Aluminum Wheel Refinishing Hub Cap

1. Raise and suitably support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle in General Information.
2. Remove the tire and wheel assembly. Refer to Wheel Removal .

Notice: Failure to hit the cap squarely without the load distributed evenly could result in permanent damage to the cap.

3. Remove the hub cap. Place a block of wood approximately 50 mm (2 in) in diameter with a squared off end against the back surface of the cap. A sharp hammer blow on the block of wood will remove the cap.

Notice: Failure to hit the cap squarely without the load distributed evenly could result in permanent damage to the cap.

1. Install the hub cap. Place the cap into position at the wheel opening and place a block of wood at least 75 mm (3 in) on diameter against the cap face. Install the cap by striking the block of wood with a hammer.
2. Install tire and wheel assembly. Refer to Wheel Installation .

Aluminum Wheel Refinishing Procedure

A protective clear or color coating is applied to the surface of original equipment cast aluminum wheels. A surface degradation condition may begin to develop if this clear coating is damaged or removed. This may happen at some automatic car wash facilities using aggressive silicon carbide tipped tire brushes to clean white walls and tires. Once the protective coating is damaged, exposure to caustic cleaners and/or road salt further causes surface degradation. The following procedure details how to strip, clean and coat aluminum wheels that are affected by these conditions.

Use the following required materials:

1. Amchem Alumi Prep number 33 -- stock number DX 533 or equivalent -- cleaning and conditioning chemical for aluminum.
2. Amchem Alodine number 1001 -- stock number DX50T or equivalent -- coating chemical for aluminum.
3. Ditzler Delclear Acrylic Urethane Clear -- stock number DAU-75 or equivalent.
4. Ditzler Delthane Ultra-Urethane Additive -- stock DXR-80 or equivalent.

1. Remove the wheel and tire assembly from the vehicle. Refer to Wheel Removal .
2. Match mark the tire for reinstallation of the outboard wheel weights after the recoating of the wheel.
3. Remove the outboard wheel weights.
4. Clean the wheel inside and out with a water base all purpose cleaner. Remove grease or oil with a solvent cleaner.
5. Sand over painted areas that do not require recoloring with number 400 grit (wet or dry) to promote adhesion of clear coat.
6. For surface damage use the following procedure:

Caution: Do not use vehicle power to rotate the wheel while sanding to avoid personal injury.

6.1.	Mount the tire and wheel on the brake lathe and spin slowly.

Notice: Do not use an abrasive coarser than 80 grit or wheel may be damaged.

6.2.	Sand the wheel with a backing block or pad by holding the abrasive flat to the surface of the wheel and moving it slowly back and forth from the center to the outer edge to remove damage. Use the following sandpaper grits in the order listed:

•	Sand with number 80 grit sandpaper.

•	Sand with number 150 grit sandpaper.

•	Sand with number 240 grit sandpaper.

7. Continue with the Recoating Procedure. Refer to Aluminum Wheel Recoating .

Clearcoat Damage on Unpainted Wheels

Caution: Use of rubber gloves and eye protection is necessary to prevent personal injury.

1. Apply a chemical stripper.
2. Allow the stripper to penetrate coating.
3. Use a small ¼ inch detail brush dipped in stripper in order to apply material around the perimeter and spoke-like areas.
4. Remove the stripper following the manufacturers recommendations.

Caution: Do not use vehicle power to rotate the wheel while sanding to avoid personal injury.

5. Sand the wheel with a 240 grit while rotating the wheel on a slow spinning brake lathe or by mounting on vehicle and spinning by hand. This will restore the machined appearance and promote adhesion.
6. Continue with the Recoating Procedure. Refer to Aluminum Wheel Recoating .