Advice on Painting OE Wheels? (4 Viewers)

[ScottyRt66]

Trying to land on the proper procedure to paint my OE wheels on my 80. HAVE to do tires and can't afford to do rims at the same time, so it's rattle can time for me.
I've seen pics from @Box Rocket that look great here, and although it's an old thread with no surviving pictures, this thread was probably the clearest step-by-step I found. But without pics, couldn't tell how it worked out.

I've searched and read more than a few threads, but would love to have any tried and true methods spelled out.

My wheels are the matte-looking aluminum. Also have one that is chrome (I think it came as the spare and got swapped into the rotation!)

What I've read is:
1. Clean VERY thoroughly
2. Scuff with scotchbrite red or sandpaper
3. primer (some have, some haven't)
4. Paint (VHT - 2 light, 1 heavy coat)
5. Clear coat

Planning to go with VHT on the strength of @Box Rocket 's pics alone, in Gloss Black.

I hope I'm not putting you guys in a "let me google that for you" scenario, but I'm deep in the weeds on this! Feel free to point me to blogs or other threads if I've missed them, too!

 

[BILT4ME]

Well, you can't do anything with the chrome one. My truck came with those and you cannot recover them. Buy a different one for your spare.

Make sure you have all the SAME lug styles. My truck came with (3) chrome wheels that required the acorn lug nuts, (1) plain wheel that required the acorn nuts, and (1) plain wheel that required the shank style nuts. I'm still running them, but the chrome ones have peeled to the point they leak. I carry two sets of EXTRA lug nuts, one set of shank style and one set of acorn.

I have a set of wheels in the garage that I am in the process of reworking. I had them bead blasted for $40 per wheel. Since my goal is to polish them so they are "chrome looking", I am trying to get them very smooth and shiny and this is proving to be very difficult as best and I will have invested about $300 in tools and supplies to get there.

If you want solid-color wheels, have them bead blasted, then powder coated and it's quick, but you'll still spend about $100 per wheel to get that done.
You can try the aircraft cleaner, then do whatever color you want. I did not have good luck with the aircraft cleaner, as it didn't seem to even touch the coating on my original coating on the replacement wheels.

This make an argument for buying new aftermarket wheels, depending on how much time you are willing to put in and learn to get them how you want them to be.

This is why I have one set of wheels on the truck and another set I'm reworking. I've been doing this for over a year as I get time, but I'm rapidly approaching the need for new tires and plan on having the new tires installed on the "new" rims.

 

[1911garand]

Well, you can't do anything with the chrome one. My truck came with those and you cannot recover them. Buy a different one for your spare.

Make sure you have all the SAME lug styles. My truck came with (3) chrome wheels that required the acorn lug nuts, (1) plain wheel that required the acorn nuts, and (1) plain wheel that required the shank style nuts. I'm still running them, but the chrome ones have peeled to the point they leak. I carry two sets of EXTRA lug nuts, one set of shank style and one set of acorn.

I have a set of wheels in the garage that I am in the process of reworking. I had them bead blasted for $40 per wheel. Since my goal is to polish them so they are "chrome looking", I am trying to get them very smooth and shiny and this is proving to be very difficult as best and I will have invested about $300 in tools and supplies to get there.

If you want solid-color wheels, have them bead blasted, then powder coated and it's quick, but you'll still spend about $100 per wheel to get that done.
You can try the aircraft cleaner, then do whatever color you want. I did not have good luck with the aircraft cleaner, as it didn't seem to even touch the coating on my original coating on the replacement wheels.

This make an argument for buying new aftermarket wheels, depending on how much time you are willing to put in and learn to get them how you want them to be.

This is why I have one set of wheels on the truck and another set I'm reworking. I've been doing this for over a year as I get time, but I'm rapidly approaching the need for new tires and plan on having the new tires installed on the "new" rims.

....or just spray-bomb it with your favorite color, Ha!

 

[6894kevin]

I did mine in the VHT Black and have been very happy with them. this is the process i did

1- pressure wash them
2- degrease with simple green
3- sanded them with 120 grit using simple green as a lubricant for the sandpaper
4-pressure wash
5- dry them good
6- line rims with note cards ( used a putty knife to push them into the rim card bent in half)
7- wipe them down with acetone
8- air dry
9- 3 light coats 1 heavy
10- dried overnight
11- mounted back up

good luck

 

[ATXLX]

I just followed this video. 3 years later, no chipping and they still clean up great.

