GTA Rims

[Dreamcar86]

Anyone ever strip the clear coat off of their rims and polish the aluminum outer rim? If so is there any trick other than elbow grease? Anything to watch out for so the rim does not get damaged?

I am looking for a shiner finish and wanted to start sanding and polishing to get that chrome look.

 

[viperman5]

I used 240 dry, 400 wet, 800 wet and 1000 wet grit sandpaper. After that, I used a mini-Powerball connected to my cordless drill.

I was very happy with the shine after the Powerball.

You will want to tape off the centers so the sandpaper doesn't touch the paint.

 

[rking]

Im in the process, and trust me, the best thing to use is elbow grease !! Using 240 dry first, nothing else really works.

 

[PsYcHo GN]

Has anybody tried Easy Off oven cleaner? Back in the day, we used to use it to remove the anodized coating on our BMX bike parts.

 

[rking]

I actually tried oven cleaner first, and nothing happened. It made the clearcoat look white, but it didnt really loosen it up and make it easier to remove :frown: . So now I have no choice but to completely sand everything off.

 

[TIMS87GN]

I used aircraft stripper in aerosol form to remove my clear coat. Comes right off with a plastic scrapper. No need to sand. If you don't want it getting on the center, spend some time carefully masking it off. Remember it is VERY agressive.
I use Mothers Aluminum polish and they shine brightly!

 

[Dreamcar86]

I knew somebody had been down this road. Thank you for all the tips and tricks! Looks like the only thing left at this point is the elbow grease.:biggrin: