Ok, I searched but found nothing. Does anyone have a reccomendation on stripping clear coat from an aluminum wheel. The clear coat is aged a bit and the metal underneath just doesn't "pop" anymore. I would rather go with bare aluminum and keep polished for a little more bling factor


Just the lip of the wheels, and I want to avoid sanding as much as possible but I know there will some involved. Thanks

 

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Aluminum is normally annodized with a coating that protects it and gives it its shine. There are many different finishes available...from MATTE to Bright (or Polished).

Bare aluminum tarnishes immediately to a dull grey finish.

Often the annodizing layer gets damaged or worn through. You might find a shop that specializes in wheel repair to help you.

 

I was going to make a post when I got completely done refinishing my wheels, but yes you can strip the peeling clearcoat off the lips and polish them. Just make sure you tape off anything that you do not want it to strip, ie. inner barrel, center of wheel, etc. Here is some good reading to get you started and give you an idea on how to do it.

http://www.*********.com/zwiki/Tutor...el_Refinishing

replace the *'s with 350z dash tech

 

just hate how we can't post websites.. it is so silly IMO.

 

Thanks a bunch jmckehen. That is what I've been looking for !!!. Just curious, what wheels are you refinishing ? I am doing PIAA Super Rozzas. I want the lip to look like this picture again I also suggest using a rubbing compound with the Mothers powerball with a high speed tool ( Like a dremel ). That will bring the aluminum to a smooth mirror finish, if that is what your looking for.

 

I am refinishing a set of Racing Hart C4's. They were in pretty rough shape when I got them with the clear coat chipping, peeling, etc. So i am in the process of stripping, sanding, polishing the lips, and painting the centers. I haven't tried the powerball yet, but I was going to do that after I got them completely done this weekend to see if it will shine them up just a little bit more.

FYI - I tried using a dremel for sanding and for polishing and it doesn't work very well on wheels. I got better results with a electric drill with a polishing wheel attached to it. Let me know if you have any specific questions as I have 3 out of my 4 wheels done so far.

Vince

 

I will be painting the centers also !! I am going with a gunmetal type of color. I have not decided on the paint brand yet. What paint will you be using ?? I saw these today & I totally love that finish it is my goal , hopefully my work will be as quality as RAYS....

 

I used this stuff.....
http://www.duplicolor.com/products/wheel.html

It works pretty well I must say. The only thing is the C4's have a lot of spokes and it is hard to get to the inner edges of all the wheels so it is hard to get the paint perfect. Plus it is comming out of a can so the spray pattern is less than optimal especially when you start to run out of arisol.

I kinda wanted to finish them all up and show the pics during the stages and describe the process I used, but here is a preview of a finished product.

 

nice work. I'm pumped now

 

Thanks! I'll be sure to give you some more pics this weekend when I am done and have them mounted up on the car. They look 100 times better than when I started.

 

F*ck me that is a sexy wheel/color.

 

brake fluid will remove the clearcoat. It simply eats away at it. Just pour it on and let it sit. my friend had a brake hose burst and 30 minutes later no clear coat.