How to paint stamped car wheels with your own hands

All stages of preparation

It is clear that it is best to clean the disc “to the metal” before painting. In this case, only sandpaper (ISO P400-P1500) and, perhaps, a drill with a metal brush are used.

This is how you remove a layer of old paint

The problem is that such cleaning will take more than one day. But the result will please you with its appearance:

Fully cleaned steel disc

In order not to waste time, the surface is only cleaned of rust, then sanded and degreased. The “old paint” remains. This option is also considered acceptable. Let us list the stages of preparation “step by step”:

1. Thoroughly rinse the disc with water. To simplify the task, use a brush;
2. Mechanical rust removal;
3. If necessary, you can use a rust converter: apply the product, leave it for 2 hours, then grind the surface and clean it. You cannot use water!
4. Degreasing (white spirit or solvent 646 is suitable);
5. Applying putty if the wheel has obvious defects.
6. Apply two layers of primer with an interval of 20 minutes.

The last step is to use a universal acrylic primer. These products are sold in aerosol packaging.

Application of primer

Note that phosphoric acid can act as a rust converter. And if the finishing layer is applied, it takes a day to dry the soil.

It is important to know: once a mark has been made on the metal with sandpaper, water should not touch the surface in principle. Use organic solvents for cleaning.

The priming itself is a dress rehearsal for the painting process. To simplify these “processes”, the disk can be installed on an inverted bucket. The rim is then painted by turning the disc with the desired side facing you. As you can see, everything is simple.

You may have to work with sandpaper after applying the primer. Sanding with P1500 sandpaper is carried out before painting, which is mandatory.

Disk recovery

Drivers try not to notice the spread of the corrosion process on car rims, although they should start sounding the alarm when rust the size of a match head appears. This is the first call that the paintwork is damaged. Over the course of several months, corrosion will spread across the surface of the disc, deforming it. They solve the problem by restoring and painting alloy wheels with their own hands.

Coloring methods

Automotive services carry out work on restoring and painting car wheels, but often the cost of such work is too high. Thanks to modern technologies, even a beginner can paint with the necessary equipment.

A few years ago there was not such a large selection of paints. Markets could boast nitro enamels or compositions based on oil and pentaphthalic bases. Now the choice is varied, and everyone will find a suitable paint. Some of the most common ones include:

• polymer coatings;
• laying layers of liquid rubber;
• acrylic paints in aerosol cans;
• nitro enamel.

Not all of the above methods are suitable for painting discs. Some require equipment that is difficult to obtain and impossible to use at home. For example, a polymer coating in powder form is applied in several stages:

1. Cleaning the surface of old paintwork and degreasing.
2. Applying a special primer to damaged areas.
3. Laying polymer powder coating.
4. Heat treatment in special ovens.

It is impossible to perform heat treatment at home, although there are some types of this paint on the market that do not require placing the discs in an oven. This polymer coating is not durable; after just one season of driving, obvious signs of chipping are visible, and the corrosion process continues to spread. Painting with a polymer composition can only be done in specialized automotive services.

With chrome plating, everything is a little simpler, but not everyone can do this kind of work. The essence of chrome plating is the layer-by-layer application of various chemical components to the disc with intermediate rinsing of the surface with distilled water. There is a regulated time between application of layers, and without a professional it is almost impossible to do the job correctly. If you do not follow the correct timing, the chrome will not turn out so bright; soon it will simply begin to crack and move away from the surface.

Chrome lovers don't have to worry, because there is still a way out. This is an imitation using special aerosol paints that allow you to create a chrome effect. You will have to spend most of the money on buying enamel. It is necessary to give the surface of the car disk shine. Otherwise, after spray painting, the surface will look cheap and ordinary.

Paint selection

After abandoning chrome plating and polymer base for painting car wheels, there are only three options left:

• acrylic composition;
• liquid rubber;
• old method of painting with nitro enamel.

The acrylic composition has gained great popularity among car enthusiasts in recent years. This paint is sold in cans, which make it easy to spray the composition onto the surface of the discs. Acrylic dries quickly, does not emit a strong odor and is relatively safe for health, although care should still be taken to protect the respiratory tract when working. With the help of imagination and the use of acrylic coating, many drivers improvise and apply several colors to the surface of their car wheels at once. To do this, use regular contour tape, covering the area that does not need painting. Various drawings created by the tape can be easily found on the Internet among many photo reports.

It is also useful to read: What is matte car painting and what is its technology?

Nitroenamel is the cheapest option of the above. The hardening speed is faster than that of acrylic, but the pungent odor and dangerous fumes cause severe harm to health if inhaled. Therefore, it is imperative to choose a ventilated room and wear a protective mask when painting. Another disadvantage of this chemical composition is that you cannot apply more than two colors to one surface. In practice, it has been noticed that after applying the second layer, the colors begin to dissolve and mix at the joints.

Liquid rubber is used more often by people who care more about the condition of the wheels rather than their appearance. The main advantage is that the composition includes crushed rubber, which eliminates all cracks, potholes, scratches and other defects on the rim. Liquid rubber is applied to the surface, which forms a thick and elastic layer that protects against mechanical and chemical stress. This is the most durable coating, which also does not require additional protective varnish.

