How to Repaint Rims

The rims on your vehicle are what the tires wrap around. A "rim" is slang for a wheel. The wheel and the tire are actually two separate components. The tire is the physical rubber that wraps around the wheel or "rim" which sits against the hub assembly of your vehicle. Over time, you may notice that your rims have been scuffed or scratched or that the powder coating or finish is fading or is damaged. You can fix this by repainting your rims.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 600-grit sandpaper Clean cloth towel Duplicolor rim paint or Rustoleum (your choice of color) Newspaper Masking tape Tire wrench Jack with jack stands

1. Loosen the lug nuts on all of your wheels by turning them 1/4 turn counterclockwise.

2. Jack up your vehicle using the front jack point behind the radiator.

3. Place the jack stands under the frame of the vehicle and lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.

4. Continue to loosen and remove the wheels on the vehicle.

5. Jack up the rear of the vehicle using the rear jack point near the trunk of your vehicle and place the jack stands under the frame. Finally, lower the vehicle onto the jack stands.

6. Finish removing the rear wheels the same way you removed the front wheels.

7. Lay the rims out on the ground and cover the tire area and valve stem with the newspaper and secure it with masking tape.

8. Sand the rim surface with sandpaper. Make sure that you remove the old finish. You are creating an abrasive surface for the paint to adhere to.

9. Wipe the rim clean with a cloth towel.

10. Apply one coat of paint to the rim. Make sure you get even coverage. Wait until the first coat dries and apply a second coat. Repeat this process until you have the desired coverage.

11. Repeat Steps 8, 9 and 10 for all of the rims you want to paint.

12. Reinstall the rims on your vehicle and lower the vehicle to the ground. Torque the lug nuts to 100 ft.-lbs.