I have a set of aluminum rims off a Jeep that are corroded pretty bad. I'm thinking about trying to refinish them by first having them sandblasted enough to remove the clear coat and corrosion then having them painted. Has anyone here ever done this?

 

I think that's what wheel refinishers do. Then they sand it so pitts don't show up. Not like you can put bondo on a wheel.

Some refinishers will just sandpaper the whole thing, skipping the sandblasting. Takes longer, uses more.

 

I might be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere in these forums that sandblasting aluminum rims can increase the likelihood of a stress fracture or something like that.

 

DONT SAND BLAST!! it will pit and look like crap. its called beadblasting. its for aluminum. go to your local powdercoating shop they will do it

 

You could always get some "zep-a-lum". It's an acid for aluminum and works very well, a couple of coats and pressure washing will make em shine good and remove the corrosion. Might be tough to get ahold of in small volumes, it's an industrial solvent but it works great.

I find using that and then when dry, use mother's alum polish and bring the shine back out in it, works very well.

If anyone go's to find the chem. I'm talking about, be careful, it is an acid and will eat you up. It hurts alot in the eye and when you let it sit on your hands and skin for alittle while, it will remove the clearcoat from aluminum, along with grease and/or other foreign objects on the material. Speaking from experience, it will also eat the plutonite coating off of good sunglasses.....remove the oakleys and wear safety glasses. Also makes an aluminum intake shine like a mirror.

 

Muriatic acid should also work to clean the rims and it's available at the local hardware store. Just remember any acid will remove a clear coat and will require a wax or polish to keep from dulling.