Jump to content

tarting up alloy wheels


freeagent

Recommended Posts

right, they new purchase didn't come with alloys :( so i'm thinking about 'renovating' some of the slightly scabby alloys we have littering the garden.

i don't want to send them away to a firm to do as reasonable tri-spoke alloys can be had at the old sod for £5 - £8 each... so i thought i might give it as go... <_<

what i'm thinking is.. wirebrush the flakey bits (electrolytic corrosion) then paint with etch primer, lightly rub whole rim down with wet and dry, then spray with aerosol of 'five wheel alloy' which is great stuff... ;)

anyone had a go at this? :huh:

did it look ok? :huh:

did they look a mess? :huh:

...just thought they might be a bit smarter than the steel rims (have 11 now!) that it came with.... ;)

oh, and don't realy want to part with any steel rims at the mo, but could be interested in part-exing or swaping 4 for 4 nice tri-spoke rangie alloys.... and before anyone thinks i'm being a bit hopefull, the disco steels were selling for more than the alloys at old sodbury...... ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did up a set of old ones

got somebody to bead blast them and treat them with alum primer (favour - free!)

sprayed with LR grey primer

sprayed with several coats of silver Holts colourmix aerosol

then with some "wheel lacquer"

it lasted very well, I sold them after a couple of years and last time I saw them they still looked fine

the lacquer is probably the important bit this stuff was sprayed in a room at about 30 deg C and still took 24 hours to dry properly but was awesomely tough!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im doing this at the moment. My tyre fitter mate has told me to wire brush the area that the bead seats on to prevent air leaks. Then hes going to use plenty of bead sealer.

I've found the best tools for cleaning mine up are a wire brush and a flapper that goes in an electric drill. This quickly removes the loose paint.

I've found a couple of good write ups on refurbing wheels.

I found this link on the old place,

http://www.tukojack.com/livelearnrur7.htm

Tuko has made a really good job :D .

Hope this helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tarted mine up just like that, used chrome effect paint, a bit "blingy" but it soon mellows. They need doing again now though, I think they have lasted about two years, not bad for a couple of cans of spray paint.

If I do them again I would use a good clear laquer a on top and give it a few coats.

Geoff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've done a couple, four more set round the side of the house waiting to be done. I cleaned them up with prep wheels in an angle grinder (don't use a wire brush - apparently small bits get left in the alloy and cause electrolytic corrosion, wrecking your shiny new paint job in no time flat). At two prep disks and a good half an hour per wheel I'm getting the other four shot blasted...probably no more expensive, better and I won't tiddle the neighbours off!

I've sprayed mine with cans as well - can't say about durability as they're still sat in my workshop. Managed to chip the rim on one that was already laquered, though, so have used a different laquer which seems to be tougher. It's still a general purpose one that's supposed to be suitable for wheels, though, so whether it's good enough remains to be seen.

I haven't got a professional finish, but it's good enough - I'm not into polishing my car, and it'll be impossible to tell the difference with a layer of road grime on them :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

almost like doing bodywork really, lacquer is a must or they'll just go manky really quickly, its all in the prep as is any paint job, rub down, u can fill any imperfections, build the layers, stopper and filler primer is good for losing all small scratching, final rub with 600 grit then paint and lacquer. make sure its nice and warm when u spray, especially the lacquer cos i find it tends to run easier than paint.

this is one rim i finished a couple of weeks ago

yg0yzj.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy