Topic: CB550 Hubs and clearcoat

[DEklof]

My 1977 CB550F is going togat a fancy set of Excel alloy rims and SS spokes.  In preparation for sending off my hubs, i cleaned them up.  It was a PITA and took hours: degrease, media blast, (plastic beads), and then polish to get bak the gloss on the spoke flanges.  Overall, they look pretty good.

I have two questions:

1) were these items originally clear coated?
2) Should I clear coat them before the new wheels are laced?

Thanks

[BenelliSEI]

I’m just doing the same thing, before building new wheels. On previous projects, I’ve just left them alone, for fear of clear coat yellowing or peeling. I’ll be interested to see what others suggest. Powder coating shops now offer “clear”, so another option?

[bistromath]

The single best thing I did on my rebuild was get the cases and wheel hubs vapor-blasted. Give them the occasional WD-40 wipedown and they'll stay pretty forever. Wish I'd done my fork tubes the same way.

[calj737]

A better treatment for aluminum is a product like “Shark Hide”. It is widely used in marine environments for aluminum railings, tuna towers, trailers, etc. A treatment 2x annually should keep your hubs (and motor if left unpainted) looking clean and satin-y.

[flatlander]

cal, do you know how shark hide fares under heat, e.g. on engine parts like cylinder head?

[calj737]

cal, do you know how shark hide fares under heat, e.g. on engine parts like cylinder head?

To my knowledge, it does not suffer. A pal uses it on his Harley motor and has never mentioned a problem. I don’t have any unpainted engine cases on my bikes, so I don’t have firsthand experience with that. And all my CB hubs are powder coated. But my marine toys and trailers love it.

[flatlander]

great, sounds good.
i have polished alu on hubs and also engine parts. i've used simichrome on them which polishes and also leaves a protective coating. looks good, i apply it once or twice a year and it prevents corrosion as well. but i don't have real long-term experience with it, and have had good results with marine compounds in other applications. they seem to stand up better to atmosphere and weather influences than other stuff so i may give this one a try.

[BenelliSEI]

Sounds good. Will try it too.

[Stev-o]

A better treatment for aluminum is a product like “Shark Hide”.

Hey Cal...have never heard of it, but my boat is fiberglass. Sounds like an interesting product...

https://sharkhidestore.com/products/sharkhide-metal-and-aluminum-protectant

[calj737]

Most boats are gel coat to a degree. But the trailers (especially for saltwater boats) are fully aluminum. Those need lots of care lest they oxidize to nothing after a few years. And of course, tuna towers, cobia towers, etc are typically anodized aluminum and they need love too.

Lots of people do wipe them down with WD-40, but that can create a residue elsewhere on the fishing tackle that is often frowned upon. Lots of ways to skin a cat…

[Tim2005]

One issue with clear or powder coating hubs is that that layer gets damaged/worn through at the spots where the spokes are tight against the hub, if it then gets salt or a lot of wet on it then corrosion will get under the coating & is really hard to clean up.

[Stev-o]

But the trailers...

When we boat our boat, almost 11 years ago at the Austin boat show, we did not order a trailer. It's stays on the dock all year 'round on a lift.
I had been trailering boats since teen years, tired of trailering!

[flatlander]

boat your boat, don't trailer it your boat. 
ok, getting my coat 

(crap, even coat rhymes with boat. what was in my drink yesterday...)

[Cevan]

Just reviving this thread as I have my hubs and fork lowers cleaned and looking nice.  I sanded down the fork lowers to about 600 grit and then grey scotchbrite.  Not looking to polish them.

Trying to determine if I want to clearcoat (2k) or use something like Sharkhide as mentioned above.  I can see how the clearcoat could be compromised in the hub flange area when the spokes are tensioned. 

Has anyone had experience with Sharkhide or something similar? 

[Ozzybud]

I use one thin coat of Omni/PPG clear on hubs,side cases and fork lowers. If left unprotected they will start to oxidiize right away..
I polish never to a mirror finish. More like satin..
Grey scotch brite prior to clear will look good.

I have never had a problem with the spokes removing the clear. Maybe inside the pocket. It's they way the factory's did it and most held up well for 50+ years

[Cevan]

I use one thin coat of Omni/PPG clear on hubs,side cases and fork lowers. If left unprotected they will start to oxidiize right away..
I polish never to a mirror finish. More like satin..
Grey scotch brite prior to clear will look good.

I have never had a problem with the spokes removing the clear. Maybe inside the pocket. It's they way the factory's did it and most held up well for 50+ years

Those look great, thanks!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I tried using an Eastwood clear coat after I sanded, polished etc but not to a mirror polish. Eastwood was highly recommended. Would not stick even after cleaning with acetone. Clear powder coat baked on might work?

[Ozzybud]

I tried using an Eastwood clear coat after I sanded, polished etc but not to a mirror polish. Eastwood was highly recommended. Would not stick even after cleaning with acetone. Clear powder coat baked on might work?

There  needs to be either mechanical or chemical adhesion to get a a proper bond.

Finish with Wenol that has a slight grit to it for mechanical adhesion.
The Omni clearcoat tech sheets don't say anywhere  that it's OK for DTM ( direct to metal) chemical adhesion

I did test panels in the past and it bonds securely to the polished aluminum.  I believe it has DTM properties as you also put it on top of un sanded basecoat

It will not chip,flake or peel off