DIY - Wheel Refinishing

[sepehr]

Don't grind aluminum especially with a wheel thats meant for steel.
The reasons:

1) The fumes you let off are not very good for you: aluminum is highly reactive, when it gets into your lungs itll pull away oxygen from your lung tissue to form very stable aluminate (the layer of dull material that builds up on aluminum parts and prevents further corrosion). It is also known to settle in your brain, definately not a good thing.

2) If you have fine aluminum powder (as you would when you grind it) and anything with iron in it in the area, you could set off a thermite reaction, which is not pretty.
Fe2O3(s) + 2Al(s) → Al2O3(s) + 2Fe(s);
That type of reaction is used in incendiary bombs. It will get hot enough to make iron react with oxygen instantaneously, and violently. Never seen iron react at high temperature? Watch someone torch-cut. You could do yourself real injury. Boom. Pretty fireworks...

Here's an extreme version of what I'm talking about. Obviously you won't have that much fine iron and aluminum but you get the idea:

http://www.guzer.com/videos/thermite_car.php

Finally, if you really must grind aluminum, use some form of lubrication/coolant, and the proper grinding wheel, wear your face-shield and gloves and be very careful. Don't let the piece get hot.

[Garageaholic]

Your wheels look good, but lets not go overboard with "smoothness." They are wheels, subject to chips, high head, curbs and brake dust. They don't have to be perfect, and the longer you spend making them perfect, the longer you will cry when your girlfriend/wife curb it in the mcdonalds drive thru.

nope, you're absolutely right, that's why toward the end, i wasnt' so....meticulous... but if you take care of it, they last a while.. and yes, i did get chips in it. and the first chip i got in it, i was very disappointed, but that's what happens..

[nando]

the balance of your wheels are gunna be out of wack now that you have parts of the lip shaved off, wont they?
Seems like this would completely throw the wheels off balance.

uhh, that's why you have them balanced... no wheel most of us can afford is going to be perfectly balanced anway, even brand new.

[nando]

That's why you put 5 coats on.. all you are sanding down is the high spots until it looks smooth. After you sanded it down with 2000 grit, you use car polishing compound to finalize it,, then wax it

Its what I did, and it worked great, didn't pit, it shined (with proper care)
and i got alot of comments on it

the sanding down takes a loong time, so be patient

if you have to sand down the clear coat to make it look smooth you put it on wrong in the first place. but whatever, your wheels look good.

and yeah, no point in making them perfect, nobody will notice a small scratch or chip from 5 feet away, especially when you're moving.

also, if my gf/wife curbed my rims she'd be sleeping on the porch!

[Axxe]

Your wheels look good, but lets not go overboard with "smoothness." They are wheels, subject to chips, high head, curbs and brake dust. They don't have to be perfect, and the longer you spend making them perfect, the longer you will cry when your girlfriend/wife curb it in the mcdonalds drive thru.

[Garageaholic]

That's why you put 5 coats on.. all you are sanding down is the high spots until it looks smooth. After you sanded it down with 2000 grit, you use car polishing compound to finalize it,, then wax it

Its what I did, and it worked great, didn't pit, it shined (with proper care)
and i got alot of comments on it

the sanding down takes a loong time, so be patient

[Axxe]

No, do not sand the clear coat.

[MitchFong]

mm those wheels are hawt.. so once you done(5 coats of clear coat) and you sand them with 2000grit sand paper, do you need to re-clear coat it? Or does the clear coat stay on after you sand them with the very fine sand paper?

[Garageaholic]

[Garageaholic]

It's a long process, but it works, and if it's done right (the DIY way), then they should last a while without pitting. You have to clean and wax them often to keep the luster though.

Sand (scuff the surface) with brillo or i used 100grit paper
obviously tape what you dont want painted/sanded
put 3 coats of etching primer on the wheels
wait 3 min between coats, and then put as many coats of paint you want
i put 4 coats.. and that was fine
I waited till the next day, then put like 5 coats of clear coat
waited another day, then sanded the clear coat with 1500-2000 grit paper
it really made it shine and got rid of the "orange peel" look of paint, gave it a nice luster
i waxed the wheels 1ce a week, and they are still shining

check out my pics in my gallery of my red rims

[Garageaholic]

I refinished my 6 spoke aftermarket wheels from curb rash and then painted them. I had no problem with balancing problems.

[MitchFong]

the balance of your wheels are gunna be out of wack now that you have parts of the lip shaved off, wont they?
Seems like this would completely throw the wheels off balance.

[Hick]

DAMN! i like the polished lip, ill have to try that with my 16"ers

[nickmp0wer]

My wheel refinish write up

I saw the other thread about refinishing wheels, and thought i might as well post mine too.

http://nicktenhulzen.com/wheelssub.htm

EDIT - This post was merged from another thread.

[Hick]

Hardware store, its with the paint, oddly enough