The finish on my ‘07 Limited wheels is starting to show it’s age. Mostly bubbling around the valve stems and flaking where the wheel weighte were/are. I checked on getting them powder coated glossy black (the least expensive way to go) and for the wheels, center caps, dismount and remount with road force balance is $520 or $660 for other colors. I have watched numerous YouTube videos on painting wheels. I am confident I can do it....but...I get frustrated when (1) things don’t go as planned, like getting fish eyes you cant get rid of, etc. or (2) you get the wheels to look perfect only to have durability issues after all your hard work. For those of you that have had your wheels refinished, what is your experience? To those who have painted them, the same...any regrets or tips?
Powder coat or rattle can my wheels
- Thread starter dano
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randy88fj62
Member
You can pay to get them polished then clear coat finish if you want to retain the oem look.
If you are adventurous you can polish them yourself then use caliper clear coat paint which bakes in your oven at 200°F for one hour. All depends on your budget and needs.
If you are adventurous you can polish them yourself then use caliper clear coat paint which bakes in your oven at 200°F for one hour. All depends on your budget and needs.
UrbanRunner651
New member
I have the same 18" wheels.
I plastidipped all 4 matte black which looked nice. However, after about 2 years it faded and started to wear through in spots.
When it came time to get new tires, I hand stripped all the paint off (PITA), wire wheeled any rough spots and paid about $75-100/wheel to powder coat them in 50% gloss black.
Well worth it in my opinion. Looks great and has held up well, going on 4 years now.
I plastidipped all 4 matte black which looked nice. However, after about 2 years it faded and started to wear through in spots.
When it came time to get new tires, I hand stripped all the paint off (PITA), wire wheeled any rough spots and paid about $75-100/wheel to powder coat them in 50% gloss black.
Well worth it in my opinion. Looks great and has held up well, going on 4 years now.
I've done a few sets with the rattle cans. Any winter driving will require touchup within a year or 2. For cars not driven in snow, it's not too bad. Prep and many light coats is the key.
I heard Summit Racing or Eastwood has a 2-part epoxy paint that is supposed to be more durable.
Can't go wrong with powder coating (other than the cost).
HTH,
Bill
I heard Summit Racing or Eastwood has a 2-part epoxy paint that is supposed to be more durable.
Can't go wrong with powder coating (other than the cost).
HTH,
Bill
L8Shift
Member
I was/am in your same situation..
For the price of powder coating, you are well on your way to getting a fresh balanced set of take-offs, with new tires, and TPMS sensors... :shrug:
I was given a decent replacement 18" wheel, from a local club member. I took a Dremel to the corroded spots and hit it with a can of silver metallic Rustoleum. Needs Bondo to be finished.
I was not able to find the color code for the paint on the wheel.
I am keeping the 18s as a spare set. The 18s are not in any demand, you may be able to find a replacement wheel from a local 4Runner club member as well.
I went after market 17" wheels with zero offset to fit larger tires.
Good luck with whatever you decide..
For the price of powder coating, you are well on your way to getting a fresh balanced set of take-offs, with new tires, and TPMS sensors... :shrug:
I was given a decent replacement 18" wheel, from a local club member. I took a Dremel to the corroded spots and hit it with a can of silver metallic Rustoleum. Needs Bondo to be finished.
I was not able to find the color code for the paint on the wheel.
I am keeping the 18s as a spare set. The 18s are not in any demand, you may be able to find a replacement wheel from a local 4Runner club member as well.
I went after market 17" wheels with zero offset to fit larger tires.
Good luck with whatever you decide..
I found a set of “take-offs” wheels, center caps, TPMS and tires off a TRD Off Road for $300 more than the cost of going the powder coat route. Only 900 miles on them. One small scratch (circled in the pic) Sounds like a no brainer, huh?. The only caveat is they are “pick up only” and the guy lives 6 hours away. Will 4 tires/wheels fit in the back of the 4Runner? Day trip anyone?
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L8Shift
Member
Join a few 5Gen T4R groups on FB and post up that you are looking for fresh takeoffs, in your general region. Hopefully, you will get many local replies with reasonable offers. Off-Road folks are looking to unload OEM sets. Each tire is date stamped 
.
I got my last set on Facebook marketplace.
They pop up all the time in my area.
.I got my last set on Facebook marketplace.
They pop up all the time in my area.
BlairB
New member
I rattle canned my wheels 12 years ago and they have held up shockingly well. It is definitely time to hit them with another coat of paint, but since I off road and my wheels get dinged up, it was much better than paying to power coat.
You can see at this point the paint has faded and rocks have taken their toll, but not bad for over a decade and a few cans of spray paint! In the photo 99% of the scratches you see were rocks and not much the paint could have done. There are a few tiny chips through that I bet wouldn't be on a powercoated wheels.
My process was clean wheel, rough up with sandpaper (I used 320 grit), 2 coats of primer and four coats of satin rustoleum. Easy project overall.
You can see at this point the paint has faded and rocks have taken their toll, but not bad for over a decade and a few cans of spray paint! In the photo 99% of the scratches you see were rocks and not much the paint could have done. There are a few tiny chips through that I bet wouldn't be on a powercoated wheels.
My process was clean wheel, rough up with sandpaper (I used 320 grit), 2 coats of primer and four coats of satin rustoleum. Easy project overall.
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xtremewlr
Member
I had 5 wheels with 285/70s mounted on them in the back of the 4runner. Gotta drop the rear seats but they will fit.
xtremewlr
Member
Painted a set of 5th gen 4runner wheels for my daughter's Tacoma. Prep is where it's at for painting, and taking lots of time to do it. If you have a set you can drive on while you paint the new wheels, then you have as much time as you need. Painting gives you a lot more color choices and is easily touched up if needed where powder coating has to be removed and done over again for any real repair work to the finish.
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