The Best Polishing Balls for Aluminum Wheels (2024)

Last Updated October 11, 2024

I’ve owned a lot of aluminum wheels in my life — specifically aluminum slotted mag wheels. From the trailer on my Sanger Drag Boat to the various classic trucks I’ve owned, they’ve all had aluminum wheels. 

Simply put, I am a FAN of aluminum wheels. So I know how dirty, oxidized and scratched up they can get, and over the decades, I’ve gained a lot of experience restoring and maintaining them via polishing.

Unfortunately, back in the day, we had to do all our aluminum polishing by hand. It’s effective, but it requires a lot of elbow grease. You can see my results below from the test spot I polished by hand. 

(I did this test spot to make sure this aluminum could be polished —  I have come across some types of aluminum that simply cannot be polished to a chrome-like appearance)

The good news is, nowadays, there are a lot of options for taking a difficult and dirty job and making it cleaner, easier, and faster.  I’m talking about all the various aluminum and wheel polishing balls that fit onto any corded or cordless drill.  

Watch the video or read this article as I test and review each of the different aluminum wheel polishing ball options from Mothers, Meguiar’s, SPTA and Flitz and share my thoughts in real-time in the video as well as some before, during and after pictures for this project. 

The Test Vehicle: 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe Street Rod with Weld Racing ProStar Polished Aluminum Wheels

As luck would have it, I have the perfect testing vehicle, a 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe Streetrod with extremely neglected aluminum Weld Racing ProStar Polished Aluminum Wheels.

While uncommon as daily drivers, street rods and hot rods tend to have giant aluminum wheels with tons of flat surface area, making them PERFECT demonstration cars. 

Despite looking incredible new, years of neglect have caused the aluminum on these wheels to severely oxidize.  There also appears to be round spots all over the wheel surface—my experienced guess is someone tried using the wrong wheel cleaner and stained the aluminum.

Aluminum Wheel Condition Prior to Polishing

Below are pictures of all 4 wheels to show and document their before condition.  Note you’ll see the tires are already cleaned and dressed and this is because I tackled the tires before the wheels.  Keep in mind when you look at these before pictures, these pictures were taken AFTER a thorough washing.  After removing any surface dirt and road grime, the aluminum is dull from oxidation and has stain spots throughout.

My Recommended Polish for Aluminum Wheels: White Diamond Metal Polish

I work for Dr. Beasley’s as their Chief Education Officer, and while their NSP 150 is great as a metal polish, I have to recommend White Diamond Metal Polish for the purpose of polishing aluminum wheels. 

Truth be told, there are literally dozens if not hundreds of aluminum polishes on the market and most work really well. But to me, White Diamond Metal Polish is one of the best-kept secrets among professional car detailers.

It’s great at removing oxidation and restores a brilliant, bright reflective shine. Plus it can be found at most auto parts stores like Autozone and even big box retailers like Walmart.

Other Recommended Supplies for Polishing Aluminum Wheels

• Lots of Microfiber & Cotton Towels: Polishing aluminum is MESSY. I recommend saving your best towels for working on car paint and using your more worn out or tatty towels for removing the black, oxidation residue that will build-up on the surface of the wheel as you’re polishing.  Ordinary household cotton washcloths, like you’ll find in most people’s linen closets, work great.  So do old t-shirts, simply cut them up into smaller pieces with a pair of scissors.
• Floor Pad for Sitting & Kneeling: If you’re an enthusiastic do-it-yourselfer, or a professional detailer, I strongly recommend investing in the Knee N’ Back Pad I show in the picture below.  The reason I like this particular brand is because it provides a full 2” of medium density cushion for hours of comfortable floor sitting.  It also has built in knee depressions, a built-in handle and the type of foam that’s used to make this cushion  is a closed cell so if you accidentally puncture the smooth, waterproof surface, the foam itself will not absorb water.  These can be sourced on Amazon for $60.00

RUNNER-UP: Mothers PowerBall 2 & Mother’s PowerCone 360 | $32

Buy Mother’s PowerBall 2 on Amazon
Buy Mother’s PowerCone 360 on AutoZone

First up I’ll test out the Mothers wheel polishing balls.  After attaching the rotating shaft to the threaded stud on the inside back of the PowerBall 2, I then inserted into the drill chuck, tightened the chuck, and started polishing.  

