How do you want to show off that bling bling rims on your beloved ride? A nice shiny set of rims complements the overall beauty of your ride. It would not be complete if you slap on lowered body kit but your rims are stock. Worst still if it is stained and or covered in mud. The below tips shall provide a guideline on how to polish wheels.
You will need the following items to help perfect the job. Aircraft stripper strips of any old paintwork u might have on your rims. Two bottles of these is sufficient on four wheels. Plastic scraper or metal wool sponge helps in removing the remaining thin layer of paint work. Wet or dry sandpaper with grits of 320, 600, 800, 1000, and 1500 for a complete set of wheels 4 sheets (1 for each wheel) should do. Metal polish or rubbing compounds should give the complete final phase of that shine you very much desire.
Some must have personal protective equipment should include gloves, goggles and long sleeve shirt.
Now you should have all wheels removed from your ride. It is best to remove the tires from the rims for a complete makeover. Wash your wheels thoroughly with car wash detergent to rid off grease, grime and tar. Dry your rims before masking the tires (if you had them on) with tape. Spray on the aircraft stripper and leave on for a good 30 minutes. Let it do its wonders of removing old paintwork. Hose it with water, at the same time use the plastic scraper or metal wool to scrape off the remaining stubborn paintwork.
Now, use 320-grit-sandpaper to sand the rims one at a time. Constantly dip the sandpaper into water before polishing it in circular motion. Start from the middle section of the rims and work outwards on one spoke at a time. Move to finer grade sandpaper and repeat similar steps every time. Finish off by applying rubbing compound or metal polish and use the angle grinder to smoothen out the surface to finally see your very own reflection staring back at you with a very wide smile of satisfaction.
This entire process may take half a day or so but it is well worth the effort. You be rewarded by the number of turn heads when you cruise downtown.
