Steel wheels/paint removal

[1ton-o-fun]

Hey guys and gals! I was just given a set (4) of the 16×7 Ford 8-lug wheels off an early '90s van (so, yes, they'll fit fine). They're in really great shape, but they're battleship Grey and I want them white.
I'm thinking I'm going to use a thick plastic 30 gallon barrel with 7-10 gallons of white vinegar to soak each wheel in to strip the paint off. I have the wheels, barrels, and the time to do this. All I need is the vinegar, and it fits perfectly within my budget, LMAO!
Anyone have any pro's or con's about this? I also have a couple of steel brushes to help convince the paint to vacate the premises.

 

[454cid]

I don't think the vinegar is going to take the paint off.... it would take rust off, and would etch the steel, though. If they're not rusty, is there any reason you can't just scuff them and paint over the existing paint?

 

[Caman96]

I don't think the vinegar is going to take the paint off.... it would take rust off, and would etch the steel, though. If they're not rusty, is there any reason you can't just scuff them and paint over the existing paint?

Agree^^^.
Ever try oven cleaner. Makes quick work of paint!

 

[1ton-o-fun]

I was just trying to think about the hard to reach areas. That, and there might be a laziness factor in the equation too... Wanting to paint entire wheel instead of just one side. That's a lot of elbow grease. Was trying to be cheap and somewhat lazy, LOL!

Oven cleaner... might try it.

 

[454cid]

I was just trying to think about the hard to reach areas. That, and there might be a laziness factor in the equation too... Wanting to paint entire wheel instead of just one side. That's a lot of elbow grease. Was trying to be cheap and somewhat lazy, LOL!

Oven cleaner... might try it.

Stripping paint is going to take a lot more work than cleaning and scuffing. Even stripping paint off of valve covers took a lot of work, on my part.

The lazy way would be to drop them off someplace for blasting. I think oven cleaner will get you partially stripped, and you'll likely be left with a bigger job to finish. That kinda depends on what Ford used for paint..... my 454 aluminum valve covers were terrible to strip and they were flaking in some spots. I was using paint stripper, but the nooks and crannies were not coming clean easily.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Paint stripper for the easy to reach parts. Then finish if off with the small media blaster from Horrible Freight. It works great at getting in the nooks and crannies, but would take forever to do a whole wheel.

 

[Caman96]

I had a cast iron bath tub with probably 60 years of paint on it. Took it outside and sprayed it down with oven cleaner. An hour later I hosed it off to bare clean cast iron(obviously not the porcelain inside). Wood-shops I worked in years ago that how we cleaned saw blades when they got gummed up. Google it, ton of information on it as paint stripper!

 

[1ton-o-fun]

I had a cast iron bath tub with probably 60 years of paint on it. Took it outside and sprayed it down with oven cleaner. An hour later I hosed it off to bare clean cast iron(obviously not the porcelain inside). Wood-shops I worked in years ago that how we cleaned saw blades when they got gummed up. Google it, ton of information on it as paint stripper!

They haven't changed the formula like they've done on everything else that worked well? (Yes, I'm glaring at you, California)

 

[Caman96]

Do NOT use on aluminum!

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[454cid]

I had a cast iron bath tub with probably 60 years of paint on it. Took it outside and sprayed it down with oven cleaner. An hour later I hosed it off to bare clean cast iron(obviously not the porcelain inside). Wood-shops I worked in years ago that how we cleaned saw blades when they got gummed up. Google it, ton of information on it as paint stripper!

If it works on automotive paints that would be great. I tried cleaning front suspension parts with a lye mixture and I just ended up with wet parts. It works great on cast iron pans, Though.

I knew about not using it on alumimnum.... tried cleaning a grody pizza pan, that my sister got from Pizza Hut, the same way I cleaned cast iron. I dropped it in, and came back awhile later and the air space was completely filled with foam and the pan was not much cleaner.