Nothing says "This is a custom truck" louder than polished wheels. Your truck could be in 10 shades of primer and it would still look good with a blingin' set of rims. If you pick up a set of new wheels, they're probably already polished. But what if they aren't? You break out the high-quality polish and get to rubbing. After a couple of hours and a few black fingers later, they're shiny again. But what if that's not enough?
Even with the best polish, it will be hard to get the wheels back to that newly polished look if they're badly oxidized, scratched, or in our case, suede, without a machine. Why, you ask? It's hard to generate the heat and friction that a machine can, even with your massive biceps.
We used Intro's Twisted Vista wheels on our Comp Cruizer buildup (Mar '04), and upon shipment, they were perfect. But after a few months, the elements started to take their toll. If you're not familiar with the Twisted Vistas, they feature a suede finish on the face of the spokes, which for show purposes is awesome. For a daily driver such as this truck, this area proved to be a real hassle to maintain, especially once we installed the AP high-performance brakes.
We took a trip to Al Reed Specialty Polishing and Wheel Repair in Placentia, California, to have the rims refurbished and also have this area shined up. Al specializes in high-end polishing of one-off parts and rare wheels, so we felt safe knowing our wheels were in good hands. Al has the ability to mount, dismount, balance, and even lay down some custom powdercoating in house. He even takes jobs through the mail: you send him the dull rims and they return shiny.
What the Heck Is Sisal?Sisal is the strong, tough fiber of the Agave plant - yes, we're talking about the tequila plant - and is found in Yucatan, Mexico. Sisal is formed into twisted strands, then woven into a coarse, heavy cloth. It feels like heavy twine or rope and is fairly abrasive when spun.
1. Here are the Twisted Vistas...
1. Here are the Twisted Vistas from Intro. They're great wheels with lots of show appeal. The suede finish on the face of the spokes proved to be a hard thing to care for. Time, neglect, and a few spray-on wheel cleaners have turned these wheels dull.
2. The wheels are initially...
2. The wheels are initially cut with 120-, 150-, and then 220-grit sandpaper; this will smooth out the suede and prepare the surface for the rest of the polishing steps. Moving up in steps will produce the smoothest finish without taking forever to accomplish. This step would be called color-sanding if we were talking about a paintjob.
3. Now for the really messy...
3. Now for the really messy part: The rims are polished on a machine fitted with a sisal wheel. The technician applies a heavy cut compound to the sisal wheel, and then starts polishing the rim. This step would be called rubbing if we were talking about a paintjob.
4. After the sisal wheel,...
4. After the sisal wheel, the rim is polished with a cotton- or flannel-fiber wheel coated with a fine polish; this will remove the finer scratches left by the previous step.
5. Now the nooks and crannies...
5. Now the nooks and crannies are polished up with a felt cone; this also removes the black slurry that might be left from the previous steps. As you can see, the rim is really looking much better.
6. The last step in the whole...
6. The last step in the whole polishing procedure is to wipe the rim down with a flannel cloth and talcum powder or corn starch; this will remove fingerprints and other contaminants and polish out any fine swirl marks.
7. A closer look shows you...
7. A closer look shows you just how much of a difference a day at Al Reed's makes. The rim shines like new, and since we've polished out the suede, the wheels will be much easier to maintain.
8a. Now the tires can be remounted...
8a. Now the tires can be remounted and balanced.
8b.
10. There you have it, folks,...
10. There you have it, folks, shiny wheels without getting your fingers dirty. Al recommends cleaning the rims weekly to keep contaminants from etching and dulling you bright finish.