I need tips on how to clean my wheels and ready them for paint. I know the obvious, which is take the tires off. lol But I need help on what kind of cleaner to use, brushes, etc.

All help is very much appreciated!! And thank you!!

 

I used steel wool , it worked great . The rims were in pretty bad shape when I started now they are nice and smooth .

 

I was thinking of using steel wool, but someone told me once that it's a bad idea cause it leaves a lot of scratches that are hard to cover up with paint.

You know what they say, one tiny little flaw is a HUGE catastrophe in black.

Also, if anyone can find a thread that already explains this, I'd appreciate that, too. I tried but couldn't find anything useful to me. All I could find was how to strip of the clear coat.

 

Like I said mine turned out great , super smooth . I'm not to great at posting pictures but I have friday off work and I'll see if I can get you a picture ( Before and after ). I can't really beleave how smooth it made them , It almost polished them more than anything .

 

It depends on the steel wool. I have used it before with great results. You have to start out with course wool, and gradually get finer, just like you would with sandpaper.

 

I was a little worried about scratches so i went with the fine stuff the hole way , it took some arm work (alot).

 

I purchased a new vette in '81 and after a few years the thin clear coat wore away so I did basically the same as stated in this thread however I completed the process by buffing the wheels with a mild rubbing/polishing compound and finishing them off using jeweler's rouge. Other than a periodic coat of wax they looked great for years and were simple to maintain.

 

I used a scotch brite pad.
I tried using a wirewheel, but it did scratch the wheels up a little bit.
The wheels got powdercoated, so it's covered up anyway, but if your worried about scratches, use a scotch brite pad/ semi fine sandpaper/steel wool