What is best to clean aluminum wheels?

We use Nev-r-dull. Comes in a small blue can and seems to work pretty well.

Dawn Dish Washing liquid and a bucket of water with a soft brush. Dawn is made to cut grease off dishes... it also cuts grease and oil off of everything else.

Get oil on your hands, use Dawn. Washes right off.

Your wheels have a lot of road oil, tar, and dirt. Dawn will take it right off. And yes, you'll have to use a scrub brush or a cloth.

If there i serious oxidation, use a very fine polishing compound. I use Green Dragon Polish with a Mother's PowerBall in my drill. After polishing, 2 coats of paste wax and from that point on just wash with mild detergent and water and they are good for about a year or so. Do not use polish if the wheels have been clear-coated.

I use Mothers aluminum wheel polish and a Mothers Ball and a cone. I attach this to an electric drill, put some polish on the ball or cone, slowly apply the polish on the wheel, then at high speed polish the wheel till the oxidation appears. then stop and wipe the gray oxidation off. Start from the beginning again till your wheel sparkles. let the drill do the work. It may take an hour a wheel to get them nice, depending on how long or if they have ever been done.

lj2654 wrote:
I use Mothers aluminum wheel polish and a Mothers Ball and a cone. I attach this to an electric drill, put some polish on the ball or cone, slowly apply the polish on the wheel, then at high speed polish the wheel till the oxidation appears. then stop and wipe the gray oxidation off. Start from the beginning again till your wheel sparkles. let the drill do the work. It may take an hour a wheel to get them nice, depending on how long or if they have ever been done.

X2 . . . They come out looking like chrome.

For wheels that are in pretty bad condition nothing beats finding a wheel polishing service. The ones out here charges $5.00 /wheel and if mine were really bad, I would offer them 10.00 ea to do a heavy duty polish.

bluwtr49 wrote:
..a wheel polishing service. The ones out here charges $5.00 /wheel

That sounds like Mexican prices.

There is no magic fix for the rims, but to keep polishing them until they shine. "lj2654" gave you the best advice. Mothers or Flitz polishing compound with one of the foam buffing balls or a Flitz polishing tool (just like the Mother's polishing ball, but made of little flaps).

Now here is the secret. I use to think using a lot of polish was the way to do it. Using a lot of polish just makes a mess. On a wheel that is not in bad shape, you should be able to polish it with just a thimble of polish. Take your lug nut covers and caps off to make the job easier.

Once you get them polished, keep them covered when not on a trip. After you get them looking good, it will only take a few minutes every so often to make them really shine.

2oldman wrote:

bluwtr49 wrote:
..a wheel polishing service. The ones out here charges $5.00 /wheel

That sounds like Mexican prices.

Nope, that's in Eloy on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix. Lot's of truck related services. Ask around at the truck stops.