How to Paint Car Rims
Painting car rims is something that you can do at home without having to pay a professional to do. Something as small as just painting your wheels will give a new look to your vehicle. This article tells you how you can do this task yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Newspaper
- Masking tape
- Duplicolor wheel paint (color and clear coat)
- Sandpaper
- Degreaser
- Primer
Instructions
-
-
1
Sand down the rims to give it a texture rough enough for the paint to stick. This is to prepare the wheels for primer. The sandpaper should be anywhere from 120 to 320 grit. When you have sanded them down as much as possible, clean all sanding dust off. Smooth it out with 600 grit sandpaper. If you don't clean properly, the paint won't stick and will be flaky. Allow them to completely dry before moving on to the next step.
-
2
Use the masking tape and newspaper to cover the tires, so the paint won't get on the tires. Also protect the lip of the tire with masking tape so that it won't be painted either. Another way to do this is to completely remove the wheel from the tire to protect it from paint.
-
-
3
Place newspaper under the rims to protect the surface under them. Make sure you are working on a flat surface for an even finish. Place a piece of cardboard around the edges and add two coats of primer.
-
4
When the primer is completely dry, lightly sand it with a light sandpaper. Use a dust rag to remove any dust after sanding. Apply the first coat of color paint.
-
5
Apply a clear coat to shine while paint is drying. If you want more of a shine, add a couple more coats of clear coat. Don't add too many coats of the clear coat because it will chip taking the paint right along with it.
-
6
Allow the rims to dry completely before driving. If you took the wheels off the car, allow to dry completely before bolting up the wheels. If you removed the tires from the rims, allow the rims to dry completely before re-mounting the tires.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Instead of using newspaper and mounting tape, you can spray new rims before the tires are mounted.
If you mistakenly paint on areas that you don't want painted, just use sandpaper to correct the problem.
Make sure the area that you are using to paint in is fully lighted and dust free.
Store any unused paint to be used for touch-ups if needed. Read instructions on can for storing procedures of the paint.
