Polishing Lips on Rims
04-28-02, 05:35 PM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Polishing Lips on Rims
I am looking for some help and ideas on how you guys would do this.
I am pissed off on having some minor scratches in the lips of my wheels.
Since my whees were falsely advertised to be a two piece wheel, I cannot dissassemble the rim to have the lip polished by a machine.
The center of my wheel is chrome and is in intact condition but the polished aluminum lips are in serious trouble and they give me heartburn everytime I look at them..
Does anyone know how I can repolish the lips without damaging the chrome from the centers? What would I use....fine sandpaper by hand, polishing wheel with abrasive compound?
I'm really looking for help from people that have done this before and can speak from real experience. I do not really want to experiment on my wheels on a new method...
Thanks for the info and help,
I am pissed off on having some minor scratches in the lips of my wheels.
Since my whees were falsely advertised to be a two piece wheel, I cannot dissassemble the rim to have the lip polished by a machine.
The center of my wheel is chrome and is in intact condition but the polished aluminum lips are in serious trouble and they give me heartburn everytime I look at them..
Does anyone know how I can repolish the lips without damaging the chrome from the centers? What would I use....fine sandpaper by hand, polishing wheel with abrasive compound?
I'm really looking for help from people that have done this before and can speak from real experience. I do not really want to experiment on my wheels on a new method...
Thanks for the info and help,
04-29-02, 01:34 PM
#5
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R1 is a Yamaha motorcycle and polishing your lip is pretty much impossible....lookinto rechroming the whole rim for around $150 each. If I were you I'd just ebay them and save up for some lowenharts. I had no clue Mahdi would decieve customers like that.
04-29-02, 04:21 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Well I guess those
19 inch HRE's 540's in chrome are coming sooner than I expected
Here is the various pricing options that I have received so far for
19 x 8.5 Fronts - Chrome
19 x 9.5 Rears - Chrome
No tires
QUOTE #1
Local Shop - RAYCO in NJ on Route 46
$5200
QUOTE #2
Wheel Kinetics
(suppose to be the Club Lexus best supplier...BUYER BEWARE...shop around!!!!)
$5525 SPECIAL CLUB LEXUS PRICE WTF! (something like $6500 for non members).... What's up with that....
QUOTE #3
www.wheelboutique.com
$4700
So far that's the best price I can find. Anybody know where else I should try....
Thanks ahead of time,
19 inch HRE's 540's in chrome are coming sooner than I expected
Here is the various pricing options that I have received so far for
19 x 8.5 Fronts - Chrome
19 x 9.5 Rears - Chrome
No tires
QUOTE #1
Local Shop - RAYCO in NJ on Route 46
$5200
QUOTE #2
Wheel Kinetics
(suppose to be the Club Lexus best supplier...BUYER BEWARE...shop around!!!!)
$5525 SPECIAL CLUB LEXUS PRICE WTF! (something like $6500 for non members).... What's up with that....
QUOTE #3
www.wheelboutique.com
$4700
So far that's the best price I can find. Anybody know where else I should try....
Thanks ahead of time,
04-29-02, 04:38 PM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Originally posted by enginyr
R1 is a Yamaha motorcycle and polishing your lip is pretty much impossible....lookinto rechroming the whole rim for around $150 each. If I were you I'd just ebay them and save up for some lowenharts. I had no clue Mahdi would decieve customers like that.
R1 is a Yamaha motorcycle and polishing your lip is pretty much impossible....lookinto rechroming the whole rim for around $150 each. If I were you I'd just ebay them and save up for some lowenharts. I had no clue Mahdi would decieve customers like that.
Do you think with a buffing wheel and some polishing compound I could remove some of the fine scratches???
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04-30-02, 12:40 PM
#9
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GS4fun- Damn, you went kinda hard on Dennis (Wheel Kinetics)! :eek: IMO, he's a good guy with great customer service.
I'm sure you have your reasons.
As for your wheels, I would use a really good polishing product. I used to have some JDM wheels (a lot of them have chrome or silver centers with a polished lip...many of the JDM wheels do not come with the lips chromed) and I used Extreme polish on the lips. You would rub a pink cloth-like material until the lip turned black, then buff it out to the desired shine. This stuff worked great. You couldn't tell the difference between the chrome face and the polished lips. It should also take out any minor scratches that you may have. I think Meguire's also has a similar product.
I'm sure you have your reasons.
As for your wheels, I would use a really good polishing product. I used to have some JDM wheels (a lot of them have chrome or silver centers with a polished lip...many of the JDM wheels do not come with the lips chromed) and I used Extreme polish on the lips. You would rub a pink cloth-like material until the lip turned black, then buff it out to the desired shine. This stuff worked great. You couldn't tell the difference between the chrome face and the polished lips. It should also take out any minor scratches that you may have. I think Meguire's also has a similar product.
04-30-02, 04:05 PM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Originally posted by daygo718
GS4fun- Damn, you went kinda hard on Dennis (Wheel Kinetics)! :eek: IMO, he's a good guy with great customer service.
I'm sure you have your reasons.
As for your wheels, I would use a really good polishing product. I used to have some JDM wheels (a lot of them have chrome or silver centers with a polished lip...many of the JDM wheels do not come with the lips chromed) and I used Extreme polish on the lips. You would rub a pink cloth-like material until the lip turned black, then buff it out to the desired shine. This stuff worked great. You couldn't tell the difference between the chrome face and the polished lips. It should also take out any minor scratches that you may have. I think Meguire's also has a similar product.
GS4fun- Damn, you went kinda hard on Dennis (Wheel Kinetics)! :eek: IMO, he's a good guy with great customer service.
