Clear coated aluminum wheels

**joleyred** · 04-04-2018, 07:50 PM

I have a motorcycle trailer with aluminum wheels that have a combination of paint and polished Clear coat. With almost no exposure to weather, the clear coat has broken down and allowed surface pitting to start. It's obvious the clear coat was poorly applied and won't last , which it's failing now. I want to remove the clear, polish the surface and just keep it protected with a coating, and polish it when I need to. I'm thinking of just sanding this clear, then polishing the surface. I need ideas on how to polish this surface to a high gloss. I think I can keep these wheels looking much better this way. Any ideas?

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**Boudin** · 04-04-2018, 09:40 PM

I stripped my SS wheels which are polished aluminum and clear coat. You can remove the clear very easily and non destructive to the finish underneath using CitrusStrip Gel from a home improvement store. Coat the wheels heavily then wrap in plastic bags so it doesn't dry out, let that sit as long as you can. Remove bags and use a plastic scraper to remove the clear, it will peel right off. Repeat the process as necessary. I tried other strippers but only the CitrusStrip was effective.

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**Eldorado2k** · 04-04-2018, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by Boudin

I stripped my SS wheels which are polished aluminum and clear coat. You can remove the clear very easily and non destructive to the finish underneath using CitrusStrip Gel from a home improvement store. Coat the wheels heavily then wrap in plastic bags so it doesn't dry out, let that sit as long as you can. Remove bags and use a plastic scraper to remove the clear, it will peel right off. Repeat the process as necessary. I tried other strippers but only the CitrusStrip was effective.

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Your wheels look super nice in the after shots.

Do you think that chemical would safely work for removing the UV coating on headlights?

**Boudin** · 04-04-2018, 09:50 PM

Thanks, after I stripped them I repolished them to a better than new finish.

I would be hesitant to use a stripper on plastic. I would think it would cause hazing. I have some old headlights laying around, I can try it out and see. Are you trying to remove the OEM coating or something like Spar urethane?

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**Eldorado2k** · 04-04-2018, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Boudin

Thanks, after I stripped them I repolished them to a better than new finish.

I would be hesitant to use a stripper on plastic. I would think it would cause hazing. I have some old headlights laying around, I can try it out and see. Are you trying to remove the OEM coating or something like Spar urethane?

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I’d be trying to remove Meguiars Headlight Coating, which they say is pretty much clearcoat paint. I think it’s beginning to gradually turn yellow again, and the last time it happened on these particular headlights I had to sand it off.

Either ways it’s a bit concerning because what if this were to happen if I had coated some brand new headlights? This has only happened to these headlights so I’m not sure if it’s a normL occurrence with this product but in this case it’s a PIA to remove.

Which metal polish do you use on your wheels? Do you polish them by hand or machine?

**Boudin** · 04-04-2018, 10:08 PM

Some mineral spirits or paint thinner may work for that. Or gasoline

I did some sanding work by hand with progressively finer sandpaper, then used Mothers aluminum polish with a foam cone attachment on a drill.

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**Eldorado2k** · 04-04-2018, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Boudin

Some mineral spirits or paint thinner may work for that. Or gasoline

I did some sanding work by hand with progressively finer sandpaper, then used Mothers aluminum polish with a foam cone attachment on a drill.

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Yea, I’m also a fan of the Mothers’ metal polishes.

**joleyred** · 04-05-2018, 03:42 AM

Thanks Boudin, that sounds like it will get the results I'm looking for. I've used Mothers Billet polish for years and really like it. What grits of sandpaper did you use? I have some slight marring to fix before I polish.

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**hoyt66** · 04-05-2018, 04:22 AM

@Boudin- Those look really nice!. Guess I know what next winters project is going to be

**Boudin** · 04-05-2018, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by joleyred

Thanks Boudin, that sounds like it will get the results I'm looking for. I've used Mothers Billet polish for years and really like it. What grits of sandpaper did you use? I have some slight marring to fix before I polish.

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I started at 1000 and worked up to 4000. I had originally stopped at 2500 but in direct sunlight I could still see some find sanding marks even after I polished. I would start at the highest number grit that gets the job done, kind of like paint, least aggressive method that works.

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