There’s a 3/8ths nut on one end of the rotating shaft and after threading the shaft onto the stud, use the 3/8ths wrench, (not included), to tighten the shaft to the stud.  Just to note, the stud on the inside back of the PowerBall has a 7/16th nut and if you’re like me, I used a 7/16th wrench to hold this nut while I tightened the 3/8ths nut on the shaft to the stud for a secure attachment.

Then I pour some of the White Diamond Metal Polish into my stainless steel dog dish to grab some polish and start polishing.

Next I tested both metal polishing balls on the rear passenger side wheel.

Final Results and My Verdict

The results were dramatic.  The aluminum is now bright and shiny with excellent brilliance.  Both shapes and designs worked great.  

If I had to give the edge to one or the other, I would pick the PowerBall2 over the PowerCone360 at least when it comes to the design of these wheels.  I think the cone-shaped buffing ball would work better for things like polishing an aluminum intake for carbureted cars, etc.

I did like the slotted tab design; it seemed like the independent tabs were able to flex into tighter spaces than the uniform shape of the Meguiar’s and SPTA foam metal buffing balls.

I would give the Mothers metal polishing balls two thumbs up.  I would make the investment into either of these two options from Mothers before ever working solely by hand.

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RUNNER-UP: Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheel Polisher | $26.31

Buy Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheels Polisher on Amazon

I tested the Meguiar’s Wheel Polisher on the passenger side front wheel. 

I liked the tapered end of the foam buffing ball because as it’s spinning, when you push it into tight places, the foam twists and compresses and allows you to get into tight spaces. The angular, tapered design of the front portion of the foam buffing ball worked well for polishing the face of the spokes and also the center cap.

The outer edge where the front taper meets the rear portion of the foam buffing ball works to get into the inset portions of the rim design, but you have to figure out how to hold the drill in a way that you can PRESS this portion of the foam into these radiused curved portions.

When I did this, it was too easy to also have the spinning foam ball make contact with the rubber sidewall next to the lip of the rim.

Not a big deal, but for some people, it would be better to clean the tires AFTER polishing the rims versus cleaning and dressing the tire sidewalls first only to have to come back and reclean any portion of the sidewall that got polish splatter on it. 

Final Results and My Verdict

The uniform texture of the Meguiar’s Wheel Polisher is more gentle to the surface than the tabs for both the Mothers and Flitz metal polishing balls.  To me this means it’s less aggressive or less able to tackle extreme oxidation and staining but has more potential for leaving a nicer looking and more uniform final appearance.

I thought the Meguiar’s Wheel Polisher worked great considering how bad these wheels were to start with.  I like the shaft handle, which enables you to have great control and exert pressure when needed while letting the shaft spin freely, (same goes for the Mothers PowerBall2).

The foam is incredibly tear-resistant, which means this metal polishing ball can take a lot of abuse and hold-up over time, and this also holds true for the Mothers and SPTA options.

I would give the Meguiar’s Hot Rims Wheel Polisher two thumbs up, HOWEVER — in the context of the FOAM options for metal polishing balls, I would give the Mother’s PowerBall2 the edge for better overall performance for removing oxidation and getting into all the different shapes found on wheels and other aluminum components especially due to the multiple tab design.  

That being said… I would still pick this option any day over working merely by hand.

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Not Recommended: SPTA Wheels & Rims Polishing Ball | $20.99

Buy SPTA Wheels & Rims Polishing Ball on Amazon

I used the SPTA Wheel & Rim Polishing Pad on the driver’s front wheel.

