A protective clearcoat and/or base color is applied to the surface of original equipment cast aluminum wheels. Surface degradation can begin to develop if the wrong balance weights are used or from frequent repeated automatic car wash cleaning. Repeated automatic car wash cleaning abrades or wears off the factory applied protective clearcoat and base color. Some automatic car wash facilities use aggressive silicon carbide tipped tire brushes to clean white walls and tires. Those types of tire brushes can damage the protective clearcoat. Once damaged exposures to caustic cleaners and/or road salt causes further surface degradation.

To refinish aluminum wheels the wheel surface requires plastic media blasting to remove old clearcoat or paint. Do not use re-machining or chemical strippers due to concerns of repair durability. Refer to the service procedure for details on how to strip, clean and recoat aluminum wheel rims that are affected by the above condition.

Use one of the three different paint systems to refinish aluminum wheels. The products listed in this manual have shown the required repair durability and are the only paint systems that meet General Motors specification 4350M-A336.

Refer to the paint manufacturer's color book for body color selection and verification. Refinish all four wheels and their center caps for color uniformity.

Important: Refer to and follow the individual formula and process provided by the manufacturer of each specific paint system. Use the products listed as a system. Do not mix other manufacturer's product lines with the required materials of a given system. The products listed in this manual show the required repair durability, and are the only paint systems that meet the General Motors specification 435m-a336.

1. Remove the wheel(s) from the vehicle. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation .
2. Tires may remain mounted on wheels.
3. Remove the balance weights and mark their location on the tire and record their weight for installation.
4. Wipe excess grease and dirt from the wheels with wax and grease remover.
5. Have the wheels plastic media blasted to remove old paint or clearcoating.

Important: The sandblasting of aluminum wheels or the use of chemical strippers is not recommended. The clearcoating of aluminum wheels alone is not recommend due to concerns of repair durability.

6. Mask off the wheel and tires.
7. Refer to and follow the individual formula and process provided by the manufacturer of each specific paint system for the painting process.
8. Unmask the wheels and tires.
9. Install new coated, balanced weights at the locations marked on the tires.
10. Clean all wheel mounting surfaces of any corrosion, overspray, or dirt.
11. Install the wheels on the vehicle. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation .