Clearcoat on wheels?

[Thieu]

I just picked up a set of 7 spoke se alloys, but 2 of them have pretty bad clearcoat peal. It's gotten yellow and looks like crap.

I'm not looking to repaint the wheels with another color or even apply more silver paint on top.

I just want to get rid of the old yellow clearcoat and apply some new clear.

What's the best method to do this? I searched but didn't come up with a clear (no pun intended) answer....

what grit sandpaper? any chemicals to use? etc...

[West]

Chemicals wont work. If you do want to sand it then plan on polishing them. There isnt much hope to fix the pealing on the 7 spoke wheels. Just save your money and get something else, make those your winter wheels.

[Shin_Kudo]

I know you don't want to, but I'd just spray them black. For the money and effort replacing the clearcoat would take, you could get some aftermarket rims.

[Thieu]

Hmmm... I find it hard to believe that some 600 grit sandpaper, polish then clear wouldn't work to bring them back to life...

I guess there's only one way to find out...

I just got these wheels and don't want to get rid of them just yet... they will become my track wheels someday... we don't have winters down here in TX...

I'll keep you guys updated as to the outcome of my work...

[rainier]

wet sand it all down. maybe itll work/

[Mirage]

errr....

aircraft stripper took my friends S14 SE wheels down to bare aluminum after a few coats and a plastic scraper. Do that and hit it with some new primer, paint and clear, good as new.

[Thieu]

aight I'm done.

bought some 220 grit sandpaper to put on my orbital sander. Took a couple of hours doing the wheels and polishing them with Mother's aluminum polish.

Looks damn good. 1000x better than the nasty peeling clearcoat and nasty marks all over the wheels.

I might spray on a coat of clear within the next week for good measure.

[MakotoS13]

Hmmm... I find it hard to believe that some 600 grit sandpaper, polish then clear wouldn't work to bring them back to life...

I guess there's only one way to find out...

I just got these wheels and don't want to get rid of them just yet... they will become my track wheels someday... we don't have winters down here in TX...

I'll keep you guys updated as to the outcome of my work...


yeah we do, like every 4 years :)

[PSI240SX]

if you sanded, and polished the aluminum down pretty smooth, the clearcoat will not stick. i learned this the hardway. Hell even if its not that smooth, the first time you mount tires, the clear will peel. i know this from experience. You either leave them bare, and polish every month or so, or have them powdercoated clear.

[Thieu]

Less work for me! I don't mind polishing them every month or so.... but now I have clear coat for wheels and nothing to put it on...