Painting process

So we got to the most important thing. Let's look at how to properly paint stamped wheels so that you don't have to redo everything from scratch later. In principle, there is nothing complicated in this process:

Applying paint to the rim

Of course, not everyone has a spray gun, nor does everyone have special equipment. Therefore, an upside down bucket, unnecessary tires, etc. will help again. The main thing is to be smart, as the author of this photo did:

Homemade equipment for disks

Also, it is advisable to follow these tips:

• When using an aerosol, the can must be shaken periodically;
• The temperature of the aerosol package should not be too low: 30-35 degrees is the norm;
• Keep the aerosol at a distance of 20 cm from the surface (no less);
• When painting, you should not stay in one place for a long time, otherwise streaks will form.

The paint is applied in two or three layers, maintaining an interval of 10 minutes. An hour after painting, the surface is treated with varnish. You can use the finished product within a day. But it’s better to wait 60-80 hours – during this time the varnish gains maximum strength.

Painting in a car repair shop

Special car services perform painting quickly and efficiently, but they charge quite a lot of money for it. In such a workshop, the wheels are cleaned of old coating and rust using sandblasting, which is carried out using special equipment. Such a car is expensive, so not every car enthusiast has one in their garage.

Car wheels are also painted using a spray gun and high-quality paint. That is why this procedure costs a lot. But those car enthusiasts who want to get their wheels in order without extra costs can repaint them themselves. And for this you won’t need to buy expensive equipment, and all because almost all the materials that are needed can probably be found in every driver’s garage.

Painting stampings in a car workshop

Selection of materials, tips

Typically, acrylic paint, glossy or matte, is used to paint metal. The primer for this paint is also acrylic (universal). There are also nitro paints. All of the above materials are packaged in an aerosol. But, as is easy to understand, not every primer is suitable for nitro enamels. Be aware that nitrogen based primers and paints are prohibited for use in most countries.

Here are some tips that are known even to beginners:

1. The higher the air temperature, the faster drying occurs;
2. The color of the primer should approximately match the color of the paint;
3. The aerosol must be shaken before use. The packaging temperature, moreover, should not be lower than 25 degrees. This advice applies to any aerosol: with paint, primer or varnish.

It was said how to paint stamped wheels if you know that the work will be done with your own hands. And therefore, such an option as using powder paints was not considered. Good luck.

According to reviews, 4 discs require: 2 cans of dye (450 ml), one can of primer (450 ml), one can of varnish.

Car rim tuning

Tuning is one of the ways that makes a car stand out from all other vehicles. And there are many types of such tuning, for example:

• installation of new plugs;
• unusual painting of car wheels;
• chrome plating;
• inlay;
• backlight;
• unwelding

You may be interested in this About the factory parameters of car wheels

Installing plugs is replacing old ones with new, more original ones. You can simply buy a new kit and paint it the color you want, or make it yourself. The main thing in this matter is skillful hands and imagination.

The most common way of improvement can be considered unusual painting. This means that you don’t just have to repaint the disc metallic, but choose bright, catchy colors, or maybe even several.

Chrome plating is also quite popular among car enthusiasts, as it gives the wheels an incredibly stylish look. In this case, a metal coating with a mirror effect is created. Inlay is a decoration of the rim with Swarovski crystals. This procedure is painstaking and quite expensive. But the wheels end up looking amazing.

The backlight looks very effective at night.

For this method, neon tubes or neon tape are used. Installing them on disk will not be difficult even for a beginner.

And the last improvement method is welding. It involves expanding the disk by sawing parts and adding more metal to the structure. But this method has more disadvantages than advantages.

Hub like a lathe

There is a method that allows you to quickly paint the rim:

1. Let's say there is rust on the surface of the rim. To find out about this, you will have to disassemble the disk (Fig. 1);
2. Next, the disk is mounted on the hub, the engine is started and the gear is engaged (Fig. 2);
3. If you are using a left-hand hub, turn the steering wheel to the left, and vice versa;
4. Using cloth-based sandpaper, sanding is carried out (Fig. 3). It is better to fix the sandpaper on a block;
5. Just as “preparation” was done in step 4, painting can be done (Fig. 4).

All steps are illustrated in the photo:

Looking at the edge of the rim

Using the hub like a lathe

Rust removal

Painting procedure

Use this method at your own risk.

Preparatory work

Painting stamped wheels yourself is absolutely no different from painting a car body. The preparatory stage involves carrying out such activities as:

• dismantling the disk (optional procedure);
• washing off dirt and resin from its surface with further drying;
• removing paint residue or corrosion with a drill and a wire brush;
• sanding with coarse sandpaper to remove paint residues;
• sanding with fine-grained sandpaper to make it smooth;
• application of degreaser followed by drying.

How to make a border

You can buy contour tape to paint it in two colors. The standard two-tone color option is the border near the rim. The result of all work will look like this:

Stamped discs with border

The border color is the first layer of paint. Or rather, two or three layers. When doing two-tone painting, keep the following in mind:

• Allow the paint to dry before applying the tape. Which takes 15-20 minutes;
• Do not use regular tape with contour tape. It will come off along with the paint;
• In the example shown above, painting could be done like this: 2-3 layers of red enamel, drying, one “outer” layer.

