Question...so once you declad the wheels can and you decide you want to go back to the original look of the wheel, can you put the "clad" back on???

 

no probably not, the plastic cladding is on there pretty good and you will more than likely ruin it getting it off..

 

Wow ... Well they do look good polisged, but i dont know if im ready to do that to mine... Hmmmmm???

 

So how do you declad these wheels is there special tools?

 

 

lol pretty much, i used a mini 5lb hand sledge and 3ft long steel tubing and hit it from the backside and worked my way around, then like the OP used a plastic scraper to get the foam off.. Once you get the hang of it you could get the cladding and foam off in under an hr easy, and ready for sandblast/powder coat or professional polish..

 

Who are you guys having polish your wheels ?

Best quote I can find around here is 100$ a wheel to have mine done !

 

I have repaired rims with nasty curb rash and all I do is start with a heavy grit and keep going lighter. Doing it by hand is fairly time consuming so a DA sander or angle grinder works. The point is to flatten the surface and if you want full polish then once you get to a dull point, use a metal polish and a mothers foam cone that you put to a drill.
Here are some links to paint the picture. I did this to my rack of carbs on my nighthawk, the valve cover, drum brake assembly and exhaust.
This video is not a rim but he does say the grit numbers and it is aluminum. YOu can achieve the same result by using polish bars/soap(essentially liquid polish in a bar seperated by grit levels) but sand paper is cheaper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8ByvpTxetQ

I actually use the polish from the Chicago Auto Show to be honest. Love the stuff and i buy it every year. That crazy guy that shines soda cans sells legit good stuff!

If you have questions man I love doing this stuff. $100 per rim sounds steep but reality is it takes time. Easily a weekend project.

 

I know you were seeing who could do it, but honestly if you have air, the tools, buy a stack of paper and some polish and a case of booze you could save probably 300.
Another vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCGgRRPe9Ig

 

can these be decladded?

tahoe 20s