painting wheels?

[Dknits782]

whats the best paint for sti bbs wheels looking for a flat black and any help on the steps to paint them
thanks

[MattR]

Don't go full flat, they don;t look very good. Try to find a Satin finish, I used the Napa brand.

[ARORA_808]

I just (well, like a month ago) painted mine a low gloss black and I got the paint from kragen....its a high heat enamel and $4.99 a can. It lays down good and looks really good. Don't paint them Flat....for numerous reasons but #1 being it's a bitch to keep clean.

[100_Percent_Juice]

IMO I think FLAT and the high GLOSS black wheels look like crap. Like Matt said, I think the satin looks best. I think I saw on nasioc someone painted them with something like 20% gloss and it looked nice.

[Dknits782]

thanks guys and it doesnt matter that they are aluminum

[Libila]

I third the "satin" or "semi-gloss" finish. I painted some WRX wheels a while back with VHT wheel paint and clear coat, and I got some good results. I bought the stuff from Auto Zome.

[ARORA_808]

No....it doesn't matter if it's aluminum unless your powdercoating and that's a whole other story (only if it's forged...blah blah).....high gloss looks like crap imo and if you want I can show you what my LOW gloss one's look like so you can get an idea.....they have enough gloss to show reflections but not enough to shine....if that makes sense. VHT is also a really good paint and is more resistant to chipping than most.

[Dean]

VHT is good stuff and they have it out at Summit along with quite a few other automotive quality rattle cans.

[M3n2c3]

You're doing black on blue?

Here's how I did mine (most of my procedure was pulled off of rs25.com):

1. Get all your materials together. This includes masking (if you're painting them with tires attached), a couple cans of primer, several cans of paint, several cans of clear (you'll use more clear than you first expect, trying to get an even finish), newspaper or cardboard boxes (to lay on the ground), 600-1000 grit sandpaper, tack rag, and a cheap respirator for the fumes. For paint choice, go with Duplicolor wheel paint or engine enamel (since it's durable), and the clear should be available in satin finish.

2. Clean the wheels.

3. Wet-sand them down to remove the old paint and clean them again. Let them dry competely.

4. Mask off tires if needed.

5. Apply primer in 3 heavy coats (let dry slightly between coats to prevent dripping), and let dry. You can wet-sand again if you're feeling hardcore, but you'll want to let them dry for about 2 hours first.

6. Apply a tack coat of paint - very light. Wait a few minutes.

7. Add coats of paint every 10 minutes, dusting lightly with the tack rag to remove dust right before applying each coat. Continue until you have complete coverage. Make sure you're not forgetting the easy-to-miss, yet still visible areas, such as the visible part of the inside of the wheel, and the sides/corners of spokes. Let dry.

8. Tack off any dust, then begin applying clear in light coats. Don't use the tack rag anymore. Wait a few minutes between each coat to avoid oversaturation/dripping, and make sure you clean the spray can nozzle periodically to avoid drips and splatters. Don't rush!

9. Once you have the desired finish, inspect for even coverage and make any final correcting sprays if necessary. Then let the wheels dry for a few hours before moving.

I think most wheel paints/clears suggest a few days to let the paint cure completely. If the tires are already on, you could probably cut this to a day or so if the weather's ok and you don't plan on off-roading. If you're going to have tires mounted, though, definitely allow the suggested cure time so the machine doesn't rip the paint off.

Also consider having the wheels re-balanced (this will be a requirement if you had to remove the weights in order to sand and paint the inside of the wheel).

I followed these steps, and mine turned out pretty well. At least, Jeremy and Cam seemed to like them. I ended up with a few clearcoat splatters because I rushed a little after having to run out and get more clear.

[sperry]

^ And that is how a tech thread reply is done!

[cody]

Use a Sharpy.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by M3n2c3

You're doing black on blue?

Here's how I did mine (most of my procedure was pulled off of rs25.com):
[Much Great stuff]
4. Mask off tires if needed.

I would add that you should mask the rotor mating surface on the back and the lug seats on aluminum wheels. Those areas are best left bare IMHO.

OK, the lug seats should have anti-seize, but that is another thread.

[cody]

You put antiseize where the lugs contact the wheel? I use it on the threads due to my soft aluminum lugs, but wouldn't think using it there would be good. Wouldn't it allow the lugs to loosen easier?

Other thread, my big pink tush.

[Dknits782]

thanks for all the help i will let u know how they come out

[M3n2c3]

Originally Posted by Dean

I would add that you should mask the rotor mating surface on the back and the lug seats on aluminum wheels. Those areas are best left bare IMHO.

OK, the lug seats should have anti-seize, but that is another thread.

Yeah, you'll definitely want to mask the rotor mating surface if painting the wheel front and back. I only painted the fronts of mine, but I was only going from 20% gloss black to graphite, though, so the backs won't be noticeable. For silver to black, it might be a good idea to at least give the backsides a few good sprays with the paint before starting on the front.

Good luck with the sanding, too. . . those spokes are going to be a bitch. I thought mine were tough, and I only have 7 spokes/rim.

Get us some pix when you're done! I want to see how they look on your car.