Refinishing Machined BBS Wheel Rim

mhbva · 10-12-07, 06:27

I repaired some curb rash on the outer rim of a 2-piece BBS Triton wheel on a Volvo. The rim appears to have a machined finish with a clear coat. The paint I used matches well enough that the repair is barely noticeable, but in the process of sanding the rim to prep it for clear coat, there developed dark spots on the surface of the rim. I have tried removing them with various grits of wet/dry paper and nylon pads but they don't come out and actually get larger. Is there something or some way to restore a uniform finish on the rim?

Setec Astronomy · 10-12-07, 06:38

Wait a minnit...you say it is a machined finish with a clear coat, then you say the paint color matches...is it clear or colored? The way you describe the dark spots getting bigger as you sand indicates layers of something being removed, is the wheel painted silver/gray and you have sanded through that down to the primer and/or metal?

I damaged one of my high polished cleared wheel lips, and my problem when I was sanding the metal is I got it shinier than the rest of the wheel, so it didn't really match...that could also be what you are seeing. The appearance may be different between the original cleared aluminum, your sanded aluminum, and your repaired (sanded/cleared) area. After I was done sanding/polishing, the repaired area looked very different from the rest of the wheel, but after the new clear it looked less different. It still looked pretty crappy under the glaring bench light but on the car you don't notice it.

mhbva · 10-12-07, 07:57

The only paint on the wheel lip is is on the very outer edge where I repaired the curb rash. That blends in well enough. You are correct that the problem is the difference in appearance between some sanded areas and the orginal finish of the metal. It seems that sanding caused those areas to be shinier or burnished. I was hoping to find out how to restore the original finish on the metal without spreading the dark spots. It looks better when it is wet, whch I assume to be about how it would look after clear coat, but it is not as good as I would like to get it. Thanks for your interest.

Setec Astronomy · 10-12-07, 08:01

Oh...now I remember...yes, I guess the sanded/polished areas did kind of appear "darker" than the cleared areas, and yes, they improved when painted. The problem is the surface texture difference between the machined/polished surfaces and your repaired surfaces, which are smoother. When they machine and polish, they get shiny machining marks, where you have gotten a completely smooth surface. You could try hazing it up with some fine steel wool, but it will still not be the same texture as the original. If it's any consolation, I don't even notice mine anymore, is the tire mounted? Mine looked dreadful to me on the bench, but after the tire was mounted and on the car, it's really hard to find.

mhbva · 10-12-07, 02:46

We are on the same page. I can live with the discolorations although Iwould prefer to remove them as these are beautiful wheels . My thought was that there must be some away to replicate the machining marks by hand in small areas. I bought a kit at Home Depot that contains abrasive pads that are supposed to remove scratches from stainless steel sinks, presumably while maintaining the original brushed appearance. There may be a coarse pad that will leave the right finish, or at least improve this to the point where it is not noticeable.