Can the paint be removed from these rims

[sauceman]

Hello everyone. I saw these 15" aluminum rims that would be perfect for my ranger. Problem is the owner painted them black. Can the black paint be stripped completely
from the aluminum surface, so these rims could be polished and restored to factory condition?

 

[Ranger850]

soda blaster should do the trick to remove the paint. Then polish and clear.

 

[sauceman]

soda blaster should do the trick to remove the paint. Then polish and clear.

Do you think paint stripper would do the trick?

 

[Ranger850]

Do you think paint stripper would do the trick?

Probably. May be overkill since that's probably just flat black paint from a rattle can. A light scuffing with fine grit sandpaper may do the job just as well. Stripper will get into the tight areas easier.

 

[Snoranger]

Most likely, the owner painted them because the clear coat was messed up and the aluminum started oxidizing. You will probably have to remove the paint, the factory clear coat, and clean up the aluminum in a bunch of spots.
Having them soda blasted would be the quickest way to repair everything in one shot.

 

[Ranger850]

^^^^This is why I mentioned Soda Blasting. Get straight to the metal without damaging it

 

[sauceman]

^^^^This is why I mentioned Soda Blasting. Get straight to the metal without damaging it

That might be a good idea. I expect to remove old clear coat an do a thorough polishing of the wheels. Ive done this process on my current set of rims and they turned out great, but they are only 14" and Im looking to put the 15" on

 

[Ranger850]

I did this to My ugly wheels. The clearcoat was like a plastic coating that was flaking/peeling off.

My 88 D21

This is the 88 Nissan Hard Body "D21" This is the day I first parked it in the yard. It was worse for ware. At first glance, It was ugly to say the least. When you got up close, it was even uglier. The Hood and PS fender had obviously been replaced, so it has been wrecked, :poop:, The...

www.therangerstation.com

 

[rubydist]

I used Klean Strip stripper that I got at Home Depot and it did a good job of taking off the factory clear that was peeling in spots. Then I scuffed and painted, but you could just polish them as well.

 

[4x4prepper]

If they were rattled canned, then brake cleaner would probably remove it.

> so these rims could be polished and restored to factory condition

Having done tractor (tractor as in tractor trailer) aluminum rims to a mirror finish, as part of my job, if it has clear coat as people have noted, it probably has to be completely removed. Once you have polished the metal as much as possible, you have to protect it with a wax or coating as it will oxidize fairly rapidly.

I would test the polishing on a back part of the rim before stripping as some alloys can not be brightened and polished.

You did not mention price, around in the Atlanta GA area, those are $100-$125 for a set of 4, if that.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Soda blasting is slower than sand or glass-bead blasting. It's the best option for those rims, but be aware of this.