I'm sure you have your reasons.
As for your wheels, I would use a really good polishing product. I used to have some JDM wheels (a lot of them have chrome or silver centers with a polished lip...many of the JDM wheels do not come with the lips chromed) and I used Extreme polish on the lips. You would rub a pink cloth-like material until the lip turned black, then buff it out to the desired shine. This stuff worked great. You couldn't tell the difference between the chrome face and the polished lips. It should also take out any minor scratches that you may have. I think Meguire's also has a similar product.
I just want my fellow club lexus members to realize that everything is not as it seems....preferred markups is more like it...again I had just one experience with the guy but try to F$%K me once and I'll try to prevent any future reoccurences with my friends or in this case my online Lexus family.
I actually have managed to find what I think will be a good set of polishing products for my wheels. I expect to get to work Friday (I have ordered product from Maine) and I will post before / after pics. If the product does what it claims it can do, I will be one happy camper and will be more than happy to give props to the product and the website that I ordered from. The product I ordered is a three step polishing process similar to what you are describing here and I guess starts out with a coarse compound and ends up with a super fine mirror finish step. I can't wait to receive it and try it out. Just in time for the SHOW this weekend.
Peace out.
04-30-02, 09:48 PM
#11
Lexus Champion
Originally posted by GS4fun
I dont think I went hard on Dennis...just stating the FACTS
I just want my fellow club lexus members to realize that everything is not as it seems....preferred markups is more like it...again I had just one experience with the guy but try to F$%K me once and I'll try to prevent any future reoccurences with my friends or in this case my online Lexus family.
I dont think I went hard on Dennis...just stating the FACTS
I just want my fellow club lexus members to realize that everything is not as it seems....preferred markups is more like it...again I had just one experience with the guy but try to F$%K me once and I'll try to prevent any future reoccurences with my friends or in this case my online Lexus family.
05-01-02, 02:17 AM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
Didn't I tell folks to not get Mahdi's? 
The reason why Camren got those prices on the Dronells is cuz that company bought out the last remaining stock for dirt cheap from what I understand. They're just blowing them out...
GS4fun - Please let us know how the project turns out...I'm sure a lot of curb rash victims would be interested!
The reason why Camren got those prices on the Dronells is cuz that company bought out the last remaining stock for dirt cheap from what I understand. They're just blowing them out...
GS4fun - Please let us know how the project turns out...I'm sure a lot of curb rash victims would be interested!
05-01-02, 05:34 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Yes,
I will try to take some pictures during the process.
I'm hoping that I have found a solution that a lot of members will benefit from.
The only issue I see is that the website I bought this stuff from has my package ready to ship for tomorrow Thursday but wont send it overnight for whatever reason.
If they ship it ground, it will not arrive to me before Monday since UPS does not do Saturday delivery....
I need this product so bad for my show this SUNDAY! I was planning on doing this work SATURDAY (probably all day Saturday).
I'm gonna call and beg tomorrow that they ship it to me overnight so that I can get it on Friday.
I'll keep you guys informed on how things go.
Peace.
I will try to take some pictures during the process.
I'm hoping that I have found a solution that a lot of members will benefit from.
The only issue I see is that the website I bought this stuff from has my package ready to ship for tomorrow Thursday but wont send it overnight for whatever reason.
If they ship it ground, it will not arrive to me before Monday since UPS does not do Saturday delivery....
I need this product so bad for my show this SUNDAY! I was planning on doing this work SATURDAY (probably all day Saturday).
I'm gonna call and beg tomorrow that they ship it to me overnight so that I can get it on Friday.
I'll keep you guys informed on how things go.
Peace.
05-02-02, 08:21 AM
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Manuel,
The first step you need to take is to establish if your lip is clearcoated or not.... Very important most wheels are, Lowenhart, Racing Hart, Etc. The reason being is that if it is clearcoated no matter what magic polish you use it will not work because you will need to STRIP the clear coat and then polish the exposed metal, polishing clearcoat will not work.... HRE for instance those not clearcoated can be polished i personally rash one of mine and all i did was file down the scrap and gradually with fine and fine sandpaper smooth it out and then finally polished it up BY HAND and it is good and new i have done countless HRE's or none clearcoated wheels... So if your wheel is clearcoated you will need to SAND the whole lip.... (YOUNUTS IF YOU DO IT) trust me and then wet sand it and then polish it angain by hand if you use a wheels it will leave burn marks in the lip so do it by hand.....
So if anyone has unclearcoated lips and has scratches just wetsand it with very fine sand paper and then had polish with
Mothers Mag whels polish or I also us EXTREEM Polish or Blue Magic....
Hope this helps....
The first step you need to take is to establish if your lip is clearcoated or not.... Very important most wheels are, Lowenhart, Racing Hart, Etc. The reason being is that if it is clearcoated no matter what magic polish you use it will not work because you will need to STRIP the clear coat and then polish the exposed metal, polishing clearcoat will not work.... HRE for instance those not clearcoated can be polished i personally rash one of mine and all i did was file down the scrap and gradually with fine and fine sandpaper smooth it out and then finally polished it up BY HAND and it is good and new i have done countless HRE's or none clearcoated wheels... So if your wheel is clearcoated you will need to SAND the whole lip.... (YOUNUTS IF YOU DO IT) trust me and then wet sand it and then polish it angain by hand if you use a wheels it will leave burn marks in the lip so do it by hand.....
So if anyone has unclearcoated lips and has scratches just wetsand it with very fine sand paper and then had polish with
Mothers Mag whels polish or I also us EXTREEM Polish or Blue Magic....
Hope this helps....