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

Clear coat, cleaning alumimun rims?
 

wrote:
> 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

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.

Clear coat, cleaning alumimun rims?
 

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> 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
>

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!

http://www.michiganfieroclub.com/art...ical/wheel.pdf

Clear coat, cleaning alumimun rims?
 

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.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> 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
>

Clear coat, cleaning alumimun rims?
 

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

(This account is not used for email.)



) writes:
> 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
>

Clear coat, cleaning aluminum rims?
 

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

mho
vƒe