I picked up another set of 15X8 Canyon/Wrangler wheels last week for my 94 RatRanger, the guy had em stored in a shed for a while & around the lug nut holes, it looks like they have had some kinda chemical put on em & it blistered the clearcoat & pitted the aluminum.

Is there any known (CHEAP) way to smooth out the area & to remove the clearcoat safely so that they can be recleared?.

BTW: I tried a scotch brite pad & steel wool and it did nothin!





THANKS for any & all help guys!!!

 

I highly doubt it, it looks like the aluminum itself is messed up, not just the clearcoat.

 

I know theres stuff out there that can strip clearcoat I just don't know any brand names search google and see if any come up. you could always try a grinder but you might want to leave that as a last resort.

 

Start sanding.

That'll clean up if you keep hittng it with finer sandpaper. That looks like a lot of work, I'm estimating over an hour of sanding per wheel, then prep and paint. You won't use all of two color cans and one can of clear.

Duplicolor did a nice job on a set I redid. You can mask and do the voids a different shade.

 

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HINTS?

Do I dare us a DA to clean up the area?

What's the best way to remove the clear & not damage the aluminum?

Don't like the idea of stripper on aluminum wheels........

 

You don't need to remove the clear if underneath isn't damaged.
Scufff it well with 400 grit and feather the corroded areas. You want to smooth out any pits or else corrosion will reappear from them.

I don't know what a DA is and you don't need stripper, just sandpaper. I don't think those wheels are cleared bare aluminum. They look painted. Repaint the whole wheel.

When you are finished, don't let a tire shop put weights on the lip. They have glue on weights that don't show on the outside.

 

For stripping the clear (Im assuming it has the same composition as paint), Go to Home Depot, Lowes what ever you got there and get some Klean-Strip KS-93 Stripper in a CAN (The areosol stuff dosent work no where near as good). Slather that stuff on the as per directions and it should come right off. I've used that stuff on all kinds of different things.

I found it best to use a open basement, open doors and windows, you need fresh air moving but not gusting through. And becareful with what you get this stuff on.

Good Luck.

 

take a wire wheel to it and brush it down to the aluminum then repaint it.

 

The spokes of the wheels are machined & polished, & between the spokes it a med. gray, and then the whole wheel is cleared.

Here's a pic of an undamaged one:


I used some aresol stripper, but it's been too cold here, so it didn't work too good. Hopefully this weekend, it's to be in the 70's, so I'll hit em again & see what happens. I have hit the corroded areas with a light wire brush, and unfortunately, there is some corrosion.............so I guess I'm gonna have to hit em with a DA.............I guess I'll start with some 380 & work my way up to 1000 grit.

ALSO: Have NO INTENTIONS of paintin these wheels! I'll blastem & polish em as a last resort.

THANKS!