# Can you clear coat bare aluminum wheels? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761 "2012-02-25T11:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![38stang](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/38stang/32/7479_2.png) [@38stang](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/38stang)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/1 "2012-02-25T11:20:50Z")
Ok I have a set of Weld Draglites for my track wheels. A friend went to go wash them for me and etched them with an strong wheel spray. I’ve polished them back to like-new one and then tried sealing them with wax. While that worked it didn’t last. To kill time this winter I’ve re-polished them back but I don’t want to continue doing this. Now that I have them nice and shiny again can I just “seal” them with clear coat? For reference google pic of wheel: ![http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/wld-90-755344_cp.jpg](http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/wld-90-755344_cp.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ieatpaint](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ieatpaint/32/7311_2.png) [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/2 "2012-02-25T11:25:45Z")
Yeah you can. You will want to strip any factory clear that’s on them, clean them up really well, steel wool them, clean again, wipe with lacquer thinner and use a catalyzed clear. POR15 makes a product for what you want to do, it’s called glisten. [http://www.por15.com/GLISTEN-PC/productinfo/GPCGG/](http://www.por15.com/GLISTEN-PC/productinfo/GPCGG/) You can also buy 2k clear in aerosol cans, I know Al-Wil sells it. ---
**Author:** ![38stang](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/38stang/32/7479_2.png) [@38stang](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/38stang)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/3 "2012-02-25T11:28:06Z")
I had to use rubbing compound, then polishing compound, then a aluminum polish to get them finally back to like-new shine. Can I just clean them with a lacquer thinner from this point and spray a clear? ---
**Author:** ![robftw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@robftw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robftw)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/4 "2012-02-25T11:53:17Z")
Use urethane clear ---
**Author:** ![joelster](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joelster/32/7258_2.png) [@joelster](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/joelster)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/5 "2012-02-25T11:55:40Z")
> [@ieatpaint](#): > > Yeah you can. You will want to strip any factory clear that’s on them, clean them up really well, **steel wool them** , clean again, wipe with lacquer thinner and use a catalyzed clear. POR15 makes a product for what you want to do, it’s called glisten. > > [http://www.por15.com/GLISTEN-PC/productinfo/GPCGG/](http://www.por15.com/GLISTEN-PC/productinfo/GPCGG/) > > You can also buy 2k clear in aerosol cans, I know Al-Wil sells it. Steel wool to aluminum? ---
**Author:** ![KuntryQuestTSi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/kuntryquesttsi/32/5010_2.png) [@KuntryQuestTSi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KuntryQuestTSi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/6 "2012-02-25T12:04:40Z")
> [@joelster](#): > > Steel wool to aluminum? 00000 as fine as possible. I did it with my conquest rims. clear ina spray cannned them. worked fine. ---
**Author:** ![somedude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@somedude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/somedude)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/7 "2012-02-25T12:12:29Z")
I cleared my sho intake on my turbo car. Five years later it still looks great. I don’t have any first hand exp with clear on rims. ---
**Author:** ![ieatpaint](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ieatpaint/32/7311_2.png) [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/8 "2012-02-25T13:10:36Z")
If you’re sure the clear is gone then you can use lacquer thinner. You just have to be 100% sure all of your compounds and polishes are gone or else you’ll get fish-eyes. Yeah, 0000 steel wool. You’ve got to put some tooth so the clear will stick. If you do want to go the aerosol way, spend the extra few bucks and get the 2k clear as it’s more durable and will have a higher shine for longer. A very fine scotch brite pad would work too and you won’t have to be concerned with any steel wool particles left behind that may rust. ---
**Author:** ![38stang](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/38stang/32/7479_2.png) [@38stang](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/38stang)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/9 "2012-02-25T13:19:58Z")
Thanks I’ll stop by al wil and get some ---
**Author:** ![tpgsr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tpgsr/32/7374_2.png) [@tpgsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/tpgsr)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/10 "2012-02-25T19:06:19Z")
Yeah I agree on being leary of steel wool. Any particles that embed will cause galvanic corrosion under the clear and ultimately failure of the clear. Posted from tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![ieatpaint](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ieatpaint/32/7311_2.png) [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/11 "2012-02-26T05:46:41Z")
When you go to Al-Wil they can sell you a scotch-brite that’s equivalent to 0000, I think it’s the yellow ones. ---
**Author:** ![breakstuff](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/breakstuff/32/5413_2.png) [@breakstuff](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/breakstuff)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/12 "2012-02-26T18:49:00Z")
I’d try an adhesion promoter if you want the clear to stick to a polished surface ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/13 "2012-02-26T18:51:15Z")
I can’t think of the application right now but it may be called alodine. It is used on aluminum parts that are to be painted. ---
**Author:** ![HotRodKid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/hotrodkid/32/7609_2.png) [@HotRodKid](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/HotRodKid)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/can-you-clear-coat-bare-aluminum-wheels/220761/14 "2012-02-26T19:33:28Z")
Shine seal (the new Zoop seal) is also great stuff for polished aluminium. Look it up. its meant to stick to mirror shine aluminum, where as paint prefers a roughened surface for adhesion.