Need help with Aluminum wheel problem

Guys (and Gals) I have a problem with my Raceline Aluminum wheels. I had a mobile detailer come detail my truck and his wheel cleaner left stains on all 4 of my wheels.
Please cut me some slack on letting someone else touch my truck as I had reasons this time for being lazy. But in the 5 years I have had this truck no one til now has touched it but me and it's been washed and spray waxed at least twice a month as well as detailing the tires and wheels.
I have noticed this staining with multiple wheel cleaner brands myself in the past and all products said they were clear coat safe. But I removed the stains withing a few minutes and just stopped using wheel cleaners all together so issue solved. Well I din't think to tell not to use wheel cleaner and I didn't notice the stains for about an hour when I went to pull my truck into the garage. I immediately called the Detailer (about 6:00 pm by then)and he said he would come over the next day and polish the wheels out. They next day he did come over and he tried everything he could think of to remove the stains. Nothing worked.

• Mother's Aluminum polish cotton
• Bug and tar remover
• 3M Finesse
• A drill with a polishing cone and a light polishing compound.

Now the stains are about 80% gone but still visible and they guy said he would come and try again after some research (Google). The also guy detailed my wife's Lexus while there and no issues using the same product. Both vehicles look great except for my wheels. I really don't blame the guy as I have had the same issue with multiple product myself. Also the stains only effect the polished part of my wheels the Black parts are still perfect.
I guess my questions are.

1. Does anyone have an idea what could be used to safely remove the stains?
2. And any ideas why this is happening to good quality clear coated wheels using supposedly safe high quality products from Maquires, Eagle One and Black magic?

 

OK. Just Got off the phone with Raceline. They said the machined part of these wheels is exactly that. Machined, no clear coat. And that the cleaner had Oxidized the surface of the wheels. Now just need to figure out something to remove oxidation from a raw Aluminium machined surface.

 

I'm not a metallurgist but I don't thinks there's much you can do. If its oxidation that is corrosion and essentially like rust on steel, the surface is etched. Don't quote me but I would think the only way to remove it is to grind/polish it down to bare smooth metal again.

 

If its raw aluminum then just use a car polish. A power tool will make the buffing go faster.

 

You can Polish them but it will make them look similar to chrome when done. Very shiny, not that dull machined look

 

they're cleared. he wont be able to do anything with the etching unless he wants to strip the clear, then polish. Only can minimize the damage now.

 

His post above said they are not cleared, just machined. Maybe I misunderstood

 

You are correct. They are not clear coated just machined on the shiny part. I just need to find the best way (if possible) to polish out or remove the oxidation. Just hope the etching is only on the surface.

Escapes me why Raceline would produce a wheel that is partially clear coated and partially machined.
If it had been machined then clear coated rather than clear coated then machined......I would have no problem......

 

OK finished mowing the lawn; let me try this again. You want a "polishing compound", at this stage you do not want a wax (and you do not want to grind them). Look for something that says "paintable", that means there is no wax. This allows you to rattle can clear coat the wheels if you wish. Polishing compound comes in different grits, from course to fine. In that way you can control the final shine. Talk to someone that sells to professional car painters.

 

Ok will give it a try.

 

Since your wheels are machined and not clear coated or otherwise finished, what you want to use to remove the staining / oxidation is a good metal polish. I would not recommend "polishing compounds" designed for painted surfaces. They're a different animal all together. My favorite metal polish is a product called Metal Rx from Obsessive Detail.

After you polish the defect(s) out, you will want to seal the newly polished surface with a wax, synthetic sealant or coating to prevent future issues. The problem with uncoated aluminum wheels is that no matter what you put on them - short of clear coat - it will not last very long due to the high heat generated from your brakes.