Wheel clear coat removal.
#1
Melting Slicks
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Wheel clear coat removal.
The clear coat on my OEM wheels is starting to show its age. I would like to remove is so I can polish the wheels up. Does anyone have any recommendations for what products to use?
#3
Safety Car
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If your car is a daily drive you may want to consider re-clear coating the wheels after stripping them. Polished aluminum looks better than chrome, IMO, but on a DD they can take a lot of work to keep looking that way.
#4
Le Mans Master
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#7
Le Mans Master
#8
Melting Slicks
I used Tal-Strip II Aircraft stripper. Two coats and they were bare. Then lots and lots of wet sanding, ending at 1500 grit, fine-cut compound, and finally Mother's Billet polish. If you keep the Mother's polish on a couple times a year they'll stay good.
#9
Le Mans Master
After using the stripper, I started wet sanding with 220.
I didn't use a buffer, don't see why you couldn't though. But, by the time I was at 1500, they were so smooth it probably wouldn't be necessary.
#13
Le Mans Master
Once you have them stripped. This stuff is great for sealing the bare aluminum. http://www.zoops.com/zoopseal.asp
I'm thinking about doing this to my old stock wheels and sell them.
Last edited by shakedown067; 07-24-2007 at 02:22 PM.
#14
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This is how someone over at Corvetteforums.com did theirs:
Okay, I was debating rather to buy new rims or polish my originals. My originals had corrosion that snuck under the Clear coat and were a bit banged up on the sides due to balance wgts. To save a little $$ I decided to fix up the original rims. Now for anyone interested on a "how to" I'll recap my day of rim polishing for you. This is not for the faint at heart, it took me the WHOLE day and I mean until dark to finish this project.
You'll Need
1-Paint Stripper (I used Stripeze) $6.29
2-Polishing Cream (I used Mothers) $6.99
3-000 Steel wool $1.99
4-Paint Brush (small, for applying stripper) $1.99
5-Plastic scraper $.99
6-Mothers Power Ball (miniature) $19.99
7-Garned hose and soap
Around $38 bucks, give or take a two. You could live without the Power Ball but it saved some elbow greese for sure.
First off, I didn't remove my tires or want to strip any of the silver paint on my rims. This made it a bit more difficult because I had to be real careful not to get stripper on the painted areas.
1- I removed the wheels off from one side of the vehicle to due two at one time (seemed to work faster)
2-Removed the balance wgts. (Took digital pics so that I put them on the same spot.)
3-I sanded and painted the balance wgts. While they were off
4-Clean rim and tire very good with cleaner
5-Applied coat of stripper and let sit for 15 minutes
6-scrubbed with stiff brush first, then a plastic scraper and finally with steel wool.
7-I had to repeat #5 & #6 two more times to get the entire clear coat off
8-hosed and scrubbed all remaining signs of stripper
9-Took mothers Power Ball and stuck it in the polishing compound
10-Polished rims with Power Ball for about 5 minutes, cleaned with water and soap.
11-Repeated #10 two more times
12-Cleaned with soap and water
13-dryed and put balance wgts. & Center caps back on
14-Put Armour all on tires and bolted back on the car.
You'll Need
1-Paint Stripper (I used Stripeze) $6.29
2-Polishing Cream (I used Mothers) $6.99
3-000 Steel wool $1.99
4-Paint Brush (small, for applying stripper) $1.99
5-Plastic scraper $.99
6-Mothers Power Ball (miniature) $19.99
7-Garned hose and soap
Around $38 bucks, give or take a two. You could live without the Power Ball but it saved some elbow greese for sure.
First off, I didn't remove my tires or want to strip any of the silver paint on my rims. This made it a bit more difficult because I had to be real careful not to get stripper on the painted areas.
1- I removed the wheels off from one side of the vehicle to due two at one time (seemed to work faster)
2-Removed the balance wgts. (Took digital pics so that I put them on the same spot.)
3-I sanded and painted the balance wgts. While they were off
4-Clean rim and tire very good with cleaner
5-Applied coat of stripper and let sit for 15 minutes
6-scrubbed with stiff brush first, then a plastic scraper and finally with steel wool.
7-I had to repeat #5 & #6 two more times to get the entire clear coat off
8-hosed and scrubbed all remaining signs of stripper
9-Took mothers Power Ball and stuck it in the polishing compound
10-Polished rims with Power Ball for about 5 minutes, cleaned with water and soap.
11-Repeated #10 two more times
12-Cleaned with soap and water
13-dryed and put balance wgts. & Center caps back on
14-Put Armour all on tires and bolted back on the car.
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#16
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All hand sanded with a foam pad for backing the paper. The surface is not flat so power sanding could leave flat spots if your not careful. Headphones on and beer within reach, makes the time fly by.
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