Clear coat, cleaning alumimun rims?

Hello experts,

I have bought a used set of aluminum rims. Good to very good condition. I want to do a few things before mounting them.

In a few places, I notice that there are black scuff marks. What is the right cleaner to clean these? I was thinking of swirl remover that you might use on the body to remove scratches.

Also, the clear coat is broken in a few places. About the size of half of my pinky's fingernail.

What can I use to touch this up? I'm thinking of a brush on application for this small area. Would polyurethane for wood work?

Thanks a lot

Reply to
condor_222
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You could try using a laquer thinner to clean as it will not hurt the clear coat. And then some scratch remover or haze remover.

Reply to
Alan

Here is an EXCELLENT article on wheel refinishing. I followed it all the way to the end of the process and my wheels look Chrome! It takes a LOT of Elbow Grease for this effect; you can stop anywhere in the process for the kind of finish you like.

Good Luck!

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Reply to
Hachiroku

Oh, I forgot to mention, and I don't know if the article mentions it; I took mine to a local Auto Parts place that has a machine shop and had them sandblast them first.

They were almost good enough to use after blasting! What a difference.

Reply to
Hachiroku

A clearcoat haze remover is safe. You can also use varsol or other mild solvent. Be careful if using a wheel cleaner; most are acid- based and will cause the clearcoat to haze if left on. Follow the instructions.

Repairing the clearcoat can be tricky. From your description, I suspect there is bare aluminum exposed. The trick is to get the surface clean without adversely affecting the aluminum. It may look clean but it likely has silicone on it from tire dressing. You don't want to use anything abrasive because it will scratch the aluminum. Acetone or brake cleaner would be effective. Brake cleaners often leave a residue behind so you would want to want to wash it with a mild detergent afterwards.

The clearcoat is most likely polyurethane. You want something automotive to stand up to UV. You can get touchup color paint in a pen/brush applicator with clear coat as part of it. This would work well. Dan

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(c> Hello experts,

Reply to
Dan Beaton

you might check with some "detail shops" in your locale for tips, or even let them - clean 'em up.

mho v=83e

Reply to
fiveiron

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