Seeking opinions before I get my wheels refinished

Matt S.

Matt S.

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Well, the wheels on my Z06 seem to have brake dust baked INTO the clearcoat.

This is only a problem on the front wheels. I have tried Klasse AIO (usually takes care of any embedded brake dust) and clay. Neither worked. The previous owner must have used some pretty nasty wheel cleaner, since the paint on the centercaps is also worn through.

I just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas/suggestions on products to try before I dismount my tires and take the wheels to get powdercoated. The finish is most likely done, but hey, maybe there's some secret product/process I don't know about so it's worth asking. :cheers:
 
+1 for powder coating. If you wanted something on a budget the 1Z German silver wheel paint is good. Top that with the Wurth clear gloss. I used those on some Audi wheels and surprised myself how good they turned-out. Two cans of each is more than enough to do all of your wheels ; multiple coats.
 
Thanks for the suggestion Jimmie. I can't find pics of that one silver Z06 that had the lighter silver wheels, but anyways I think I want to stick with the factory gunmetal color.
 
Oh and if I am getting them powdercoated...I suppose I COULD try the Wurth beforehand and see how it turns out anyways, and maybe do a little write-up for those who may be interested. :cheers:
 
Matt -

I had a semi-frozen caliper while I was on a road trip . So it had some decent miles before I got home.

I tried similar means like you mentioned. I ended up doing a full decontamination was followed by heavy clay...and then I polished them back up due to the heavy clay.

Alot of f'en work.....but that did the trick for me.
 
Hmm...now you've got me thinking. I will have to look into that before going through all the trouble of getting them powdercoated!
 
[email protected] said:
Hmm...now you've got me thinking. I will have to look into that before going through all the trouble of getting them powdercoated!
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Try either PB Spray and Rinse or/and Megs Wheel Brightener. Some seriously toxic and aggressive stuff, but for the worst of the worst wheels, does an excellent job. Let Dwell, agitate, spray off with high pressure. Reapply if necessary.
 
look for a company, believe they are called Panther, which machines the Z06 wheels. Not high polished or chrome, but dang they stand out over the traditional painted and bright wheels.
 
An acid-based wheel cleaner should burn the dust out of the clear without harming the clearcoat (dissolves metals but not paint). Meg's WB 1:1 has done it for me on several wheels that I felt were beyond repair before, including a BMW that hadn't had it's wheels cleaned in a year and a half.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll update this thread when I have time to clean the car...hopefully tomorrow night!

Scott - I would love to have my wheels refinished by Panther, but with shipping costs it will run about $900 and I will be without my wheels for about a month. Way too much hassle. :(
They do some of the nicest work I've seen, though...that's for sure.
 
I've read from a few folks here that #501 really deep cleans painted surfaces. Probably better then KAIO since boats and the like encounter more crap.
 
RTexasF said:
Duragloss #501.
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yes...it does deep clean..on another forum ..a woman had some real bad wheels..she clayed...Klasse AIO...wheel cleaner...I told her to use DG 501 and a fingernail brush...she PM'd me back and called me a hero...the stuff really cleans...best paint cleaner I have used and the kicker is it protects also...

not saying it will work for you..but when Max is not looking grab a bottle and try it...can't hurt to try it...LOL....

AL
 
I will be trying PB Spray & Rinse and Duragloss 501 tonight. I'll let you guys know how it works out. :)
 
Well, looks like that combo took care of matters pretty well. They're not 100%, but I would say 95%, which is good enough to not need a repaint.

I sprayed Spray & Rinse on the wheels (after thorough rinsing/cooldown), and let sit for about 5 minutes. I then agitated with a soft wheel brush and this alone took care of most of it. I then repeated the process, but used my old sheepskin wheel mitt to clean them.

After I was done washing the whole car, I went over the wheels with DG 501 and a microfiber glove and they came out looking great.

I went to take pics but it seems that I lost my SD card at school or something. :(

Anyways I just wanted to thank all of you...I wasn't really used to dealing with brake dust this bad!
 
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