Can I strip the clear coat on my wheels?

[ShineTimeDetail]

So I'm on my way to buy a gmc safari. It has aluminum wheels and I was considering stripping the clear and polishing them up. I don't plan on recoating them. Would an unsealed wheel be a bad thing? Would it just be like a polishable wheel from then on? This Def wouldn't be a service I'd offer just something for me.

[Finemess]

I'm not sure an uncoated wheel would be a good thing. You going to use them in Winter? You going to use them by salt water? You take off the clearcoat and your going to be polishing them way more to get them to look good. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

[C. Charles Hahn]

So I'm on my way to buy a gmc safari. It has aluminum wheels and I was considering stripping the clear and polishing them up. I don't plan on recoating them. Would an unsealed wheel be a bad thing? Would it just be like a polishable wheel from then on? This Def wouldn't be a service I'd offer just something for me.

Yeah, don't do that. You'll regret it.

[ShineTimeDetail]

Lol thats why I'm asking

[S2K]

You might want to have a back-up plan if you try. I tried cleaning the barrels on my wheels Sunday and after Sonax, Bug and Tar remover, mineral spirits, many brushes and steel wool they just wouldn't come clean. I didn't think the barrels were coated so I broke out a wire wheel. Well the second I hit it I knew they were and there was no turning back. After wire brushing they just didn't look right so Plan B. Paint, which I was thinking about anyway. I painted one and it looks great, glad I did it now. I'm doing a complete wheelwell detail including painting the calipers so when it's all done I will post some pics, might be a couple weeks before I'm done.

[BobbyG]

Yeah, don't do that. You'll regret it.

Take it from a guy that came from a time before clear coated wheels were even thought of..... Not me , the other guy....HA

[Kristopher1129]

I've stripped clear coat off rims before. It's a HUGE pain to do. Unless the clear coat has completely failed and looks horrible...I would leave them be.

[FUNX650]

I've stripped clear coat off rims before. It's a HUGE pain to do. Unless the clear coat has completely failed and looks horrible...I would leave them be.

Huge pain: In order to remove some clear-coats the clear strippers could be in the same arena as an aircraft-grade one (like Tal-Strip II)--very strong and one must take precautions---followed by a lot of sanding/polishing.

When the clear-coat is failing or has failed: Then if you want to remove the clear-coating and polish 'em up, follow this up with a powder coated clear--you'll never have to worry about them again.

Leave them be: Unless the above has happened...or if you should want to follow another course.

[Superior_Details]

i did it, and they turned out AMAZING!!

Failure beginning


After stripping and polishing

[ShineTimeDetail]

Well the wheels all look bad- They have what looks like stain marks all over them.