polishing - benefits
Benefits of polishing aluminum wheels:
- Minimal scratches and chips. Aluminum is much more resistant to external influences than any paint coating;
- Stylish appearance. Even an inexperienced person can appreciate shiny wheels on any car;
- Polishing wheels is extremely simple, although it requires some effort;
- There is no flaking or peeling like with paint;
- If damaged, you can easily polish the problem area.
Polishing of wheel rims in car services is carried out using special machines and equipment that simplify and speed up the work process. The most commonly used technology is “Thomi Felgen”. The result is a long-lasting mirror-like shine on the discs. Sometimes a varnish is also applied, which protects the discs and adds even more shine.
It is also useful to read: What is car nano-polishing and what benefits does it provide?
Shiny wheels look more interesting on a glossy car than matte ones and vice versa. Therefore, before changing the wheel style, it is advisable to take into account the entire design of the car as a whole.
Special polishing materials
In the process of polishing car wheels, you can use a variety of materials; at the moment, their choice is huge. The most important thing is to maintain the basic principle of step-by-step, that is, you should start working using a coarser-grained polish and finish this process with a material with a finer grain.
Currently, a special GOI paste is being sold, which is available in a wide variety of designs. You can distinguish coarse-grained from fine-grained at a visual level; as a rule, the darker the paste, the thinner it is. Usually, for high-quality polishing of car wheels, black-green or light green paste is purchased.
There are some features for grinding:
- When applying polishing paste, it must be thoroughly rubbed into the surface until the color completely changes.
- The paste must be diluted in kerosene or heated before application.
- Before finishing, the disc is wiped with a special material – microfiber.
Polishing process
When answering the question whether it is worth doing the car polishing yourself, you can give a clear answer: if you are confident in your own abilities, it is necessary to do it. There is an opinion that when performing this work there is a high probability of damage to the body metal, and this will only worsen the appearance of the car. But many are mistaken if they think this way. With the right choice of materials and means for repair, you can achieve good results. Even a heavily scratched body can be restored to perfect order.
Sequence of work:
- First, you should carefully select the materials: a suitable paste - polish. There are several types: abrasive and non-abrasive, restorative and silicone. All pastes are marked, but it should be borne in mind that a spray can for polishing operations is necessary for the final stage of the work or the final shine of the metal.
- It is also necessary to use fine abrasive sandpaper. Only with its help can scratches and small microcracks be eliminated.
- Polishes are used to remove abrasions from the coating. It is this treatment that will remove the layer of varnish, which will then need to be restored.
- To carry out work using a mechanized method, a polishing grinder is used. To polish a car, special attachments are used on the machine. The machines themselves are eccentric with fairly high speeds when beating.
- Before direct treatment, the surface must be cleaned of various contaminants, such as oil stains. If grinding is necessary, install the wheel and begin grinding work. In this case, the metal surface must be moistened to prevent new scratches from forming.
The duration of the process should not take much time, so as not to overdo it and get the opposite result. After completing the work, carefully walk over the treated surface with a soft cloth.
Preliminary work
Car wheels as standard are covered with a conventional protective film. During the drying process, it acquires a certain hardness, which exceeds similar indicators that are characteristic of the alloy from which it is produced. Trying to remove it mechanically on your own is unproductive, so it is recommended to use a special remover for regular paint.
In the process of purchasing a remover, it is worth clarifying for what purpose it is being purchased, as well as on the basis of what elements it is produced. The liquids used for this purpose are not only highly toxic, but can also turn out to be completely useless, especially if the disc was previously painted with special powder paint.
To remove the factory film, you need to use a regular remover intended for varnish, follow the instructions. The result is a disk without any protective coating.
After this treatment, the disc must be rinsed very thoroughly, since prolonged contact can cause destructive corrosion. It is also necessary to remove all elements of dirt, since sand after some time can ruin all the work done if it accidentally gets into the area that will be polished.
General information about polishing
Even small scratches that form on the metal surface of a car are not aesthetically pleasing and spoil the appearance of the entire car. It is not necessary to go to a workshop to fix a simple defect; you can do everything at home. Polishing with a grinder today has become an accessible type of work for everyone. To do this, you do not need to have special experience in carrying out this work. This solution will eliminate the shortcomings and save some money. Polishing an angle grinder with your own hands raises some questions regarding the technology of the work, the cost of the grinding wheel and other information. The work process should be started when everything is fully prepared and thought out.
Alloy wheels - polishing yourself
Alloy wheels are the cherished dream of every car enthusiast. They give a respectable appearance to almost any car and are often the envy of neighbors in the garage. However, this is true exactly until the moment the wheels lose their pristine shine. The fact is that the coating that appears when aluminum interacts with the environment deprives them of their visual appeal. It cannot be restored with the help of cosmetics; only one thing remains - polishing the discs.
Despite all its apparent simplicity, this process has its own nuances. Therefore, anyone who decides to do this with their own hands must stock up on special tools and devices, carefully study the information, videos and photographs available on the Internet, and, of course, mobilize all their patience. The latter is especially important, given that there are four wheels and all of them will have to update the mirror, otherwise it makes no sense. Therefore, before you finally decide to polish your car wheels, you need to weigh everything again and evaluate the consistency of the result with the work done.
