Removing clear coat from wheels?

[imported_StudyBuddy]

Hey all, I have a set of 19" Axis wheels that have gotten some bad chips in the clear coat and lots of imperfections in the lip of the wheel. The spokes are fine, so I`ve set out to refinish the lips. I took them off and scrubbed them clean with Simple Green and my plan was to wetsand with 320 grit, then 600 grit, then I have Mothers Aluminum polish and Poorboys wheel wax to finish it up. I`m trying to get a higher polish than they are now, so hopefully it will work out. :waxing:



My delima is getting off the clearcoat. Yesterday I started wetsanding the first wheel and it took over an hour to get the clear coat off of them using the 320 grit. I was wondering if there was any paint thinner or other product I could use that would remove the THICK clear coat without hurting my aluminum wheels.



http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/StudyBuddy/My%20Car/DSCN2825Medium.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/StudyBuddy/My%20Car/DSCN2830Medium.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y297/StudyBuddy/My%20Car/DSCN2799Medium.jpg



Thanks in advance for the help. Any other suggestions would be great to help me finish off the job. :hifive:

[Bluesbrekr]

That must be some thick clearcoat. I did the lip on my HP EVO Lightnings with 800/1000/1500/2000. The clear mostly came off quickly with the 800.



You could try Aircraft Stripper. Available at most Auto Zone type places.

[imported_StudyBuddy]

It is really thick and it`s being a PITA to sand off. So the Aircraft Stripper might work... any other suggestions?

[xTravBx]

Aircraft stripper is the -only- suggestion.



You brush it on, leave it on, and wipe it off, and take the paint with it.

[imported_StudyBuddy]

Gotcha. I`ll try it out and let you guys know how it works. :)

[imported_Grouse]

why waste your time.



take them to a wheel shop.



around here that kind or repair is 50 bucks a wheel.



lets see 50 bucks in product with several hours of labor, or 200 bucks...



Depending on your situation, that`s a cinch call.

[imported_StudyBuddy]

I checked wheel repair shops and they all wanted around $700. So... $50 worth of product and my effort is worth it to me. Not to mention I`m already started and I enjoy working on my car. I do all of my modifications that I can myself and get just as much satisfaction out of it as a good detail.



Same senario as detailing. I can pay someone $200 to detail my car or I can buy $150 in products and be able to do it over and over again. :)

[imported_Grouse]

See it was a cinch! :P



Keep us updated I`m curious to read aobut he process.

[SVECobraR]

you could use jasco from home depot also, same thing as aircraft stripper but might be a bit cheaper because its from home depot.

[salty]

Media blasting?

[imported_StudyBuddy]

I got the Aircraft stripper from AutoZone today and I`m going to give it a shot tonight. I`ll let everyone know how it works. I`m also planning on doing a full write up of the entire process for 350z-tech.com, so I`ll post that here when I`m done as well.



I also got some 800 grit and 1000 grit wetsand paper to finish the sanding before I use the polish and wax. I hope I end up with a really polished finish.

[imported_StudyBuddy]

Also, to wax the wheels I got Poorboys wheel wax & sealant. Should I just use that or are there any other products I could apply to give it extra protection or shine? I have AIO, OCW, Natty`s Blue, NXT... and probably more.

[Way2SSlow]

WEAR GLOVES when working with the stripper (heh heh..I said "stripper"). Serioulsy, having done this before, I will tell you to err on the side of caution. It will burn your skin, it will hurt like a SOB and be careful of your driveway as well. DO NOT get it on anything that you dont want it on. Careful of the spokes, I see they get a little close to the lip of the wheels in question. Take your time and be careful....dont forget to post pics.

[kompressornsc]

Be careful with aircraft stripper - it`ll take anything & everything off. It`s some nasty stuff. Don`t even bother with gloves - it will eat right through them. And once they`re stripped and polished, be prepared to keep polishing. It ain`t easy. I stripped a set of wheels (stupidly) once and bare aluminum starts to tarnish in just a few days. I would recommend one of the products that is made especially for coating wheels. It`s what the race teams use on their bare metal wheels. Can`t remember the name of it, but I think the whole system was about $150.

[imported_StudyBuddy]

Thanks for the advice on the stripper. I`m definitely planning on taking lots of pics, I just hope I don`t screw up anything else with this stuff.



I was planning on keeping the aluminum polished and waxed often. I don`t drive it every day and after all this BS I`m definitely going to be keeping them nice.