I hope someone has a cheap fix for this one. Just spent close to a grand on replacing front end parts on my 06.
Getting ready to put my good wheels back on and found some areas on one of the wheels has some clear coat flaking off. not big areas but very noticeable. Any quick fix ideas?

 

In my opinion, it's easier to do the whole rim rather than try to touch up peeling areas. If it's peeling in one area, it's highly likely to continue in others, and when you touch up an area, you'll always see the border of the area unless you spend a lot of time fine sanding and buffing. I picked up an approach from a jeep site that I've used on several sets of rims and they always turn out pretty good - even the ones that had oxidation spots on them. The whole process is the easiest to apply to rims without rubber, but if the tires are on, just be careful to mask it all off - including the valve stem.

Here's what I do:

• Get a can or 2 of spray-on stripper and spray the rims to remove ALL the clear coat. The stripper that you can get at an auto parts place is good (brush on strippers are OK, they're just more inconvenient to use).
• Wash the rims really good after you do this.
• If the rims have the grey oxidation spots on them, use a spray-on oven cleaner, let it sit on the area, then brush it good and wash the whole rim again. This won't return the polish, but it will remove the oxide and make that area the same aluminum color as the rest of the rim. If you look close, you'll see the rougher area that was oxidized, but otherwise, it's a good, quick, cheap fix.
• Get a couple of cans of clear coat for rims - it's different than paint clear-coat, and apply this after the rims are fully dry from washing. Keep the rims lying flat, this keeps any potential running to a minimum. Put on a couple of coats and let this dry and you're all done without the need to sand, buff to a shine, etc. & no special tools are needed.

 

Getting ready to do this on my wheels next weekend!

 

If the rubber is still on the rims, make sure it's well masked from the rim, you don't want the stripper or the oven cleaner to get between the lip of the rim and the tire. I use regular masking tape all around & cut open a garbage bag to tape over each tire to keep the various spray mists from marking them.

If the rubber isn't on the rim, I just mask the inside of the rim lip all the way around to keep all the stuff off the area where the tire will mount.