Painting Wheels with Tires On - DYI

OldEdBrady · November 11, 2008, 02:38 PM

Sent: 7/30/2007 8:55 PM

Anyway, Do It Yourself instructions. These are NOT the only way to do it. Just how I did it. It's for those without a lot of money or access to a lot of fancy equipment. (Yep; it's a cheap way to do it, and simple.)

First, your tools.

You need something to clean all the gunk off the wheels. That includes any rust. Spray-on products are just fine, if you use them according to instructions.

Once you've gotten the gunk off, it is highly recommended that you go over the wheel with a wire brush. You can use sandpaper, but it's harder to control. With the brush, you can get the areas you need. THEN REMOVE THE DUST!

Then you need to remove the core from the valve stem. But not all at once. Get something to remove it, but DO NOT take it all the way out. With the pressure in the tire, it will send the core on a l-o-n-g trip, and you'll never find it again. Just loosen the core until you hear the air coming out.

(Want to remove it? Well, a lot of the caps for those have a split top. THAT will remove it.)

Cover the valve stem with tape. I preferred to use that blue stuff made by Scotch. Covered the stem completely, and sealed it right off the bat.

Once the air is out, you need to tuck some heavy paper between the tire itself and the wheel. Paper sacks work fine. Newspaper probably won't, since it's too flimsy. (I got my paper at Home Depot and it was made for masking stuff you are painting--cheap.)

I tucked mine in that space with a blunt-edged screwdriver. Worked fine.

Then you need primer. This can be found easily. It's at Home Depot, and I found it in several car parts stores.

Put on at least two light coats of primer. If you have any runs or bulges, they are going to show up in the final product.

You can put on primer coats just a few minutes apart. No need to wait a day or two.

Then you're ready for the color you want the wheels to be. Again, no long wait when using primer. I used Rustoleum, but there are many fine products for this.

Again, you want several coats (3 at least). Lightly. You don't want paint in globs in spots.

With most paints, you can wait a few minutes between coats, and it will work fine.

THEN you wait.

With Rustoleum, it said it was dry to the touch in just a few hours, and dry for handling in 8-9 hours. BUT, I wanted to protect the things.

So, I used a clear paint (again, Rustoleum). For this, the instructionas said to wait 48 hours. TWO DAYS! But I did.

I'm happy with the result. I hope you have as much luck.

tiinytina · March 17, 2013, 01:37 PM

Sent: 7/29/2007 3:04 PM

Maybe its just common sense or maybe I discovered a new way. I needed to paint the rims with the tires on them.... could not get tape to stick to the tires since I use the tire shiny stuff to keep them nice... So... I used 18" pieces of plastic wrap... sprayed them as I pulled them off the roll with more tire shiny stuff and put them on the tires. They stuck great and was able to tuck the wrap around the rim... a few spots where the paint got on the tires was also easly rubbed off with a rag.... Just spray them away from the rim so residue doesn't get on your nicely sanded and washed rim or the paint won't stick.

cheers
Tina and Pat and the Gone to the Dawgs Crew.

firehart2 · March 17, 2013, 01:38 PM

Sent: 7/29/2007 5:27 PM

When I'm ready to paint my wheels, I think I'll just take some large flat cardboard and cut out circles just large enough to fit over the wheels.

OldEdBrady · March 17, 2013, 01:39 PM

Sent: 7/29/2007 6:48 PM

Just did this myself! 'Course, I did it a bit differently.

First, I got some gunk remover and sprayed them down and rinsed them thoroughly. Then I used a wire brush to remove any leftover rust.

I pulled the core from the valve stem to let the air all out. Went to my "personal supplier" (Home Depot) and got some of that making paper they have in the paint section.

I tucked it into the slight space between the tire and the rim. Painted 3 light coats. Next, a clear coat (or two or three) to protect them.

Lefty · March 17, 2013, 01:40 PM

Sent: 7/29/2007 10:20 PM

Sorry, I "cheat".
My sister and brother-in-law have a body shop. I took my rims down there last year and used their sand blaster to sand blast mine down to white metal. Then I applied 3 coats of industrial primer, sanded that, then applied 3 coats of Ford Wimbolden White (for a nice off-white), and wet sanded that with 600 grit. Then I applied 3 coats of clear, and baked them in their car oven for 6 hours.

Sure was nice to have access to a real paint booth and spray equipment... The last time, I had used a few cans of Krylon spray cans and spent hours cleaning off the over spray. Not to mention that they started to re-rust within a couple of months.
I hope that they will stay nice for a while this time.

OldEdBrady · March 17, 2013, 01:40 PM

Sent: 7/29/2007 10:37 PM

Painting rims is NOT what I do for a living! In fact, I;m pure amateur on most of this stuff.

But, I keep trying, and posting the photos.

However, if you really need assistance, and you happen to be in the area (poor you!), I'd be glad to help.

tiinytina · March 17, 2013, 01:42 PM

Sent: 7/30/2007 6:56 AM

I would have loved to do a proper job, remove them all, sand blast etc... but not enough hours in the day.

I did sand them down with a drill mounted steel brush thing, steel wool after that, then 409 after that. The paint was "self priming" and there wasn't overly much actual rust on them fortunately.

I still have yet to do the hubs, but need to match the "Martin Seynour Allegro Brown" in a spray paint and then I'll have to remove the nuts, tape the bolts and really go at them with a steel brush.... I'll probably also need to redo the white as well as they still need a few more coats but I only had 2 cans of paint and used up both on the 4 rims I did....
Tina

Coachmen1972 · March 17, 2013, 01:42 PM

Sent: 7/31/2007 6:01 PM

BE CAREFUL de-flating and re-inflating split rims!!!!

Spudboy · March 17, 2013, 01:43 PM

Sent: 8/2/2007 8:14 AM

Wow, such thought and effort.

For the DINObago, I have always opted for the black wheel look, I think it makes the rig look more aggressive. The first time, I hit the wheels with a hose, then used a green scrubbie, hosed again, let dry over night. Next I outlined the wheel with 2" blue masking tape from Home Depot, using small pieces, it stuck to my new tires. I applied about three coats of Gloss Black Krylon Enamel, and pulled the tape.

Done.

Every other year, I touch them up using a lightweight cardboard sheild that I trimmed to an arc that tucks neat between the rim and tire and lightly hit the whole wheel by moving the sheild around the rim.

Seems to work well, and after about two miles on a dirt road to the South Fork or the Middle Fork of the Boise, who cares: the wheels are covered with dust, as is everything else but my teeth when I smile!

Spudboy

jkilbert · March 23, 2013, 05:56 AM

The no mess tire mask is no masking at all. Take dish soap and wipe it over the tires. Paint the wheels then when the paint dries, hose off the the soap. It works like a champ.

Oz · March 23, 2013, 11:21 AM

Excellent idea!

ClydesdaleKevin · March 27, 2013, 10:49 PM

Or if you know you are about to replace your tires, paint them without masking them. Doesn't matter if you are going down to the tire shop to have them replaced. You can get the paint all over the old tires and it won't matter!...lol!

Kev

James E Vining · August 14, 2013, 09:18 PM

I have done this a few Times with a Few Different Vehicles using Gloss White or Flat White and I did a did in Black too, I use a Tire Sponge Doddad will get picture

Picked up at a dollar store and then Meguiars Tire Shine and any Overspray just wipes off, or at least it has for me although I try real hard not to get any on tires if I can