Chevy 8 Lug Wheels, Finish Coming Off? What To Do?

[68rs327]

I have a 2003 Silverado 1500HD. It has the 8 lug factor GM aluminum wheels on it.

The clear coat is coming off the wheels, almost like it is peeling. Now the wheels are

starting to pit. I had another Silverado with the same problem. This seems to be a Problem

that GM has had for several years? Is their anything I can do to fix the problem? Has anyone

ever sprayed clear coat on the wheels to repair the problem? Someone told me to strip off all the

clear coat and just polish the wheels? Have any of you guys ever tried this?

Thanks for the help guys.

[markw8]

Your wheels must have seen a lot of salt without being washed. When I traded my 2000 last summer the wheels still looked good, and I live in the rust belt. I don't know the cost, but but consider a shop that will strip, polish and powdercoat them.

 

Mark.

[compulynx]

Your wheels must have seen a lot of salt without being washed. When I traded my 2000 last summer the wheels still looked good, and I live in the rust belt. I don't know the cost, but but consider a shop that will strip, polish and powdercoat them.

 

Mark.

 

 

Can you get clear powdercoat?

 

C

[Stevens03]

Surprisingly there are many shots that can refurbish them to new condition for a VERY reasonable price.

 

I'd start checking around your area and see what you can find. Otherwise, powder coating them is another reasonable option.

[68rs327]

Your wheels must have seen a lot of salt without being washed. When I traded my 2000 last summer the wheels still looked good, and I live in the rust belt. I don't know the cost, but but consider a shop that will strip, polish and powdercoat them.

 

Mark.

The truck hasn't seen that much salt. I live in Ky, not like I live way up north.

This is the second Chevy I have had with this problem. When I got new tires for my 98 Silverado the guy who put the tires on said he sees a lot of chevy truck rims with this problem. He thought GM would recall the rims someday because of there being so many trucks with this problem. He thought it was from the wheel weights having a reaction with the aluminum wheel?

The corrosion is only around where the wheel weights are or where they once were. It is like they are pitted and being eat up.

The 03 I just bought has the clear finish flaking off of them, the clear coat is coming off. I was wondering if they made some sort of clear coat that I could spray on them?

Thanks

[markw8]

They should be able to do many colors, clear and even chrome appearing.

 

Mark.

[sonjaab]

MY 16 inch PYOs on both my 01 and 04 looked like brand new after 3

years of severe winters and snowplowing duty when I traded those

trucks in.

 

The 16 inch PYOs on my 07 gmt-900 are on their 3rd winter and they

are also pitting and the clearcoat is cracking and turning black in the

cracks. No peeling tho.

I took it to the dealer as its still under warranty and the dealer ordered

me 4 "new" wheels. I was also told that the replacement PYOs may or

may not be new but actually refurbished !

I did call another dealer and was also told that any replacements may

be new or refurbished so the first dealer wasn't BSing me !

 

Another quality part made in Hungary by Alcoa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And yes I know how to care for clearcoat rims................

Hand wash and a bit of car wax only............

NO chrome cleaner stuff or brillo/scotchguard pads either!

[Rat4go]

When you decide what to do with the finish on the wheels and get the tires remounted, have the local tire place use TAPE weights for ballancing the outside. If they do it right, they won't fall off except in very extreme off-roading. I'm convinced that the wheel weights killed the rims on my '03 (Weights were NOT OEM...I had 285 tires installed with 100 miles on the truck and the local place used whatever weights they normally use). My wheels were pretty messed up after about 3.5 years of Michigan driving.

 

At the time that I replaced the first set of 285's, I scored some take-offs from ebay for a decent price. Supposedly these wheels were from another 2003, but the date stamp on them was almost a full year older than my original wheels, so I'm skeptical, but...... I used the tape weigh set-up when I had the new rubber mounted to the 'new' wheels and now, another 3.5 years later, they look almost brand new when the first set was toast in the same amount of time/miles/environment. This tire store does free rotations and balance since I bought my tires from them, so if I loose a tape weight, it's fixed free. In 3.5 years, I've only lost 1....on the a front rim when I was bombing 2-tracks in the snow and filled the rims with snow. I think I knocked it off when I was trying to get the snow out of the wheels with my ice scraper.

 

I sold the first set to a friend who got 'em blasted and powdercoated (Color=black, they look pretty sharp with WOL tires on his red '01 Chevy HD and might look even better on my black truck...gunna have to 'borrow them to see if I like it). I think he's doing the tape weight set-up now, too.

[Kodiak450]

This problem happens to alot of aluminum wheels and main cause of it is the stupid wheel weights. Every time you get a new tire put on the wheel, they take off the old weights and put new ones on to rebalance. I wish they could put the weights on the inside of my wheels like they do with my BMW's wheels. I would rate my wheels in really great condition for their age. I clean my wheels once a week, even more often after snow plowing. I use this orange degreaser that is available at Lowes and Walmart, works really well. Applying polish is good, but if you use a degreaser it will take off the polish right away.

[sonjaab]

On my 01s 16 inch. PYOs I did have some clearcoat cracking

around the wheel weights.

 

I had the tires rebalanced and the regular style wheel weights

put on the INSIDE on the rim. I had the same thing done on my

04 and 07.

 

Sure it was on my dime but no appearance issues after that!