[buzbox]

So you want to change the look of your car by painting your wheels but need a few pointers, well here's how I painted mine.

Tools needed:
bucket, car wash and sponge
wire brush, drill or grinder
Protective gear, gloves, ear plugs or muffs, glasses and dust mask.
Your choice of paint -:
- If you are using Acrylic paint, you should use an etch primer. If you are using pressure pack cans, make sure you have enough, probably 2 cans per wheel. And just a tip, to get the spray finer put the can into a bucket of, or under running hot water, NOT BOILING. It will build up the pressure inside the can giving you a better spray.

If your using an air compressor, 1L of paint is enough for 6 wheels when thinned out.
The compressor I have is a 2.5Hp and a low pressure spray gun. Always read and follow the destructions on the paint tin.




First thing is first, You have to get the wheels stripped off the rims. Well you don't have to but it's easier and there's no need to mask up the tyres.



Remove the wheels weights and give the wheels a good wash. You will most probably use a screw driver to pry off the weights.



Now your ready for preperation, Take your time, what you do here will reflect on the end result.

You could use paint stripper but I took the easy way out and used a grinder with a knotted wire brush attatchment. Using protective equiptment is not gay and should always be worn when using a grinder, Especially when using a wire brush attatchment. Protect your hands, eyes, ear's and lungs !!!

Don't forget to clean along the bead of the rim.



Now that you've taken off any loose paint flakes, rust and crap, you should wipe the wheels over with either wax and grease remover, thinners, turps, metho to remove any dirt or dust.
In saying that I just used the air blower to blow the dust out.



Ok the fun part. Paint.

First I reccommend that you have enough room to walk around the wheels and try to do the hard to get to parts first, Paint any gaps and sides before concentrating on the face of the wheel.
For a nice even finish, you should do numerous light coats and allow at least 10 minutes between coats. I did about 3 coats on the back of the wheel and probably 5 on the front and one heavy coat just for good measure.



I suppose it's a good thing with my little air compressor, I can do one light coat of paint before the motor kicks in to build up pressure, that way I knew how much time I was taking on each wheel and between coats.

Allow to dry for a few hours before touching them, Don't be tempted to stick your finger on it only to find that it's not dry and your left with a mark on your wheel.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

[atari4x4]

:goodtech: nice write up Dave!!!

keep up the good work you're smashing out the AZ crew DIY write ups.

[royce]

What type of Killrust did you use? thats a really cool finish!

[buzbox]

Just the regular epoxy enamel killrust, Matt black, Just thinned it out a bit.

I was tempted to get paint them blue to match the calmini kit but you guy's voted black.

[Bruce]

Nice job there buzbox. Looks really nice.

[buzbox]

thanks,

I think it is the easiest and cheapest way of changing the way a car looks. The tin of paint was my only expense.

Also the other wheels that I painted, The one's on my vit now, I used etch primer and acrylic paint, It's been about a year now and I think it's nearly time to touch them up. I hope this paint is a little more hardy.

[JIMNY_CRICKET]

i used paint stripper.....it was a bad idea thanks to you im going out and buying a wire wheel to finish it off

[buzbox]

Yeah, paint stripper is not only messy but dangerous to work with. If your not carefull it will burn your skin so you should wear gloves, a mask and eye protection when handeling or working with it.

If you do decide to use it, a high pressure hose will be some help. But yeah the knotted wire brush pictured, I've had for about 2 years or so, I've used it for removing rust and all sorts of things. If your tight and just get the bristle type, (well any angle grinder wire brush attachment) wear gloves and eye protection. In my experience shards can fly off and have imbedded in my hands. Not really painful, but it does draw blood and you definitly wouldn't want one stuck in your eye.

[Bennyzarb]

That's pruty good but it won't last long I did mine properly a couple months ago and they have been threw heaps and still looking great with yours it was a good idea to paint strip cause they were so rusted but you should of etch primed before slapping paint on etch primer is what grabs on to the rim and holds everything together without it as soon at you get a flake it will all come off but looks good anyway good job

[buzbox]

Kill rust doesn't need primer which is why I chose to use it, and it was on sale
Actually the one's that I have previously etch primed look much worse after the same amount of time and use than the one's pictured.

[Dr_Snapid]

I did mine with spraypacks. Only used 2 or 3 all up and it looks great, although glossier than I would have liked. Great write up man

[JIMNY_CRICKET]

went out and spent $20 bucks on paint stripper took me 3 days using paint stripper and i got about 40% of the paint from the front of the rim went out spent $14 on a knotted wheel to put on a grinder bout 40mins later all rims are clean not a bit of paint on them painted up niiice

[JIMNY_CRICKET]

also i never used safety equipment using paint stripper that shit burns dont b an idiot spent a couple of bucks and buy some dam gloves

[laurie]

buzbox wrote:

the knotted wire brush pictured, I've had for about 2 years or so, I've used it for removing rust and all sorts of things. If your tight and just get the bristle type, (well any angle grinder wire brush attachment) wear gloves and eye protection. In my experience shards can fly off and you definitly wouldn't want one stuck in your eye.

in my experience shards can ricochet up under safety glasses and still get stuck in your eye
and yes i definitly didn't want it there. i will use a shield and glasses next time

thanks for the write up though i'm off to buy paint this morning

[sideways]

Paint stripper is gaids.

I put some on my old rims, 498675 applications of stripper, 28 hours of pressure washing, half a bucket of sand blasting grit later they where still shit. Stupid farkin gooey paint shit wouldn't come off. I just went and bought some new rims, 15x7 -5 offset for $62 each from TyrePower.

Should've just hit them with the wire wheel on the grinder in the first place, I know it would've been 67435x easier/better.

A note on angle grinder wire wheels. DO NOT cheap out and buy the cheapest ones, get some that are good quality!! Cheap ones are horribly balanced and lose wires far to easily.

Nice write up mate.

Thanks

Hayden

[atari4x4]

trick with paint stripper is to score the surface with something like a wire brush, lay on a nice coat of paint stripper & cover it in gladwrap or any plastic so it doesn't dry out much while doing it's job. then clean it up while it's still nice & moist. if you let it dry out your in for a shit of a job to clean up.

personally i'd only use paint stripper on large flat areas like a bonnet or a roof of a car, where there aren't many nooks & crannies to have to get into like a sunraiser rim.