What is the best way to clean paint off tires?

[BTackett]

Previous owner decided to spray paint the wheels and got overspray on the inside of the rear tires. I removed the tires, sandblasted and re-painted the wheels and getting ready to put the tires back on painted rims.

What is the best way/cleaner to use to remove it before I put the tires back on?

I have heard that DOT3 brake fluid works good and then clean it off with a 409 or equivalent cleaner?? Anyone else ever heard this? What about WD40?

Would laquer thinner damage the rubber?


thanks,
Bill

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I don't think using brake fluid is a good idea. And I have no clear reason for that other than it can be tough on the skin. Kerosene wouldn't do the trick. When I painted cars we used Ketone. That comes in some Car parts stores or Auto paint shops or even a good paint store. If you use it though get really good rubber gloves. The stuff will eat your liver by absorption. Just as an after thought they sell "tire black" paint in the Auto stores as well.

 

[patrick_g]

Try a pressure washer. Skip the solvents. Anything strong enough to do the job will do A JOB on the rubber. Even sanding would be kinder to the rubber. A paint shop may use xxx to get the paint off while it is very fresh but consider this:

1. It isn't their tires
2. the paint isn't cured

Just because they do it doesn't make it a good idea. And as you were told previously, your FLAPS has tire paint and similar.

Pat

 

[MrJimi]

Sandblasting is best and safest way

 

[Treemonkey1000]

FLAPS. I had to think about that for a minute. Friendly Local Auto Parts Store? We may have to start a thread for novices like me on the abbreviations. I just learned what the MMM meant a few days ago.

 

[firemanpat2910]

flaps??? is that what we had before opcaps Over Priced Chain Auto Parts Store ??

 

[chh]

Abbreviations enough to make your head spin.

I'd go with pressure washing the tires. If I really, really wanted any residue off after that I would try sanding then tire black before I tried solvents.

 

[Superduper]

Brake fluid is extremely corrosive. It is known to make paint bubble up like nobody's business. There are rubber parts in the brake system which is why your friend says this might be a good way to do this: brake fluid eats paint, leaves rubber alone. However, the rubber used in the brake system probably isn't the same compound as that found in your tires. If you've ever worked on a brake system before with the latex gloves, you will find that if you get brake fluid on the gloves, they will begin to develop holes within a couple minutes. I personally have tied sandwich bags around open brake lines hoping to keep dust/moisture/air out of the system while working on calipers, etc. They don't work for more than a few minutes and leak in no time. Finally, non of this mentions the environmental aspects of applying brake fluid to tires as a paint remover: It's not very environmentally responsible to do so.

As another user has stated, use a pressure washer. Not the 110v variety, it doesn't generate enough pressure. Use a 5HP or higher pressure washer and you should be fine. The higher the capacity, the better and faster it will clean. You'll be pleasantly suprised to find that it blasts the paint off your tires so quick it's hard to believe. I've done it -- it works. Suprisingly, rubber takes very well to pressure washing.

 

[Egon]

Work the tractor in mud, dirt, sand, rock, gravel etc. and the paint may go away.

 

[mopacman]

I think I would go with Mr JIMI and sand blast them. I have blasted rims with the tires on them before and makes the tires look new