Pics are to follow right now i am just writing it so i myself dont forget what i am doing!
Things you need :
- A socket set or similar to remove the wheel bolts (17mm)
- A degreaser to clean the wheels
- Various grit wet and dry or glass paper.
- Masking tape (around 2 rolls)
- Several sheets of newspaper
- A dust brush or similar
- 800ml of Primer (usually 2 cans)
- 800ml of Paint
- 800ml of Clear Lacquer
Firstly, you need to remove the wheels from your car. If you have no replacement wheels, you need to put the car on axle stands. Follow the guidelines in the Haynes manual or find secure points on the car as otherwise you could cause damage to the underside of the car and possibly find the floor inside the car has been pushed up.
Remember to remove the centre caps (where possible) from the wheels by using the handle of a screwdriver or similar to push them out from behind.
Next, give the wheels a thorough clean with a suitable degreaser. Something such as Fairy Liquid will be fine:
Make sure the wheels are dry before you start rubbing them down. Clean them with a cloth and then leave them for a good hour or so to ensure they're properly dried.
Now it's time for the hard bit Honestly, you will get as much out of the prep work as you put in. Spend a good few hours doing this so you get a super smooth finish.
If it is too deep to sand out skim the section with P38 filler and sand as appropriate.
Remember to cover all of the wheel. That means inside the holes for the wheel nuts, the gap for the centre cap and around the valve.
Make sure you keep brushing off excess dust with a brush to make sure that all of the surface gets fully prepped.
Give the tyres a quick wipe over to make sure there's no dust on them as this will help the tape to stick to the wheels better.
Now it's time to mask off the wheels. It helps if you deflate the tyres as this allows you to make a good job of spraying the lip of the wheel.
Ensure that you get the tape as far down the back of the lip as it will go. Put one width of tape underneath the lip the whole way around and then use another width to hold this in place:
Now it's time to mask off the rest of the tyre. You can use masking tape for this as well but it's much easier to use newspaper.
Tear the newspaper about half way down as this helps to cover a greater area of tyre and therefore use less.
Stick the paper down with more tape. Ensure that it is properly stuck down as you don't want it coming loose while you're spraying:
Now it's time for the primer
Ensure that the surface is clean before you start. It's best to give the can a good shake and also run it under warm water otherwise the paint can come out blobby and wreck the finish. Any paint will do as long as it's suitable for metal i.e. not dulux or similar! (its been done im sure
)
They key is lots of thin coats as this keeps the finish spot on. Ensure that you apply even coats from a distance; not close up to the wheels. About 20cm will be fine.
You'll need 4 to 6 coats depending on how thin you apply them and how many you need to coat the entire wheel. Remember to go round the lip and inside the wheel bolt holes as best you can without spraying too close.
Make sure that you leave 20 - 30 minutes in between coats to ensure that they are dry. DO NOT touch the wheels to see if they are dry as you will end up with fingerprints!
Now we're ready to get the paint on
Again, remember to shake the can thoroughly and run it under a warm tap if necessary. As with the primer, apply lots of thin, even coats, NOT 1 or 2 thick coats as the finish will be awful.
Allow 30 - 40 minutes this time for the paint to dry.
Use something like 1200 grit paper in between coats to ensure that a decent finish is maintained.
Now it's time for the lacquer!
This is often overlooked with DIY spray jobs. Most people think that it simply adds shine to the finish but this is not completely true. The lacquer will help protect the finish and make it more hard wearing.
Yet again, it is essential that the can is well shaken and ran under a warm tap if necessary.
Again, rub the wheels down in between coats with 1200 grit paper to ensure a good finish is maintained. This time allow 45 - 50 minutes in between coats.
And that's it!
So to summarise:
- Spend as much time as possible prepping the wheels
- Take your time; patience is virtue
- Apply light, thin and even coats from a distance of around 20cm
Hope this will come in handy to someone as it took ages to do. Will post progress pics up of my alloys when i get a bit further in!
