Polishing Aluminum tanks and wheels - Truckers' Trucking Forum

anker · **^ Top** #1 05.24.2007

I know everyone has their our favorite polish and I am asking for hear and see whats the best. I just bought a newer truck, the tanks and wheels had been polished up with a great mirror like look. I stopped at the local Anchor Truck Wash and even though I asked them to not use brightener but they did. I bought the Mother Power Buffer and polish but it didn't really restore the mirror like finish, just kind of buffed "brighten" it up. Any trade secrets?

FunnyFarm04 · **^ Top** #2 05.25.2007

I think it is personal preference, I like a product called Simicrome, it comes in a tube like toothpaste. I have used it on a silver saddle that I used in parades for several years, as well as on all the shiny stuff on trucks when I was still driving. I love it!
My Husband uses Mothers, he swears by it.

Try out different things until you find what you like! Good luck

buck and a half · **^ Top** #3 05.25.2007

both of my sons use the rock looking polish compound,it is a square about a ft by 3 inches thick,like a polishing compound,it is at most ta's,they use the orangecolored one with an electric buffer. They come out like glass when they aredone. my sons have been driving trucks a total of 26 yrs,oldest has 16 yrs,youngest has 10 yrs,they won't leave the house with a dirty or non polished tanks and wheels.I used to but,I am getting older and just do the armerall thing and keep it clean and washed.

coastie · **^ Top** #4 05.25.2007

Polished Tanks and Wheels Look great, and sharp. For those who do it, I commend you. But for myself, I'll clean the tanks so no grease or spillage shows, and keep on trucking. Always keep a bottle of Grease Lighting. Spray and wash off. If I had a show truck, it would be a different story...

anker · **^ Top** #5 05.25.2007

I was broke down in Ohio about 5 years ago when I was driving a company truck, a few of their drivers came in on a Saturday to clean up there trucks, one of them told me using lighter fluid as part of the cleaning was a good trick but I don't remember everything he said.

anker · **^ Top** #6 06.03.2007

I guess the best way I have found is using a white clay and a buff pad on a power drill. Any other tips out there?

NightWind · **^ Top** #7 06.03.2007

There are many different polishes and ways to polish out there. I use a 5,000 RPM buffer and sereral different pads and 5 grades of jewler's rouge. This is NOT something that you want to try until you have practiced as you can burn the tanks. I mix my own polish as I haven't found any that suits me. Some like Mothers but I didn't care for it.

anker · **^ Top** #8 06.20.2007

Well, hit it with the clay and then used a Mothers Polish-Sealer. Looks great and has been holding up great!

MedicineMan · **^ Top** #9 06.26.2007

I mixed my own also. It was ground up jewelers rouge, mixed into a liquid base, smetimes a wax or other polish. I don't car for mothers either.

The dfferent colors of jewelrs rouge are different coursness. and which one you start with depends on how bad the aluminum is. If it was shiny and just got brightened then you are fine with the white which I believe is the fine. It's been a long time. I also finsih by hand with baking flour. It dries out the polish and makes it easyer to get off and does a good job with final polishing.

cover the aluminum at beacon!!!

Pete_379X · **^ Top** #10 07.15.2007

I use Magic Mix. I won't polish with anything else. Use small squares of short looped strand wool carpet to apply and buff, a polishing rag to take it off. It works incrediably fast. If your aluminum is all streaked from acid. Just work it out with more acid to get a even white finish, then polish. It will clean up like you won't believe. I've also used it with a dewalt buffer. The results were nothing short of amazing. I stand behind this polish 100%!!! Search my posts, I have pictures of both of my trucks. The red/white '97 is a 840,000 mile unit and when I got it all the aluminum was chalk white because they had rather alumabright it than take a minute or two to clean it up. Once you get it clean, its easy to keep it that way. Alumabright is the devil!!!

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