Painting my wheels?

Anybody paint their stock wheels? I have a 2021 Sport, I prefer a black wheel for aesthetics.

Anything you can recommend? Do I need to strip the black accents on it already or just paint over it all?

Thanks for any tips!

 

My suggestion is get them powder coated. Every little town in America has at least 1 shop that can do it. At least find out what it would cost and then decide

 

I live in Canada, and nobody within a 3 hour drive does powder coating unfortunately. That was my first thought.

 

Have you looked into either the plastidip or vinyl wrap method?

 

I have not. Limited shops around here, is that something I could do myself with limited experience?

 

Plastidipping is very easy and if you mess it up, peel it off and try again. The peeling part is quite satisfying TBH. It will take about half a can to a full can per wheel using 2-3 coats. Just make sure those things are CLEAN before spraying.

 

Would plastidipping be more durable than a wheel paint or vinyl?

 

Wheel paint would be a little easier to touch up and I would say equally as durable. I give plastidip the +1 because its removable should you decide you don't like it or if you sell the wheels eventually.

OR, you can go the expensive route and shell out for some HaloEFX and use a paint sprayer (A friend of mine did this and it came out cherry). Stuff doesnt scratch or rub off. SUPER durable.

 

Awesome thanks man. I will look up some plastidip products and that HaloEFX, I have access to a paint sprayer if needed so that might work.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/755079...8eFtUJxJO455T0JcNjrhAXkcgvl-XKxoaAmqmEALw_wcB

 

I'll trade you my black 18" SX wheels and tires for your 20".

I'm in Canada as well. Near Winnipeg MB.

 

I would suggest buying a powder coating setup, it might be a bit expensive for the first time, but it'll quickly pay for itself

 

I plastidipped my wheels 1 year ago. Holding up great. Some nicks from going offroad but otherwise its great. Touches up easily too. It wont look as good as powdercoating but i'm very happy with it and its reversible. They clean easily too.

 

Did you mask off the gloss black part of the wheels or just paint the whole things? Looking into trying this after the TVD decals didn't hold up on my wheels. I really liked the black look though.

 

No i dipped the entire face of the wheel. With masking off the gloss and only dipping the aluminum it creates more edges for the dip to peel off potentially. Dipping the entire face creates one consistent layer that is stronger.

 

Ok cool! Did you take any pics of the process? Do it with the wheels on or off? How many cans/coats? Sorry to bug you!

 

I less you have a second set while they are working on them, you'll be without a truck for a few days

You have to pay someone to remove the tires off rims, then put back on etc

Powder coating oy works if you are doing a second set of bare rims with no tires.

 

I wish I had a set for of 20s for you.

 

Happy to help, you're not bugging me. I took the wheels off and cleaned them thoroughly with Dawn and dried thoroughly followed by an alcohol based cleaner + a microfiber cloth for best adhesion. Then imasked off the tires using index cards stuck between the edge of the rim and tire (very common method people use to paint wheels)

I used about 1 can per wheel with initial thin coats and final coats being much thicker. 20 minutes or so between coats. It takes time but its worth it to create a durable layer. Make sure the cans are warm and shaken appropriately. If its cold out, put the cans in a bucket of warm water.

All i really have are before and after pictures. If you get plastidip on the tire its not a big deal, it peels off easily.

Sorry to threadjack OP!

 

If only I were closer to you!

 

I appreciate the offer, I don't have another set to drive on while waiting, and I just bought and installed brand new tires in 20" lol

 

That looks good! I've been reading conflicting info that says you can plastidip perfectly fine with the wheels still mounted, by covering the brakes, lugs, etc and that when spraying it needs to be parallel and not laying flat to get a more even spray?

 

If your not far away I can ship them to you. You install them and ship yours to me. I have my winter rims on right now. These ones have never seen snow.

 

I live on northern vancouver island, not sure what that shipping cost would be. What tires do you have one those?

 

The tires are Michelins 275/75R18 with about 15,000 kilometers on them. Same summer tread as your 20's. I can take pictures of them in the morning if you like.

 

I recently put on brand new falken wildpeak at3w's haha!

 

I've painted a few sets black with awesome results.

Scrape em up good and wipe with alcohol or the likes. The spray with black appliance paint; its lacquer so it sticks real nice and creates a really tough shell. Spray 3 or so coats and clear if you want more protection. I've had them last chip free for years, did a bunch of my buddies too and they all look killer years later.

 

I picked up an old set of 18" SR5 alloy wheels, hand sanded what was left of the clear coat off, cleaned, primed, painted and clear coated them using the rattle can method. After that I customized the center caps... not bad for Winter wheels.

 

That’s correct, works fine doing it that way as well. It’s just a lot more prep work. It was easier for me to just jack the truck up, zip off the wheels with my impact, and get to painting. Painting with the wheels laying flat is much easier and you avoid drips etc.