Want to paint the oem wheels black

[hani1400]

What are the steps? What kind of paint? And does it involve sanding and coating etc.?

Also what are the cons?

I messed with it in paint to see how it will look before and after:

 

[Sloan]

oh that will look good man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5eK5OnHfqA

watch that video it gives you all the steps. its even made for 4runner rims :bigok:

 

[hani1400]

Thanks!

Do you think it will harm the brakes if i did this without taking off the wheels?

 

[Sloan]

umm not really sure actually. it would be more work to take the wheels off but i think it would make the overall job easier.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I'd go with gunmetal instead of "hiding" your wheels in all black which is such a cliche on 4wd trucks.

Powdercoating is the best option unless you are on a budget.

 

[trd_4runnin]

I'm not sure that it would harm anything, but it will sound like crap when your braking and probably stop a little slower until you wear all of the overspray off of the rotors. My suggestion would be to pull the wheels off and do it.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I'd 100% remove the wheels since you are asking for trouble if you don't with possible overspray on any part of the body of the truck wouldn't be good and gravity could have a bad effect when you spray with possible drips and uneven drying pattern could result.

Do it right and don't half ass it or it will look half assed.

 

[trd_4runnin]

I'd 100% remove the wheels since you are asking for trouble if you don't with possible overspray on any part of the body of the truck wouldn't be good and gravity could have a bad effect when you spray with possible drips and uneven drying pattern could result.

Do it right and don't half ass it or it will look half assed.

I agree. I didn't even think about gravity and the paint running. I would definately pull the wheels and paint them that way.

Also, I agree that powdercoating would be the best option but I was on a budget when I did mine. That being said I have been running mine for about 4 months now, through winter and even a couple off-road trips, with little to no chipping whatsoever. Where I live there is only one company close by that does powdercoating and they sort of run a monopoly. I can paint these wheels 10 times before I've spent the same amount of money I would on powdercoating.

 

[KellyJ]

If you end up doing this, PLEASE let me know how it turns out, I agree with going gunmetal, I personally think it would look better then going all black. Also, where did you get that exhaust tip? Mine is all rusty now and looks absolutely awful, and that one looks hella sweet.

 

[hani1400]

What is the benefit of sanding, these rims are rough already and what brand of spray do you use for this, rustolium? And can someone give me the name of the clear coating that you put on at the end.

Also, where did you get that exhaust tip? Mine is all rusty now and looks absolutely awful, and that one looks hella sweet.

It's the brand they have in walmart, not the straight cut, the diagonal cut, it comes with a red sticker on it. It's pretty good i had one on my camry before i got my 4runner. They're about 15 bucks, i'm looking for a bigger one same shape.

 

[rook]

What is the benefit of sanding, these rims are rough already and what brand of spray do you use for this, rustolium? And can someone give me the name of the clear coating that you put on at the end.

you cant use cheap materials like rustoleum and expect quality, long lasting results.

for sanding / cleaning go get some grey scuff pads and and scrub the wheels thoroughly with a powder soap cleaner like ajax or an equivalent. this will both clean and lightly abrade the wheels, which ensures good adhesion

for primer, use an epoxy primer, as you know epoxy is glue and will ensure good adhesion.

usually no sanding is needed with an epoxy primer

use a tack cloth to remove any dust prior to topcoating

for topcoat, there are some nice affordable single stage enamels available. see if an auto parts store can get you a quart.

 

[KellyJ]

Thanks, I'll be going over there tomorrow again haha, I am glad there is one so close. Will that one eventually rust? I got a really nice looking one from Advanced, for 8 bucks, that was sort of a gun metal color, but it has since rusted to an orange color, and its awful.

 

[trd_4runnin]

What is the benefit of sanding, these rims are rough already and what brand of spray do you use for this, rustolium? And can someone give me the name of the clear coating that you put on at the end.


It's the brand they have in walmart, not the straight cut, the diagonal cut, it comes with a red sticker on it. It's pretty good i had one on my camry before i got my 4runner. They're about 15 bucks, i'm looking for a bigger one same shape.

Sanding makes the paint stick. You might think your wheels are rough enough but they probably aren't. If you want it to look good then just take the time and do it right. I used Duplicolor wheel paint and Duplicolor wheel clear coat. They are spray on cans and just follow the directions on the can. The only thing the can said to do that I didn't do was use a primer.

If you want your wheels to look good then listen to the people who have actually done this before. Mine took one whole day to finish but they look damn good. I've been driving on them for 4-5 months with very little chipping at all. That includes winter, power washes, and a little bit of off-roading. IMO there is no sense in spending $100 on epoxy paints and auto paint and what not on a pair of wheels. Paint is paint and is going to chip. If you use the duplicolor stuff like you are supposed to you won't have any problems.

 

[rook]

Sanding makes the paint stick. You might think your wheels are rough enough but they probably aren't. If you want it to look good then just take the time and do it right. I used Duplicolor wheel paint and Duplicolor wheel clear coat. They are spray on cans and just follow the directions on the can. The only thing the can said to do that I didn't do was use a primer.

If you want your wheels to look good then listen to the people who have actually done this before. Mine took one whole day to finish but they look damn good. I've been driving on them for 4-5 months with very little chipping at all. That includes winter, power washes, and a little bit of off-roading. IMO there is no sense in spending $100 on epoxy paints and auto paint and what not on a pair of wheels. Paint is paint and is going to chip. If you use the duplicolor stuff like you are supposed to you won't have any problems.

you make some good points. since the surface already has paint on it, you can get away without priming. by definition, primers prepare bare metal and surfacers provide a layer of build material to cover imperfections. what matters next is how well the paint will stick. mechanical adhesion is achieved through sanding, that is why i recommend using scuff pads (grey 3M) and an abrasive cleaner. after rinsing with water, it leaves the surface perfect for paint in one easy step.

i agree with your point about expense. i did my fj wheels with pro-quality materials. i do body work from time to time so the added expense wasn't too much. i would still recommend an enamel which will dry hard enough to avoid pits and chips with daily usage.

 

[KellyJ]

I messed around to see what "gunmetal" looked like to my best ability. I think it would look better with the ridges in the spokes, which you can't see when you edit with just paint. Photoshop would be a whole other game though, and I think that is where you could predict the best results, to see what color would look the best (in each person's opinion) on the rims.

I personally like the center caps staying the same color also.

 

[hani1400]

I painted it gunmetal, then changed my mind and painted it black:

Here's the original again for comparison:

Just kidding, i let the photoshop pro mess with it.

I definitely like black better.

 

[KellyJ]

Damn, I like both of those. Who'd you get to do the work?

 

[hani1400]

Ill do it by my self but wont take off the tires, ill take my time and cover the tires and part of the fenders, ill do a couple of light coats to avoid driping dots.
I dont have a garage or much tools but ill take my time on this one.
When the weather is right

 

[KellyJ]

Did you decide on a color? Flat or glossy finish?

 

[hani1400]

I think glossy.