Clear Coat on Trail Wheels

Just got some new Take Off's there is some light scratches in the Clear on them. Can't feel them but in the right light you can see them. They are not on the truck yet, anything someone could suggest I can use to blend it in and then seal them with?

 

I’d try some Megs ScratchX on a foam pad by hand. Go light on the polish so not too much lubrication preventing the abrasives from going to work. And remember that clear coat can be very thin on edges.

 

Seal them with anything you want. ScratchX doesn’t have a wax/sealant component.

 

Hey Rick,
Throw up some photos if you can.

Are they painted/clearcoated?

Assuming that they are:
Since you can't feel the scratches, you should be able to remove them with compound and polish. You could use a random orbital polisher on the wheel faces. If the scratches aren't accessible with a polisher (like on the sides of the spokes), you can use the compound and polish by hand.
Apply and work in some polish with a microfiber towel,wipe away the residue and check your results. It may take a couple applications.
Start with the least aggressive polish first, thereby saving as much clear coat as possible.
If a finish polish isn't yielding good results, use a more aggressive compound, then follow that up with a finish polish.

Harpolith's suggestion of Megs ScratchX is good and available at most auto parts stores. His suggestion to seal them after polishing is a good one also.

If it was me, I'd polish the wheels and seal them with a ceramic coating. The coating repels dirt and grime and makes cleaning them much easier.
This is what I use on both my paint and wheels- Here is a photo of my truck from a couple years ago.

 

I’ve been curious about that DG enviroshield. Glad to hear you had luck with it.

FYI the ScratchX is a super-micro abrasive (“SMAT” in Megs jargon). It’s a non diminishing abrasive. So you can stop anywhere in the buffing cycle. Tailor the “cut” with your applicator selection and pressure. Foam and light touch to start. If you need more cut, go to microfiber.

Remember you can really cut through clear by hand with pressure focused on a finger tip (creating “valleys”). Just be smart and you’ll be ok. Good advice above. Start easy, go with more gusto only if needed.

 

Harpolith - I like the Enviroshield. It lasts about a year, is user friendly and is reasonably priced.


Unchained- Ideally these rims are not on the vehicle yet. It is much easier to polish and seal while they are off the truck.

 

Fuck how did I not get one of these fucking notifications? I used Ultimate Compound and it worked great. Finished them with some Blackfire Sealant and they look sweet.

 

Shined up sweet.

 

Thanks @harpolith @wmb67

 

How often does that Ceramic Coating need to be applied?

 

Typically the coatings I have seen for wheels usually last a year. I don't think my 2 year paint coating lasted that long on the wheels. I am assuming due to the heat generated.

 

McKee's 37 (Autogeek) has a wheel coating for $35. You won't find a wheel specific coating for less money. Their paint coating is $45. Also the cheapest on the market. I've not used either, but they get great reviews on the forum.

 

@Unchained 5150

When are you gonna get these bad boys put on the truck Rick?! Cant wait to see how it looks!

 

Been waiting a week now for the black lugs/locks, sensors. And the TRD Pro Red Center Caps don't come until next Tuesday.

 

First pic is how they sit in the garage, and the secnd pic is the one Gunny from Camelback sent me with the 2017 TRD Pro Center Cap in. Definitely going with the red as it will accent the truck better.

 

Ill be waiting to check em out!

Do you know if you have to mod the center caps any to get them to work?

 

Gonna look sweeeet!

 

No mod needed just took all the round snap rings out the old Center Caps and they will fit in the new one's

 

I'm hoping as the current 5 Bronze Beadlock's are already sold with the tires

 

You gonna find a single wheel for your hitchgate so they all match? I think i remember reading elsewhere that you picked up a set of 4?