I was wondering if anyone has a good way to stop the spreading oxidation and clear coat pealing on my rims I live in Wisconsin were there is a ton of snow and the salt finally got to my rims, I don't want to sand the whole wheel down and start over I just want to make sure it doesn't spread.
(I was thinking about sanding the bad areas and touch it up with new clear coat)

 

First off its not iron oxide (rust) if its an aluminum rim it would be aluminum oxide. You could sand down the areas that are already affected and apply your own clear coat but I think you would still have blemishes there and be at risk for the problem only getting worse. The best way would be to strip all of the clear coat off and polish them up and leave them or you could reclear them after that, but then again you could have the same issue happen just a few years later.

 

Oven cleaner can be used on the aluminum wheels, make SURE you don't get any on the vehicles paint!
And wear a mask and gloves
Let it sit for 1/2 hour then scrub it off with warm soapy water and brush.
Then rinse
Repeat

It needs to be above 60degF for this so you may need to wait until spring.

Clear coat is fine and so is wax, but neither will last in harsh conditions, so there is no permanent fix.

Until then try to spray off the road salt a few times a week, if you get one of those garden pump sprayers you can leave it in the house and then spray off wheels when you get home, you don't have to scrub them just rinse off the salt

 

thanks for all of the replies I guess I will wait to summer and hope it doesn't spread

 

The best thing you can do is keep them clean. Also make sure you keep your rocker panels and fender lips clean if you don't like body rust.

 

The only way to prevent it is to run another set of rims for the winter, aluminum and winter road deicer do not mix.

As suggested, take the rims off, strip them, and sand them smooth with finer and finer sand paper, then start polishing.
Another thought have them refinished by a pro wheel shop.
If you want to re-clear them you will need clean rims, no oxide at all and some clear paint designed for aluminum. If there is any oxide, even in any holes then you will get the peeling again.

 

I recommend taking your truck to a tire shop and have your wheel weights removed and put on the inside of the rim.I find the weights cause the clear coat to peel and start the oxidation.

 

Once the oxidation starts it is like rust, you can't get rid of it although you. Isn't slow it down some. Starting over is the only way to save the wheels completely.

The other solution is to get a new set of rims, weights on the inside, stick on type as suggested, and keep them polished and cleaned off.

Have you come up with any other ideas ?

 

You can plasti-dip them for the winter then peel it off for the summer.

 

I don't know how great it would work but you could glob some wax on them and hope it keeps the salt from getting further under the clearcoat then polish the heck out of them in spring. I'm in ohio an can't even imagine washing my wheels off once a week with this weather. Wisconsin has to be colder, if you even tried to spray them off here it would just turn to an ice sheet, I've been trying to wash my truck for weeks now and it's a no win situation

 

I try and wash my wheels once a week, but in the past couple of weeks has been almost impossible to do agood job on them as the water freezes on them within a minute. I just go to the self car wash and blast them with soap and hot water and do the best I can in this weather.

 

This is why i Plastidip my wheels black every winter.
Peel it off in the spring and they're nice and shiny