General Information

A protective Clearcoat and/or base color is applied to the surface of original equipment cast aluminum wheels. Surface degradation can begin to develop if the wrong balance weights are used, or frequent, repeated automatic car wash cleaning abrades or wears off the factory applied protective Clearcoat and base color. This can happen at some automatic car wash facilities using aggressive silicon carbide tipped tire brushes to clean white walls and tires. Once the protective Clearcoat is damaged, exposure to caustic cleaners and/or road salt causes further surface degradation. The refinishing of aluminum wheels requires that the wheel surface be plastic media blasted to remove old Clearcoat or paint. The re-machining or use of chemical strippers is not recommended due to concerns of repair durability. The service procedure details how to strip, clean and recoat aluminum wheel rims that are affected by the above condition.