The last layer must be dried finally. Then varnish treatment is performed. Know that the width of the contour tape is always 6 mm. But this is not a problem, since polyethylene can be glued under the tape.

Auxiliary materials and equipment

Painting steel wheels yourself is not difficult - you will need the following materials:

• coarse and fine-grained sandpaper;
• primer;
• paint for stamped wheels (if this device is not available, use an aerosol at the rate of 2-3 cans per wheel);
• solvent;
• masking tape;
• soft cloth;
• detergent.

Materials and tools for painting stamped wheels

Equipment you will need:

• spray gun and compressor for it (optional);
• drill with an attachment for brushes with metal bristles.

When choosing paint, you need to be guided by how durable it is. The best in this regard is considered to be an acrylic composition (in particular, New Ton aerosol). Some car enthusiasts use rubber paint to give their car a personal touch. Another option is powder coating, but this is not carried out in a garage environment. And this paint dries for about a day.

Painting stamped discs cannot be done without first inspecting their condition. You need to inspect it for any scratches, cracks or rust.

Pasting

If you want to paint the “stamps” quickly, without removing the rubber, you need to properly glue its sides. You can do this in several ways:

• Masking tape. It’s trivial to paste it over all the places where the presence of paint is undesirable.
• With cards. We install them vertically in the groove between the sidewall of the tire and the disk shelf.

• Large A3 paper (the thicker the better). We arrange the sheets in a circle. We secure them with pieces of tape. You will get a kind of “drum” that will prevent paint from getting onto the sidewall of the tires.
• Old tires. We cut out the sidewall from an unnecessary tire of the same diameter and simply apply it to our wheel. This way we will prevent pollen from getting onto the surface.

What paint to choose for wheels

In terms of chemical composition, cost, durability and decorative properties, all paints are somewhat different.

Each has advantages and disadvantages, otherwise they would have stopped being produced a long time ago.

1. Nitro enamels. They dry very quickly and are cheap, but that’s where their advantages end. Nowadays, few people use them for car repairs, although not so long ago they even painted Rolls-Royces. True, using an extremely complex technology of two dozen layers with intermediate processing of each.
2. Alkyd enamels. They are also easy to use and dry easily in the open air at normal temperatures. And they are inexpensive. A good property for an inexperienced craftsman is that they quickly form a film, which helps fight drips. But the quality of the coating and durability leave much to be desired.
3. Acrylic paints. The most popular products in body repair. Provide high-quality coating with high decorative and protective properties. Can be used with natural drying and polymerization from heating. In combination with varnish they give deep, rich metallic effects.
4. Powder enamels. They are rarely used in amateur work because they require complex equipment for application. But the coating is very durable and provides a beautiful appearance.
5. Liquid rubber. Strictly speaking, it does not apply to paints, has a controversial reputation and difficult technology. The material, as they say, is not for everyone.

Most often, acrylic coating is chosen for self-application. It is convenient, durable and usually pleases with the results.

Car wheel rim painting technology

The entire dyeing process is divided into the following stages:

1. Removing the wheels, disassembling them and removing dirt.
2. Preparing for painting.
3. Application of primer.
4. Coloring and drying.

The rims must be thoroughly washed to remove dirt and dried.

At the first stage, it is important to thoroughly wash the discs using degreasing detergents (kitchen detergents are suitable). If you decide to paint them without removing the tires, you will have to thoroughly wash the rubber as well. After washing, dry the wheels in the fresh air or in a ventilated area.

The process of preparing to paint stampings in color

At this stage it is necessary to perform the following operations:

1. Removing rust and old paintwork.
2. Degreasing.
3. Pasting with a painting plaster (if necessary).

Initial cleaning of the disk with a brush

When performing the first operation, you need to achieve two goals: completely remove the rust and clean the applied varnish and paint as much as possible. Ideally, the old coating should be completely removed, which is quite difficult to achieve with manual processing. But the varnish should be completely cleaned, and the paint should be cleaned whenever possible. Where it holds firmly, sanding down to metal is not necessary. First you need to use coarse sandpaper, and then finer sandpaper to rub out scratches.

Advice. Do not allow the old coating to remain on the metal in the form of islands with clear protruding edges. After painting, the remaining islands will definitely appear, no matter how many layers you apply. The protrusions must be sanded down so that the surface feels smooth to the touch.

Pouring rust converter into disc slots

There is one weak point in the design of stamped steel wheels, where dirt is constantly packed and where rust occurs first. This is a gap located in a circle between two elements - the rim and the middle part with holes for mounting bolts. To clean and sand it, the following methods are used:

• treatment with a rust converter or phosphoric acid, followed by cleaning and sanding;
• use of sandblasting machines.

Advice. The last method is the most effective, use it whenever possible. If you have a compressor at home, you can purchase a sandblasting attachment for it and thoroughly clean the entire disk from traces of corrosion and old paint.

This is what a sandblasting nozzle with a sand tank looks like