Metal Polish on Corvette Rims

[AVA182]

My neighbor has a 2006 corvette with stock rims and there is some break dust and other stuff that Is embedded into the rim(mainly the corners of the spoke)...stuff that GWC won't touch. Does the metal polish take those out or is their something else that I have to do?

 

Thanks,

kgregg97

[Chris@Adams]

Post up some before & after pics!

[Team Adam's]

Yep... those wheels are clear coated. That would be the finish GM designates "polished" on the build sheet, but they're clear coated aluminum so treat them just like paint.

[Team Adam's]

If they are factory GM wheels, they almost certainly have clear on them.

[DemoN]

do a couple of passes with MP#2 and a blue app. if you get black residue....there's no clear.

[Redbeard]

So treat these like they're painted? Good to know, I'm preparing to give my Dad's 06 the full treatment including metal polish on the wheels.

(note: this is a random pic I found through Google image search)

His aren't quite this bad, but do I need to be careful around the logo on the center cap?

[mikeg6045]

any pics ?

 

ive had wheels that got clearcoat damage and the brake dust makes it way underneath the clear in the corners and edges. and basically nothing short of a new finish will solve it. Sounds like what your describing.

 

For some reason most manufacturers clearcoat process when doing wheels is not up to par with there paintjob clearcoat's on the cars. I guess the quality control checks are too a much lower standard.

 

German cars have a horrible reputation for clearcoat problems on wheels. yet there paintjob/clearcoat on the cars are superior to the rest of the world.

[TR6speed]

Are we sure that the stock corvette rims are cleared though?

 

Corvette came with three types of wheel options in 2006. Gray painted Competition Aluminum (not sure if they were clearcoated), Polished Aluminum (clearcoated) and Chrome Aluminum. You will be able to tell the difference in the polished and the painted, as well as the chrome.

[Kustom_FX]

FWIW you can pretty much clay any type of wheel, clear coated or not. Clay works just as well on polished aluminum as it does on paint, powdercoat, etc.

 

 

I can attest to this! I had a set of old billet wheels that I pulled from the rafters after 10 years and I clayed them and polished them, then hit with some Americana. They are now in my showroom for sale! LOL

[70'sChevyGirl]

Post up some before & after pics!

I like rims pics!

[AVA182]

Thanks. I hope that that will remove all of the stuff in the

rims.

[Team Adam's]

Yes... 99.9% of factory wheels anymore are clear coated, unless they're chrome, in which case a lot of them still are cleared, but some are not.

 

FWIW you can pretty much clay any type of wheel, clear coated or not. Clay works just as well on polished aluminum as it does on paint, powdercoat, etc.

[AVA182]

Are we sure that the stock corvette rims are cleared though?

[DanFish]

This is kinda of a stupid question but can you clay them...i'm going to go with a no but im just wondering.

 

Yes you can clay them if they have a clear coat, just make sure to not use the clay on the paint after!

 

haha, beat ya Dylan!

[AVA182]

This is kinda of a stupid question but can you clay them...i'm going to go with a no but im just wondering.

[Team Adam's]

No problem. Be sure to treat them to a coat of wax after your done too... it'll make them easier to keep clean in the future.

[AVA182]

If they're factory wheels they're clear coated and as such you won't use metal polish on them. The standard paint polishes would be the right choice (SHR, FMP, Revive, etc)

 

Oh...Ill have to try some SHR than...Thanks

[Team Adam's]

If they're factory wheels they're clear coated and as such you won't use metal polish on them. The standard paint polishes would be the right choice (SHR, FMP, Revive, etc)