Refinishing Stock 2000 Alloys

I did some thread research here and couldn't find info about refinishing alloys in their NATURAL metal color.

It has taken me a lot of labor to get my 6 spoke aluminum (tri-wheels) down to metal. I started with oven cleaner, moved onto a fairly aggressive flexible disc on my grinder, then finished the nooks and crannies with a wire-wheel, wire brush.

I'm down to metal and ready to do the fine polishing. After that, I want to seal up the wheels so I don't have to go through this every six months.

MY QUESTION. What have folks used as a sealer or clearcoat? Once chemically clean, do I need to put down a base of primer or adhesion promoter? I don't want to add color, I just want to see the metal (while protecting it from oxidation / pitting).

Thanks in advance - David

 

Hi David,

I've refinished several sets of wheels in the past, and I've had varied success with it. I can tell you this for sure: I never had any long-term success using an aerosol clear coat on the wheels. It simply does not hold up to the temperature cycles, brake dust and salt. The wheels look great for a few months, then the clearcoat invariably breaks down and allows corrosion to start. I tried different brands over the years, including Dupli-Color (designed specifically for wheels) and other high-end brands. This is especially frustrating as you know, because of all the labor you put into restoring the wheels, only to have them corrode again.

Not having any long-term luck with this approach, my next step was to take a set of refinished wheels to a body shop so they could clear coat them for me. My hope is that the quality of their paint as well as the application would give me some longevity with protecting the wheels. I haven't refinished a set recently so I haven't tried this yet.

One product that I always intended to try was called Zoop Seal, but it looks like it was taken off the market a few years ago. I remember seeing it in an automotive magazine and it appealed to me, since it was designed to be applied over raw/polished metal as a transparent sealant - kind of like a clearcoat only applied by hand. I never got the chance to order any of it before it came off the market, but there is another product out there called "Shine Seal" that seems to serve the same purpose. I would be interested to see how well it works and how long it lasts.

 

I think duplicolor makes a kit to restore wheels. You can use clear coat but it won’t stick well to a polished wheel. If you Are after the polished look I would look into chrome or powder coat they are by far the most durable. But you could probably buy a new set of wheels for similar cost

 

The reason you're striking out in your search is all well said in the first reply. There isn't really anything out there that lasts. All factory wheels that were bare aluminium with a clearcoat suffered horribly from corrosion, yellowing, chipping, etc. regardless of manufacturer. My advice is to find a proper wheel paint as close to the bare metal colour you want. Or accept that you'll be redoing your wheels every 2 years.

 

when redoing my third gen 4Runner wheels, ended up using Duplicolor's Hyper Silver (closest to stock) and then their top coat product. came out fine. its all in the prep work and taking your time. you rush it, going to look horrible.

 

Wow, this is what I was afraid of. I guess I will have to go the color route. Any opinions about the type of primer?

 

Try some of this stuff. It’s the same clear coat that’s used on automotive paint. It is catalyzed and will dry very very hard.

USC Spraymax Matte Clearcoat 3680065

$24 USC Spraymax Matte Clearcoat 3680065

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0178ABUVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Jw9gEbXGYHZ32

in other words, this is basically the option that @MagtechPA was wanting to try out but hasn’t gotten around to just yet. I bet 2 cans would do 4 wheels.

 

You will need a self etch type primer to use on bare metal

 

Refinishing wheels is a PITA. I learned on the first said I did that yes, you have to get every speck of the original finish off or it will look like crap. Second set I did, I dropped them off at the sandblaster/powdercoating place and 3 weeks later I essentially had brand new wheels with zero flaws. And the only work I had to do was reach in my back pocket and pull out the debit card. First go round involved at least 4 hours of prep work per wheel. Dust everywhere, ruined clothes. Not fun.

 

maybe this stuff would be worth a shot

https://www.eastwood.com/exoarmour.html