Aluminum wheel revival ?

[Silver 'T' Top]

Any of you ever remove the clear coat stuff and just buff out the raw aluminum to a nice shine? If so, how exactly did you go about it? My wheels are in O.K. shape( no dents or broke off pieces) , but I want the spoke and outer edges to really shine!! TIA

 

[85 ttypewh1]

If it is clearcoat just get a can of paint stripper and it will come right off. If it is anodized and you will know when the paint stripper does not do a thing then you will have to get anodized stripper. I went to 10 diff. paint supply stores looking for anodized stripper and nobody had any, but you can order it off the web, just do a search for anodized stripper. If it is clearcoat, strip it then sand out the scratches with 200 grit wet sand then 400 then 600 all wet sand, it keeps the paper clean and surface area clean. then buff it out with wenol metal polish. If anodized and you can get the stripper it is the same process. If you cant get the stripper you will have to do what i did and sand the anodize off with 200 grit wet sand it will take a while though, then do the 400 then 600 then polish. It is alot of work but worth it.

 

[Red Regal T]

You could just save yourself a lot of expense, time and work and paint them with bumper chrome paint.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/155414205/105251576CEpmQH

 

[85 ttypewh1]

You could just save yourself a lot of expense, time and work and paint them with bumper chrome paint.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/155414205/105251576CEpmQH

Looks good in a PIC, how often do you repaint. My expense has been less than 10 bucks a rim and a few hours and maintaining is a breeze. My instructions were for doing gta rims, dont think that paint would look good to me on those rims. But to each his own.

 

[Red Regal T]

Thought you were talking about T wheels. GTAs are a totally different animal.

However, I have taken the clear coats off 2 sets of GTA wheels. I used a drill with a stainless polishing pad, and used rubbing compound to polish the rims. Looked OK.

 

[aminga]

Any of you ever remove the clear coat stuff and just buff out the raw aluminum to a nice shine? If so, how exactly did you go about it? My wheels are in O.K. shape( no dents or broke off pieces) , but I want the spoke and outer edges to really shine!! TIA

If you're talking about T Wheels. Over the winter I took mine and bead blasted them to remove some stains, clear coat and get the finish to a like new base. I then polished the ribs and rim with a eastwood wheel buffing kit and coated with diamond clear.

Somewhere I have a pic but it looks good. The rough cast portions look stock but the ribs and rim are almost chrome.

But it was a lot of work with a die grinder to get it to that stage.