There are lots of questions about how to do this so I thought I'd show you my project last year. A new and improved T-type wheel with a powdercoated finish. One that just wipes clean, no wheel cleaner needed.
I started with a set of Ebay wheels so I could have a spare set for drag radials. They were dirty but mostly in good shape one had a little curb rash nothing major.
THe tools of the trade. An Eastwood soda blaster and XL soda. For the average wheel soda will strip the coating and clean them up without doing major damage to the finish on the ribs. These were beyond that I had to resort to 80 grit glass beads.
The first step is to blast the wheels down to a clean finish. I made a little box for the wheel to sit on to recapture most of my glass bead. Take your time work in all the cracks, get everything. The important thing at this point get everything clean. Get the wheels out in the light and look it over. If there is any grease, brake dust, it should be uniform bright aluminum at this point.
Comparison to blasted and unblasted
Bead blasting will leave the ribs in a rough finish. You have to get the back to a shiny state. If you want a stock finish you need to make friends with someone in a machine shop to cut the machine grooves in the ribs. I wanted a little more bling so I polished the ribs to a bright finish.
First Step, Fix the curb rash on one wheel.
Start with 80 Grit Greasless compound on a spiral sewn wheel. I used an air grinder. Touch the compound to the spinning wheel and coat it good. Let it sit for a few minutes to dry and then work the area keeping the wheel moving. Work it down until you polish the scratches out. You need to work a ways out from the rash to make a smooth transition.
Also give the ribs a pass with the 80 grit to smooth them up from the glass bead
After the 90 grit you are going to go to successively finer compounds to get them polished. I used 240 and 320 grit to get the ribs ready for polish. After the 320 they should be close to a factory finish. I wanted more.
Clean the polishing mud off and then start over with Tripoli compound on a spiral sewn wheels. This will get the outer rim. A tapered goblet buff will get the ribs and inner rim. Keep the wheel speed up If you're running the buffer fast enough the part should be almost too hot to touch. Polish with the Tripoli compound until it's almost chrome like. You want to get it to almost full brightness with the tripoli compound.
After the Tripoli White rouge is used to color the part. The Tripoli put the shine on this but the rouge will make it pop.
You will get some polishing "mud" on the cast parts of the wheel. Don't use wheel cleaner it will dull the polish. Brake cleaner will work. After cleaning the wheel Use some paint prep or other cleaner to get all of the gunk off of the wheel. These wheels will not stay bright for very long in this condition they have to be coated. I used clear powder coat. I've tried other clear compounds and they don't last.
Preheat each wheel to drive out any contaminants. Let it cool until it is to 100-110 degrees and shoot the clear powder, this hot flocking will help the powder adhere to the wheel. Bake the clear until the part reaches 350 degrees and hold it for 20 minutes. Do not overheat the clear it will turn brown. And don't apply the clear too thick it will crack when the temperature changes and you'll have to redo it (ask me how I know)
The finished project. It wipes clean with soapy water.
I started with a set of Ebay wheels so I could have a spare set for drag radials. They were dirty but mostly in good shape one had a little curb rash nothing major.
THe tools of the trade. An Eastwood soda blaster and XL soda. For the average wheel soda will strip the coating and clean them up without doing major damage to the finish on the ribs. These were beyond that I had to resort to 80 grit glass beads.
The first step is to blast the wheels down to a clean finish. I made a little box for the wheel to sit on to recapture most of my glass bead. Take your time work in all the cracks, get everything. The important thing at this point get everything clean. Get the wheels out in the light and look it over. If there is any grease, brake dust, it should be uniform bright aluminum at this point.
Comparison to blasted and unblasted
Bead blasting will leave the ribs in a rough finish. You have to get the back to a shiny state. If you want a stock finish you need to make friends with someone in a machine shop to cut the machine grooves in the ribs. I wanted a little more bling so I polished the ribs to a bright finish.
First Step, Fix the curb rash on one wheel.
Start with 80 Grit Greasless compound on a spiral sewn wheel. I used an air grinder. Touch the compound to the spinning wheel and coat it good. Let it sit for a few minutes to dry and then work the area keeping the wheel moving. Work it down until you polish the scratches out. You need to work a ways out from the rash to make a smooth transition.
Also give the ribs a pass with the 80 grit to smooth them up from the glass bead
After the 90 grit you are going to go to successively finer compounds to get them polished. I used 240 and 320 grit to get the ribs ready for polish. After the 320 they should be close to a factory finish. I wanted more.
Clean the polishing mud off and then start over with Tripoli compound on a spiral sewn wheels. This will get the outer rim. A tapered goblet buff will get the ribs and inner rim. Keep the wheel speed up If you're running the buffer fast enough the part should be almost too hot to touch. Polish with the Tripoli compound until it's almost chrome like. You want to get it to almost full brightness with the tripoli compound.
After the Tripoli White rouge is used to color the part. The Tripoli put the shine on this but the rouge will make it pop.
You will get some polishing "mud" on the cast parts of the wheel. Don't use wheel cleaner it will dull the polish. Brake cleaner will work. After cleaning the wheel Use some paint prep or other cleaner to get all of the gunk off of the wheel. These wheels will not stay bright for very long in this condition they have to be coated. I used clear powder coat. I've tried other clear compounds and they don't last.
Preheat each wheel to drive out any contaminants. Let it cool until it is to 100-110 degrees and shoot the clear powder, this hot flocking will help the powder adhere to the wheel. Bake the clear until the part reaches 350 degrees and hold it for 20 minutes. Do not overheat the clear it will turn brown. And don't apply the clear too thick it will crack when the temperature changes and you'll have to redo it (ask me how I know)
The finished project. It wipes clean with soapy water.
