Refurbishing Factory Wheels

[padawan]

I am planning on refurbishing my factory GW cast aluminum wheels. Has anyone done this? Are there any issues that I might run into?

I am planning on media blasting them down to the metal and finding a shop that could repaint them and clearcoat them. Does this sound crazy?

Thanks in advance for any help.:thumbsup:

[Jeepsmith]

Media blasting will give the unpainted areas a dull appearance. Better to use aircraft remover on aluminum. Because you're just removing paint/dirt, (no rust on aluminum) blasting shouldn't be necessary.

[padawan]

What is "Aircraft Remover"? Isn't there a clearcoat on the wheels? Wouldn't media blasting take that off?

[Jeepsmith]

Aircraft Remover is an aluminum safe chemical that removes paint/clearcoat. Blasting will remove the clearcoat, however it will give the aluminum a rough texture/dull appearance.

[padawan]

Thanks, where can I purchase Aircraft Remover???

[Jeep_Guy]

You can get it in spray cans or half gallon containers in the automotive section at walmart where the paints are. Be sure to wear gloves and use it outdoors or in a well ventelated area.

[Jeepsmith]

Most auto parts stores have it.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Jeepsmith/IMG_0919.jpg

[FSJ Guy]

AIRCRAFT REMOVER??? Is that what they use when they want to clear the runway????? :lol:





Sorry, I just couldn't resist.....

Back OT, do I need to dismount the tires? What clearcoat do you guys use?

[JeepBountyHunter]

Theres was someone on here that blasted his GW rims then powdercoated them gray, they looked awesome..I haven't seen him on the board for awhile though.

[Jeepsmith]

Were they these ones? They are actually silver, picture doesn't show it too well. Mine are steel, not sure if it will stick to aluminum.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Jeepsmith/IMG_0618.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj285/Jeepsmith/IMG_0895.jpg

[JeepBountyHunter]

Jeepsmith, nope it was a year or two ago..the guy had his own powdercoating setup...(not Baybilly though)...But I do like yours...gotta find a Goodyear around here that goes that.

[Jeepsmith]

If powder coating works well on aluminum, I'd recommend going that route. It's pretty inexpensive, and very hard to scratch/chip.

[Mahamotorworks]

GW wheels should be able to have the clear coat removed and then be re-cleared. I am not sure what it would cost. I would check the back of the air craft stripper can before using it on Aluminum. I thought it pitted it. It has been a while since I have used it. So I am not sure.

MAHA

[goldhammer]

I stripped a set of GW turbines, then painted to match rig. Clear peeled on the alumn, but held on the painted slots. I'd paint and clear the slots and polish the fins to high shine. Masking will take a couple hours each. Have fun.

Any auto paint base / clear will do the job.

You can get a rattle can stripper at most auto paint supply stores called "Peeler" Takes off base/clear, usually does not eat factory primer, and the residue comes off dry, a lot nicer to work with than aircraft stripper where it is a gooey mess.

[Jayrodoh]

Glisten PC from por15 sticks nicely to aluminum. They have a wheel polishing kit that works well (if you have some elbow grease) if you wanted to polish them up nice and shiney. The glisten PC will never crack, fade, yellow, etc. I plan to use it on my 5 slots when I get them.

[crispyboy]

I stripped the wheels on my 90 GW. Wow that took a long time. I tried every chemical I could get my hands on plus a 3000 psi power washer. It took forever.
Then I started to polish them. This also got old quick.
I finally broke down and paid to have them polished. I then found the paint match and used the Glisten from Por15 and painted them myself.
All but one turned out very good - it was my screw up.
I'll find some pics to post sometime.

[Serious Johnson]

[quote=FSJ Guy]AIRCRAFT REMOVER??? Is that what they use when they want to clear the runway????? :lol:...quote]

Where you live, that would be called DEER REMOVER, and I wouldn't mind having a can o' that :) .

The aircraft stuff is just about the safest of the horribly caustic chemicals that'll quickly clean alimunium without overly buggering the finish (orange juice would do it better, but that takes a long, long time). It's specifically designed to react with just about everything except aluminum.

Media blasting works fine on painted and/or rusted iron, but ain't particularly wonderful on cast or sheet aluminum unless you keep going until the whole outer surface is blown off and you intend to re-polish the whole thing. Even then, it tends to drive contaminents down into the surface, making finish adhesion tricky.

Myself, I find that a good coating of mud keeps brake dust from eating into the wheels. Or at least I assume it might -- never washed 'em to find out.

S.J.

[padawan]

CrispyBoy, do oyu have any before and after pics?

[Luntec]

Here's a good write-up on restoring GW wheels. http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=72191

[padawan]

thanks for all the advice. i think i may try to give it a whirl.