Full disclosure—SPTA makes MULTIPLE shapes of foam wheel and rim polishing balls, not just this egg-shaped version I originally found.  They also make knock-offs of the tabbed design from Mothers.  This was just the first one that came up while searching online. So be sure to do your own research. 

Final Results and My Verdict

This polishing ball ended up being my least favorite.

Due to the very simple shape of the foam for this metal polishing ball, when compared to the other options I tested, I found the SPTA Wheel & Rim Polishing Pad to be the least effective for the overall oxidation removal and for polishing all the various shapes and designs for these wheels.  

This is in part due to the fact that this was also the simplest design out of all the other options and this simple design simply made it less effective for cleaning and polishing.

That being said, did it work? 

You bet.

I would choose this option over working by hand any day of the week.  That said, I much preferred the Mothers and Flitz options.

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Top Recommendation: Flitz 5” Buff Ball | $35.17

Buy Flitz 5” Buff Ball on Amazon

I’ve been using the Flitz line of tools for years so was already familiar with the shape, design, and effectiveness for this option to excel at removing extreme oxidation.  

The Flitz 5” Buff Ball uses a viscose felt material that won’t tear and shred like foam metal polishing balls.  While I didn’t tear-up any of the foam for the other metal polishing balls I tested, because this is basically a cloth buffing ball, it will resist tearing when tackling extremely oxidized aluminum and aluminum with sharp or pokey edges.

The slotted tab design, like the Mothers foam tabbed design, self-cools the pad as it spins to keep temperatures lower. A nice feature, but keep in mind heat is not normally a problem when polishing aluminum. Because you’re constantly moving the spinning ball around the wheel, the surface shouldn’t be getting hot no matter what type, material, or design of metal polishing ball you use.

A more important benefit of the slotted tab design is that it excels at getting into every nook and cranny of the wheel face, spokes, inset surfaces between the spokes and inward or concave designs for the rim portion itself.

Anytime you’re using a fiber option over a foam option, the more aggressive fiber material will remove oxidation and staining faster but it won’t finish out as nicely. Whether this is a deal-breaker for you depends upon what your expectations are for the final results.

With that in mind, if you’re going for showcar results with this type of polishing ball, I would add a secondary hand-polishing step with either soft cotton t-shirt material or soft cotton make-up removers so you’re left with a more pristine finish.

Out of all of the metal polishing balls I tested for the extremely neglected aluminum Weld Racing ProStar Polished Aluminum Wheels, I could see the Flitz 5” Buff Ball did the best overall job of removing the oxidation and the spotting stains while restoring a brilliant, chrome like shine.  I give the Flitz 5” Buff Ball two thumbs up and an extra fist bump for overall satisfaction with the job done.

If you have some dull, oxidized, or stained aluminum wheels, visit the Flitz website to check out all the different shapes and sizes for their metal polishing balls.  They offer a great selection and there’s a buff ball for every shape and design of whatever it is you’re polishing.

Final Results and My Verdict

Out of all of the metal polishing balls I tested for the extremely neglected aluminum Weld Racing ProStar Polished Aluminum Wheels, I could see the Flitz 5” Buff Ball did the best overall job of removing the oxidation and the spotting stains while restoring a brilliant, chrome like shine.  I give the Flitz 5” Buff Ball two thumbs up and an extra fist bump for overall satisfaction with the job done.

If you have some dull, oxidized, or stained aluminum wheels, visit the Flitz website to check out all the different shapes and sizes for their metal polishing balls.  They offer a great selection and there’s a buff ball for every shape and design of whatever it is you’re polishing.

How to Clean Aluminum Wheel Polishing Balls

All of the metal polishing balls I reviewed in this article can be hand washed to remove the black, oxidation removed from the aluminum wheels.

I don’t recommend machine washing aluminum wheel polishing balls. While Flitz states you can wash their buff balls in a washing machine, the only way I would ever do this is after first hand-washing to remove the bulk of the black residue coating and also impregnating the fiber tabs.  

