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I have a C5 with wheels that I learned today are polished aluminum, not chrome as I had thought. The prior owners did not take care of the wheel barrels, and they have developed blemishes that look like this:
Apparently the way to address this depends upon whether these wheels were clearcoated or not. I'm pretty sure these are OEM wheels, so can anyone tell me whether these OWM polished aluminum wheels would have come clearcoated?
Of course all other suggestions and advice are also most welcome.
I have a C5 with wheels that I learned today are polished aluminum, not chrome as I had thought. The prior owners did not take care of the wheel barrels, and they have developed blemishes that look like this:
Apparently the way to address this depends upon whether these wheels were clearcoated or not. I'm pretty sure these are OEM wheels, so can anyone tell me whether these OWM polished aluminum wheels would have come clearcoated?
Of course all other suggestions and advice are also most welcome.
If they are OEM they came with a clear coat. But it is possible the clearcoat was removed .........
If they are OEM they came with a clear coat. But it is possible the clearcoat was removed .........
DH
What would cause the clear coat to come off? I applied some chrome wheel cleaner thinking that the wheels were chrome. would that have removed the clear coat?
What would cause the clear coat to come off? I applied some chrome wheel cleaner thinking that the wheels were chrome. would that have removed the clear coat?
I don't know but it can't be good for it.
I would try treating it like you would any othe bad paint and see what results you get.
OEM High Polished Wheels were indeed clearcoated and should be treated like paint. Many things can damage clearcoat including leaving brake dust on the wheels for a long period of time etching the surface.
OEM High Polished Wheels were indeed clearcoated and should be treated like paint. Many things can damage clearcoat including leaving brake dust on the wheels for a long period of time etching the surface.
Is there any magical product to fix this problem??? Other than sandpaper which obviously is not good for clear coat.
Is there any magical product to fix this problem??? Other than sandpaper which obviously is not good for clear coat.
Or to rephrase the question, what should I do? Should I try to strip off the clearcoat and apply a new coating? Or try to buff this stuff away using a drill attachment made for buffing wheels?
Is there any magical product to fix this problem??? Other than sandpaper which obviously is not good for clear coat.
There is no miracle product to removing etching and damaged clearcoat. You can have them professionally repaired or you can live with them. If the damage is only in the barrels, I would live with it. If you choose to strip them and polish them and something goes awry, you might need to replace them.
Going forward you should:
1. Use a safe wheel cleaner (P21S, Griots, DP)
2. Polish with a paint polish as desired (a lot of work, mixed results)
3. Seal or Coat your wheels including the barrels
There is no miracle product to removing etching and damaged clearcoat. You can have them professionally repaired or you can live with them. If the damage is only in the barrels, I would live with it. If you choose to strip them and polish them and something goes awry, you might need to replace them.
Going forward you should:
1. Use a safe wheel cleaner (P21S, Griots, DP)
2. Polish with a paint polish as desired (a lot of work, mixed results)
3. Seal or Coat your wheels including the barrels
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wheel restoration
