I've got polished aluminum wheels, and over the years they have gotten harder to clean, as well as keep clean compared to my wife's car, which has painted wheels.

I want to keep the current look, so I have been looking at clear primers and clear coat to protect my wheels. Does anyone have any experience with these 3 brands of wheel paint? Or are they all pretty much the same as far as durability is concerned.

 

I'd plasti-dip them, lasts alot longer and looks better then spray paint

 

Does Plasti-Dip come in a clear?
I'd go with either Duplicolor or VHT. But since the VHT is specified for wheels, I'd lean more in that direction. Know that the wheels won't have quite the same "polished" look once you clear them.

 

im ok with them not having as polished a look as before, i'll do a good job prepping, and they will shine enough for me...plus they will be easier to clean.

I have used the vht on my calipers and drums and it has held up very well, but I have to find out if they have a clear primer product.

 

Paint is not going to stick to anything polished. Paint uses a mechanical bond not a chemical bond so no amout of prep is going to help unless the prep is sanding in tooth.

You can buy a clear coat that is designed to be used on polished sufaces. Note they do not call it paint.

Eastwood Diamond Clear Gloss/Metal Surfaces 11 oz - Metal Polishing - Metal Coating

 

I thought of that too, the brands I mentioned all have adhesion promoters that claim to be made for polished surfaces. So I figured...buy a can of that and a few cans of the clear coat all from the same brand and it will probably work really well.

 

Could you post a link? I have seen all kinds of adhesion promoters but never one that said it could make paint work on a polished surface without roughing it up.

 

I would definitely use a wax remover, then rough the wheels up with wet-or dry. I didn't mention the prep earlier, left it to common sense.

 

Roughing it up kind kills the polish?

 

You mean like the dull color finish on a base/clear coat paint job? I'd experiment.