 

[ScottyRt66]

I did mine in the VHT Black and have been very happy with them. this is the process i did

1- pressure wash them
2- degrease with simple green
3- sanded them with 120 grit using simple green as a lubricant for the sandpaper
4-pressure wash
5- dry them good
6- line rims with note cards ( used a putty knife to push them into the rim card bent in half)
7- wipe them down with acetone
8- air dry
9- 3 light coats 1 heavy
10- dried overnight
11- mounted back up

good luck

Wow, that's exactly what I was looking for! Thanks!

 

[ScottyRt66]

I just followed this video. 3 years later, no chipping and they still clean up great.

THANK YOU - that is killer!

 

[Grandlooser]

I agree that VHT is great but there is an even better option. Eastwood 2k 2 part in a spray can paint is the absolute bomb. Combined with the 2 part epoxy primer it's the answer. Just did my wheels in the "bare steel color" it's $100 worth of spray cans ($25 each) and worth every cent.

 

[ZackR]

FWIW I was planning to paint mine since they wouldn't come clean (looked about like the left one in your photo). Instead I tried some wheel cleaner and now they look a lot better, enough so that I decided not to paint them. It took a few applications, but each time more of that dark grime came off.

Not perfect but they are good "ten footers".

 

[tacocat]

@BILT4ME is right about painting the chrome wheel. However, I think you can scuff the snot out of it with a scotchbrite and paint it.

It should come out adequate especially if you are looking to eventually replace them.

I need to take some of my extra ratty chrome wheels to the local powdercoater for blasting, but insane heat and summertime laziness are winning. Blasting is cheap.

 

[Grandlooser]

Sandblasters are cheap and handy too. So is the sand they shoot. It's all moot if you haven't a 60 gal or better compressor though. That said my $160 sandblaster paid for itself in the first day. Pretty much a no brainier.

 

[Wompom]

FWIW I was planning to paint mine since they wouldn't come clean (looked about like the left one in your photo). Instead I tried some wheel cleaner and now they look a lot better, enough so that I decided not to paint them. It took a few applications, but each time more of that dark grime came off.

Not perfect but they are good "ten footers".

View attachment 2410230

What type of wheel cleaner have you been using? I need to do the same.

 

[tacocat]

Sandblasters are cheap and handy too. So is the sand they shoot. It's all moot if you haven't a 60 gal or better compressor though. That said my $160 sandblaster paid for itself in the first day. Pretty much a no brainier.

To effectively run a media blaster, compressor size is only part of the equation. You need to move around 6-8 cfm. Typically a 120v unit won’t cut it and you need a 240v stationary unit.

The plus is that you’re now wired for a good welder.

 

[ZackR]

What type of wheel cleaner have you been using? I need to do the same.

Super clean all wheel cleaner. I recall it was less than $10.

Super Clean All Wheel Cleaner | SuperClean Brands

 

[ScottyRt66]

Thanks to everyone for your input And advice.
For anyone following this thread, I got new tires put on and in the process realized I have 4 Chrome and only 1 alloy wheel. Guess they were all just THAT dirty! So all 4 chromes are on the ground and I think unless I decide to spend the money on blasting them, painting them is out. Had my son who has a detailing business work them over and they look pretty great, though I am concerned long term about the chrome peeling. At that point, I’ll probably just get black wheels.

 

[6894kevin]

Did you check the spair? You might have 4 chrome and 1 alloy... might be worth a look

 

[ScottyRt66]

Did you check the spair? You might have 4 chrome and 1 alloy... might be worth a look

Yep. That’s my exact situation. I guess at some point, the alloy one got put on the ground and a chrome one went under with the spare. It looked SO BAD when I took it off that I thought it was another alloy!
but when I did tires right after I purchased it, I just replaced the four on the ground and didn’t worry about the spare, so I never saw it.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I found a local shop that does powder coating on the cheap

$30 bucks a piece for my junkyard Road Runner wheels to mediablast and coat

Plan on having my cruiser wheels done in desert tan as soon as I can afford the down time

 

[Box Rocket]

FWIW, you do you another option for the chrome wheels that won't require stripping the chrome. You could plastidip them. It's actually a perfect solution for chrome. Get you some black Plastidip and the Plastidip Glossifier if you want them glossy black. I've seen a few done this way and they look surprisingly good.