Removing rim lacquer?

[Tom _M]

I’ve a set of Shimano RS81 wheels which I quite look, but the lacquer (if that’s the correct term?) is peeling away from from the rim and looking a bit tatty:





As the aluminium underneath looks quite nice, I was wondering if I could remove the knackered coating, and just polish up the ali underneath a bit. It does peel away a bit if picked at, but doing both wheels that way would seem more than tedious.

Any suggestions on something I could use to try and strip this off more easily? If so, would it be a terrible idea for some reason that’s not occurred?

[troc]

The bare aluminium alloy surface will corrode - especially when exposed to bad weather and possibly salty roads. The polished rims will dull very fast as an oxide layer develops.

You could remove the paint, polish them up and then clear coat them.

[Parsnip]

Are you sure that is aluminium and not carbon? Photo makes it look very carbony and from a google, the RS81 wheels are Carbon with an alloy rim?

I suppose the big question is the carbon structural or just a fairing bonded to the alloy rim.

[troc]

Indeed if they are carbon you need a coat to prevent water etc getting into the weave and damaging them.

[Tom _M]

Hmm, maybe it is carbon then... Will investigate again, but thought it looked quite aluminium-like.