Bare aluminum–how to remove oxidation and adhesion promoter + 2k clear coat?

[TeddyKGB]

I have a set of wheels where water made its way under the clear coat and caused the clear coat to flake off. I stripped the clear with paint stripper and now I want to remove the oxidation and reclear.

The trouble I’m having is the wheel can’t be sanded because I want to preserve the diamond cut finish. I’ve tried alcohol, vinegar, clay bar, bar keepers friend, and Mother’s mag & aluminum polish. Mother’s has worked a little but it removed some oxidation and made the spot a little shinier which I didn’t really want. Is there anything that I can saturate the aluminum with that I can basically wipe off?

Finally, I want to clear the wheels with 2k high gloss clear (https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-s-2k-aerospray-high-gloss-clear.html. Should I use an adhesion promoter since it’s going on bare metal? I’m getting a lot of conflicting feedback. Which adhesion promoter should I use if suggested?

Thanks for any help.

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