Semi Rims?

What's the best way to clean a Semi's rims? to use metal polisher for flitz with a polishing ball then manual polish them? Is that the best way? I have someone asked about cleaning a semi, and most drivers really want their rims clean.

Also if the rims are pitted do you guys sand them down then polish them using a drumel tool?

Thank you in advance.

To produce what over the road drivers expect, it is quite a bit more involved than that.

Then there is the issue of the wheels and if they have a clear powder coat, how to remove it so one can actually polish the aluminum, and not the coating.

That real high gloss you see on the bigger Class 8 rigs are due to the clear being removed then polished.

A Bosch 5000rpm buffer with a sewn cotton wheel and various sticks of rouge, etc is used, although some try use a normal paint buffer, it takes much longer.

The wheels must have the coating removed, Chevron Aircraft Paint Stripper is one way, then the use of a very deadly acid, "HF", to acidize and create a dense upper layer of the aluminum, so it will polish, etc.

Ketch

Thank you very much for the info. It might not be a good idea to take it job then. I am sure we could keep ourselves busy with other jobs. Thank you again.

Nuprin :
I'll bet if you explained the above to a truck owner and then offered to simply clay, compound, polish and wax his coated wheels without damaging their protection, he'd give you the job. I wouldn't let you near my truck with paint stripper and acid and my truck is an old F-150.
I'm betting AM blue clay, Meg. Diamond Cut, Swirl-Free Polish and a durable sealant like Klasse or a few coats of Zaino would be worth a hefty fee. The key is selling the trucker on protecting his property instead of ending up with aluminum that looks like chrome until it tarnishes quickly.
Let us know if my theory works.
Doug
" If innovation were bad, we'd be studying the "Wrong Brothers".

Nuprin, I agree with Doug. I wouldn't give up the job because it may be to hard for
you. At least find out if they are clearcoated. Give yourselves a chance. You have to start from somewhere.
Good luck. Joe

If the owner just wants them "polished", like a car, that is one thing.

However, it would be a good idea to know what the owners expectations are.

Does he just want them cleaned up and some polish on them, or--is he looking for a professional, aluminum polish job, like aluminum polishers have been providing truckers for years.

You all know the look, the diamond plate, the fuel tanks, the wheels, highly polished.

The way it is done is a dirty, time consuming job, and pays very well, once one learns the process.

After the first time of doing a tank or wheel, it becomes easier to repolish, as the clear is removed and the aluminum, down about .5 mil, becomes much denser, holds the shine longer.

The partial process I provided is to obtain a true professional aluminum polishing.

Ketch

If the owner just wants them "polished", like a car, that is one thing.

However, it would be a good idea to know what the owners expectations are.

Does he just want them cleaned up and some polish on them, or--is he looking for a professional, aluminum polish job, like aluminum polishers have been providing truckers for years.

You all know the look, the diamond plate, the fuel tanks, the wheels, highly polished.

The way it is done is a dirty, time consuming job, and pays very well, once one learns the process.

After the first time of doing a tank or wheel, it becomes easier to repolish, as the clear is removed and the aluminum, down about .5 mil, becomes much denser, holds the shine longer.

The partial process I provided is to obtain a true professional aluminum polishing.

Ketch

Ketch-
If the truckers want that " true aluminum polishing " and detailers want to risk their eyes, livers and lives to use acid, and pollute to boot, that doesn't make it a smart thing to do. Note that every motorcycle on the road today seems to have a loud aftermarket exhaust system on it--or just straight pipes, proving that what's popular isn't always sensible.

I say educate the customer/offer a special process/sell the customer on paying a little more for that special process/use that process routinely to reduce the time needed. That is how to make money.

Doug
" Some taxes are like muscles. You never know you have them until they begin to hurt."