LX450 wheel refinishing (1 Viewer)

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Joined
May 24, 2016
Threads
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192
Location
Lake Orion MI
Note: I have all cross posted this in the tire and wheel tech section.

I have a set of LX450 Wheels that were included in the purchase of my LC. They are kind of scuffed up so wanted to refinish but it looks like these are more than just a simple repaint. Am I correct in thinking they have some kind of machine cut finish? If so, does anyone know if a good shop to do the work?
 
This is probably the route I would go, but obviously not the most economical. I looked into this when I needed some matching LX wheels for a trailer I’m having built, but ended up finding a set nearby where 2 of the 4 were in really good shape. I did not inquire with them about trading in wheels for ones they’ve refinished, but may be worth asking.


Also, @dogfishlake would likely be able to do or know who would do similar work in Michigan…
 
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If they are like the land cruiser wheels they are clear coated aluminum. This means you cannot just polish them up like raw aluminum wheels since you are actually working on a "painted" surface vs a machined metal.

An option if you aren't as concerned with them being super shiny, is to sand off all of the clear coating and then smooth out and scraps or scuffs with a scotch bright pad. I did the wheels on my crusier (different style but I assume same finish) by sanding them with 60 grit until the clear coat was gone and all the damage was smoothed out. Then I sanded with 220 grits, 600 grit and 1000 grit. I stopped there because these wheels just get beat up but you could keep going finer to get a more polished surface. After the 1000 grit I cleaned up everything with some polishing compound and then used an aluminum wheel cleaner/sealer for the final step. They look far better than they did with the pealing clear and the road damage. I will have to reapply the cleaner/sealer to keep them looking good but that's like once a year for me.

I also sanded the painted areas on the inner part of the wheels and resprayed those with Duplicolor wheel paint.

This is a good option if you aren't doing a full restore and you don't mind a few hours of labor. With all the sand paper and paint I probably have $40 into all 5 (did the spare too) wheels.

Before:
IMG_0489.JPEG



After:
IMG_0490.JPEG
 
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If they are like the land cruiser wheels they are clear coated aluminum. This means you cannot just polish them up like raw aluminum wheels since you are actually working on a "painted" surface vs a machined metal.

An option if you aren't as concerned with them being super shiny, is to sand off all of the clear coating and then smooth out and scraps or scuffs with a scotch bright pad. I did the wheels on my crusier (different style but I assume same finish) by sanding them with 60 grit until the clear coat was gone and all the damage was smoothed out. Then I sanded with 220 grits, 600 grit and 1000 grit. I stopped there because these wheels just get beat up but you could keep going finer to get a more polished surface. After the 1000 grit I cleaned up everything with some polishing compound and then used an aluminum wheel cleaner/sealer for the final step. They look far better than they did with the pealing clear and the road damage. I will have to reapply the cleaner/sealer to keep them looking good but that's like once a year for me.

I also sanded the painted areas on the inner part of the wheels and resprayed those with Duplicolor wheel paint.

This is a good option if you aren't doing a full restore and you don't mind a few hours of labor. With all the sand paper and paint I probably have $40 into all 5 (did the spare too) wheels.

Before:
View attachment 3184985


After:
View attachment 3184986
Those look great, Pasco! Definitely worth considering.
 
@Pascoscout has it perfect. It takes a few hours per wheel if you're working hard at it and getting great results. Once it's done though, they look great.
 
Here's a video of a refurb that looks great..

 

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