Things you need :
- A socket set or similar to remove the wheel bolts (17mm)
- A degreaser to clean the wheels
- Various grit wet and dry or glass paper.
- Masking tape (around 2 rolls)
- Several sheets of newspaper
- A dust brush or similar
- 800ml of Primer (usually 2 cans)
- 800ml of Paint
- 800ml of Clear Lacquer
Firstly, you need to remove the wheels from your car. If you have no replacement wheels, you need to put the car on axle stands. Follow the guidelines in the Haynes manual or find secure points on the car as otherwise you could cause damage to the underside of the car and possibly find the floor inside the car has been pushed up.
Remember to remove the centre caps (where possible) from the wheels by using the handle of a screwdriver or similar to push them out from behind.
Next, give the wheels a thorough clean with a suitable degreaser. Something such as Fairy Liquid will be fine:
Make sure the wheels are dry before you start rubbing them down. Clean them with a cloth and then leave them for a good hour or so to ensure they're properly dried.
Now it's time for the hard bit Honestly, you will get as much out of the prep work as you put in. Spend a good few hours doing this so you get a super smooth finish.
If it is too deep to sand out skim the section with P38 filler and sand as appropriate.
Remember to cover all of the wheel. That means inside the holes for the wheel nuts, the gap for the centre cap and around the valve.
Make sure you keep brushing off excess dust with a brush to make sure that all of the surface gets fully prepped.
Give the tyres a quick wipe over to make sure there's no dust on them as this will help the tape to stick to the wheels better.
Now it's time to mask off the wheels. It helps if you deflate the tyres as this allows you to make a good job of spraying the lip of the wheel.
Ensure that you get the tape as far down the back of the lip as it will go. Put one width of tape underneath the lip the whole way around and then use another width to hold this in place:
Now it's time to mask off the rest of the tyre. You can use masking tape for this as well but it's much easier to use newspaper.
Tear the newspaper about half way down as this helps to cover a greater area of tyre and therefore use less.
Stick the paper down with more tape. Ensure that it is properly stuck down as you don't want it coming loose while you're spraying:
Now it's time for the primer
Ensure that the surface is clean before you start. It's best to give the can a good shake and also run it under warm water otherwise the paint can come out blobby and wreck the finish. Any paint will do as long as it's suitable for metal i.e. not dulux or similar! (its been done im sure
)They key is lots of thin coats as this keeps the finish spot on. Ensure that you apply even coats from a distance; not close up to the wheels. About 20cm will be fine.
You'll need 4 to 6 coats depending on how thin you apply them and how many you need to coat the entire wheel. Remember to go round the lip and inside the wheel bolt holes as best you can without spraying too close.
Make sure that you leave 20 - 30 minutes in between coats to ensure that they are dry. DO NOT touch the wheels to see if they are dry as you will end up with fingerprints!
Now we're ready to get the paint on
Again, remember to shake the can thoroughly and run it under a warm tap if necessary. As with the primer, apply lots of thin, even coats, NOT 1 or 2 thick coats as the finish will be awful.
Allow 30 - 40 minutes this time for the paint to dry.
Use something like 1200 grit paper in between coats to ensure that a decent finish is maintained.
Now it's time for the lacquer!
This is often overlooked with DIY spray jobs. Most people think that it simply adds shine to the finish but this is not completely true. The lacquer will help protect the finish and make it more hard wearing.
Yet again, it is essential that the can is well shaken and ran under a warm tap if necessary.
Again, rub the wheels down in between coats with 1200 grit paper to ensure a good finish is maintained. This time allow 45 - 50 minutes in between coats.
And that's it!
So to summarise:
- Spend as much time as possible prepping the wheels
- Take your time; patience is virtue
- Apply light, thin and even coats from a distance of around 20cm
Hope this will come in handy to someone as it took ages to do. Will post progress pics up of my alloys when i get a bit further in!