I also know from washing other wool buffing pads I’ve used to buff aluminum, the residue that comes off will coat the inside of the washing machine tub.  Not a big deal as you can use some paper towels and an all-purpose cleaner or degreaser to remove this residue, I just choose to keep it simple and wash by hand.

Recommended Cleaner for Aluminum Wheel Polishing Balls: Grit Guard PRS (Pad Renewing Solution)

This is another one of those best-kept secrets in the car detailing world.  While Grit Guard sells this as a product for cleaning buffing pads of all types, I find it to also be one heck of an all-purpose cleaner.  Just a tidbit from someone that has to clean-up a lot of pads, tools, and other supplies after our classes are over.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cleaning Aluminum Wheel Polishing Balls

1. Spray the PRS onto the dirty metal polishing balls.
2. While wearing nitrile gloves, agitate pads with your hands. 
3. Rinse pads under running water while squeezing the foam or felt to remove black oxidation and polish residues.
4. Repeat as necessary. I did this process three times for each polishing ball. 
5. Wring out polishing balls and air dry. 

As you can see, the aluminum wheel polishing balls all came out dramatically cleaner. That being said, you’re never going to get them to look brand new simply because you’re fighting a BLACK oily residue.  And keep in mind, it’s not important to get them surgically clean and they’re only going to get dirty again the next time you use them.

Final Tip: Use the Flex PXE-80 and FS-140 Flexible Shaft Attachment for Polishing Aluminum Wheels!

Buy Flex PXE-80 & FS-140 on Dr. Beasley’s 

The Flex PXE-80 cordless mini polisher paired with their FS-140 Flexible Shaft Attachment is even better than a cordless drill for polishing aluminum wheels. 

The small conical and cylindrical foam polishing pads excel at getting into and polishing all the tight and intricate areas on an aluminum wheel.

Highly recommended!

Dr. Beasley’s Future of Detailing Class Training Car

Here’s the final results for the 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe.  This was 1 of 9 cars I brought in for our paint correction and ceramic coating class that we hold here in Stuart, Florida.  

For this car, the class learned and trained on,

• Waterless wash using Dr. Beasley’s Prep Wash
• Mechanical decontamination using clay towels with Dr. Beasley’s Prep Wash
• Paint correction using Dr. Beasley’s NSP 150, Buff and Shine Blueberry 6.5” foam pads
• FLEX gear-driven orbital polishers inducing the BEAST, Supa BEAST and CBEAST
• How to install the Dr. Beasley’s Nano-Resin MX Ceramic Coating

I performed the machine cleaning and machine dressing of the tires plus polished out all the wheels as you saw in this article.  These classes are the most hands-on classes on planet Earth.  If you find yourself to be the type of person that learns better by doing, versus sitting in a chair looking at a PowerPoint presentation, the check out the schedule for future classes on Dr. Beasley’s website.

My Personal Offer to Help

I’ve been answering car detailing questions professionally since 2002 and moving forward, if after reading this article you have any questions about polishing and waxing, or how to use an AIO, my contact information is below, reach out to me, I’m always happy to help.

Would You Like to Learn How to Machine Polish Like a Pro?

• Would you like to take your detailing skills to a higher level?

• Do you find you learn better by doing versus sitting in a chair looking at a PowerPoint presentation about car detailing?

Here at Dr. Beasley’s O.R., (Operating Room), in sunny Stuart, Florida, we teach the most hands-on car and boat detailing classes on planet Earth.  And we prove it too.  You can find write-ups on the Dr. Beasley’s Blog that photo-documents just how hands-on our classes are plus you’ll see the kinds of cars and boats you’ll be training on.

Click the link below to find the dates, locations, topics, and prices for all upcoming detailing classes.

Upcoming Detailing Classes – Prices – Info – Topics – Locations

And if you ever have any questions, always feel free to reach out to me personally via text, phone call or email.

I hope to see you in a future detailing class!

Sincerely,

Mike Phillips

Chief Education Officer for Dr. Beasley’s

[email protected]

760-515-0444