All:
I have a set of Fikse wheels, that look great, but i notice a few spots where the clear coat on the technipolish (basically a machined, diamond cut) centers is worn a little.

I've consulted with Ye Olde Wheel Shop, and Fikse (who won't touch them with a 10-foot pole, and wanted to sell me NEW centers at $250/per), and neither say that it's possible to simply strip off the old clear coat and re-clear them.

Why am I not believing this? Plenty of paint strippers are out there that claim not to damage alluminum finishes... whats the big ******* problem?

-irritated

 

Case in point:
Wouldn't this stuff take off a clearcoat, and not etch or damage alluminum like it says? Whats the big deal here?

http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=188

 

It may not damage the aluminum, but it will likely oxidize it. So you'd have to repolish them anyway.

 

A strip, repolish, and clearcoat costs about $100 at wheel repair/refinishing places.

 

I don't want them polished though, I want them to stay the machined/diamond cut/technipolish (whatever you call it) finish they are now.

 

At Autozone I found a paint stripper in a spray can called something like Aero-strip (I'm sure that's not it but it was airplane something.) It worked great and is made for stripping paint from aluminum. I used it on my oil coolers after a body shop painted over them and it did a good job on the solid surfaces... came off with a toothbrush.

 

The clear coating may not be paint. I had a set of Enkei 3-piece wheels once, and had a tiny, tiny bit of curbage. Drove me nuts trying to refinish it. The clear on the polished lip turned out to be anodizing, and paint remover was not going to do it.

Here's some info that might help:

http://www.alphametal.com/anodizing.htm

 

I'm pretty sure it isn't annodizing... its a liquid clear coat that the apply (also over their annodized finishes)

P.S. if you ever want to remove annodizing (that hasn't been clear coated) use Easy Off oven cleaner. Takes it right off.