alloy wheels and how to make 'em look nice

[bella]

i've got a nice set of wheels on my car, which unfortunately, due to my lack of interest in spending hours cleaning it and overenthusiasm on the brakes, are very dirty. no, normal cleaning stuff doesn't work, the only way i can get rid of the dust and stain is to be fairly harsh with them and use something like a scrubbing brush. the crud has been on there for at least a year, so it's fairly well stuck on.

unfortunately this has left very fine scratches all over the wheel itself. has anyone got any handy hints for covering these up? can i get them reconditioned or something? they're your standard silver spokey jobbies.

[BertMk2]

Probably a bit far from you but there must be something similar closer to home:

http://www.spitandpolish.co.uk/about.htm

[bella]

is there a reasonable product you can get, kinda like t-cut for wheels? i had a look in minihalfords in town on thursday and they just have cleaning stuff :/

[BertMk2]

I don't know of any, there are plenty of cleaning products but I haven't seen any that will take out minor blemishes.

[inamo]

You could try Autoglym super resin polish. Depending on how deep the scratches are it might help. Has rescued my wheels in the past.

[Bullett]

I work at a car dealer and we use 'trisol' for cleaning wheels prior to delivery and gets all sorts of crap off from rubber to dirt and bird poo. Not sure if you would have it over there though. We spray it on and use a cloth/rag and it comes straight off.

[bella]

hmm, the autoglym one sounds interesting. the scratches are really quite tiny, but it's enough to be noticable from reasonably close quarters. i don't think it'll help with the huge chunk i took out of one on the left side by driving up the kerb at a petrol station though

i'll have a rummage in big halfords next time i get a chance, i couldn't see that stuff on the website but i don't think i was looking hard enough!

[inamo]

It looks like this.... http://www.autoglym.co.uk/enGB/produ...6VQ=HD&Range=1 Should help with the minor scratches, however you're right it won't help with the kerb damage You should find some in Halfords, it's not the cheapest stuff on the market, but IMHO one of the best out there, it will bring the bodywork up nicely too. If you build up a few layers of polish it should make it easier to keep the wheels clean too.

As a rule try to avoid using anything abrasive like T-cut on your wheels - the lacquer plays a big role in corrosion protection and you want to keep it as thick as possible.