You can sand off the paint, but I used Aircraft paint remover ( you can pick up from your local auto parts store) once applied wait around 15 minutes and with a plastic scraper, remove. It may take several application, but a heck of alot easier. I then used a buffing wheel attached to a drill motor and blue magic metal polish. It wasnt that bad. Just let the chemicals and tools do all the work. Just make sure to not get any stripper on your tire, and wash off if you do.