What is this on this wheel?

**14automobiles** · 10-06-2009, 07:11 PM

Ok. I am working on a 2004 Chevy Silverado with stock wheels. There is a white stain on the wheels that cannot be removed with any wheel cleaner nor can it be felt with your fingernail. It seems like it is under a clear coat. What is this and can you do anything for it?

What is this on this wheel?-truck-015-jpg

What is this on this wheel?-truck-014-jpg

What is this on this wheel?-truck-016-jpg

**sparkie** · 10-06-2009, 07:20 PM

Guessing the cearcoat and paint is gone. I could be wrong, hard to say looking at the pics....

**Harleyguy** · 10-06-2009, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by 14automobiles

Ok. I am working on a 2004 Chevy Silverado with stock wheels. There is a white stain on the wheels that cannot be removed with any wheel cleaner nor can it be felt with your fingernail. It seems like it is under a clear coat. What is this and can you do anything for it?

Hard to say since you can't feel it.From the Pictures it looked like road salt did some damage i've seen that when i lived in Ny and also here in Florida when cars are parked near the ocean.Just don't understand why you can't feel it.I really doesn't look like it's going to come off looks like it actaully damaged the rim.

**Mister B** · 10-06-2009, 07:40 PM

It looks like those are clear coated aluminum wheels. I had some rims on my old truck that started to look like that. They were also clear coated aluminum wheels. I don't know for sure, but I think the clear coat may have been damaged by the application and removal of the wheel weights which then allowed water, and other contaminants to work its way under the clear coat layer and cause corrosion of the bare aluminum wheel under the clear coat. Sometimes you see this around the lug nut holes also and again I think this is from damaging the clear coat during removal and installation of the lug nuts. There is not much you can do with it short of having the wheel stripped and re clear coated.

That's just my theory.

**14automobiles** · 10-06-2009, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by Mister B

It looks like those are clear coated aluminum wheels. I had some rims on my old truck that started to look like that. They were also clear coated aluminum wheels. I don't know for sure, but I think the clear coat may have been damaged by the application and removal of the wheel weights which then allowed water, and other contaminants to work its way under the clear coat layer and cause corrosion of the bare aluminum wheel under the clear coat. Sometimes you see this around the lug nut holes also and again I think this is from damaging the clear coat during removal and installation of the lug nuts. There is not much you can do with it short of having the wheel stripped and re clear coated.

That's just my theory.

That would make sense.

**NY946** · 10-06-2009, 08:13 PM

Its a common GM (wheel) problem. The clear fails over time, or fails quickly (6mos-year) with the application and removal of wheel weights...

Mike Phillips · 10-06-2009, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by 14automobiles

Ok. I am working on a 2004 Chevy Silverado with stock wheels. There is a white stain on the wheels that cannot be removed with any wheel cleaner nor can it be felt with your fingernail. It seems like it is under a clear coat. What is this and can you do anything for it?

From the pictures, the problem looks pretty extreme, if you can't feel anything at all on the surface then it's probably some kind of corrosion problem under the clear coat.

Is this a daily driver? If so, major on the majors and minor on the minors. Let you customer know there's nothing you can pour or spray out of a bottle that will fix the problem as the cure is a lot more complicated and expensive and would require stripping the wheel and then re-clearing it with new paint.

If this is just a daily driver then it probably hasn't been a priority problem in the past for your customer and thus if you could fix it the problem would just re-occur.

When you're done with the truck your customer is going to look at the big picture, that is, is the entire truck, (big picture), clean and shiny. If they want to focus on the little picture then maybe let them know that you're not a painter and recommend they stop by a body shop and see if they can get a quote to have the wheels re-cleared. Chances are all of a sudden it won't be a big enough deal for them to want to hassle with or pay for.

Again, is this a daily driver or a show truck? From the look of the wheels, I'm guess it's a daily driver.

Keep your customer's expectations real.

**belcherm58** · 10-06-2009, 08:48 PM

Looks like the problem is only where the wheel weights are mounted.
Myabe the wheel weights are causing a coating failure. The are a few
pics where there are no weights. Thought the weights may have been there from a previous set of tires.

**14automobiles** · 10-07-2009, 09:31 AM

This is a daily driver. I explained to him that it is a defect under the clear coat. He is understanding. I believe you guys are correct though. I think it is caused by the wheel weights causing damage to the clear coat. thanks

**TLMitchell** · 10-07-2009, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by 14automobiles

This is a daily driver. I explained to him that it is a defect under the clear coat. He is understanding. I believe you guys are correct though. I think it is caused by the wheel weights causing damage to the clear coat. thanks

Can't figure out why wheel weights are still clipped over and allowed to damage the the clear. Adhesive weights mounted in the barrel have been in use for eons.