[maikothegreek]

hi guys just making this thread to highlight how easy an alloy wheel refurb is and how to save a few quid :thumbsup.

firstly i started off buying the tools and materials you will need.

1) sanding block
2) Assorted grade sanding paper
3) Assorted wet and dry paper ( for use in between coats)
4) p38 filler
5) primer
6) Alloy wheel paint
7) Lacquer
8) masking tape ( i had around the house, halford was like 5 pounds for this)

cost around £40 pounds from Halfords

i spent a good hour getting my hands dirty scrubbing the whels to get rid of all the grime that has built up over the years.

i first got to know the enemy, if there is any buckles in the wheel then this refurb will be a waste of time. making sure there was only kerb damage i got down to business. i sanding the wheels to bare metal, which took longer than i expected. For a small fee of around £40 you get them sand blasted to bare metal. its vital that you take no short cuts in the early stages when preparing to paint something because it will effect the finish of the final product.

after sanding down the alloys for what seemed like days, i then prepared the alloy filler. each filler is different so apply as it says on the instructions.

after letting the filler hardened, i then sanded them down to a smooth finish. using prep wipes i cleaned the surface of the alloy wheel to get ready for the priming stage. its vital that the surface is clean and free from any dirt, loose paint etc. As my wheels still had the tyres on i had to tape off the tyres so i would not get any paint on them.

i did two coats of primer. after every coat wet and dry the alloy to key in the primmer for when your ready paint them. This is important in allowing the paint to set in with the primmer.

now allow the primmer to dry for atleast 24hours before applying the paint. i will upload more images when the primmer has dried.

sorry for the long cliff hanger i been busy

3 coats of paint later and 3 coats of primer later

 

[bmwkev]

thank you for this useful post, but to be honest i take mine to the professionals they remove the tyres then shotblast the wheels then weld any defects and then powder coat the wheel to my choice of colour all for the price of £30 per wheel but after saying that its always best to diy.

 

[redadair]

+1 on that, excellent post mate but I know it would take me 48 hours just to get one half done. And then the kids running about - sheesh!

 

[maikothegreek]

thank you for this useful post, but to be honest i take mine to the professionals they remove the tyres then shotblast the wheels then weld any defects and then powder coat the wheel to my choice of colour all for the price of £30 per wheel but after saying that its always best to diy.

where is this place for 30pounds a wheel?

 

[bmwkev]

in birmingham mate there are 2 places there is a company called laptab and the 1 i use is called bournes powder coaters.

 

[matt_pc]

I recently did my 4 M-Parallels and i'm reasonably happy with the result, only down side was when i applied the laquer it made the wheels seem quite dull instead of a nice bright silver before hand. I'd estimate it cost me £25 per wheel to do but this included having the tyres removed and refitted and balanced. I did 2 coats of primer followed by 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of laquer.

It does give you satisfaction knowing you've done them yourself and can save you some money.

 

[maikothegreek]

I recently did my 4 M-Parallels and i'm reasonably happy with the result, only down side was when i applied the laquer it made the wheels seem quite dull instead of a nice bright silver before hand. I'd estimate it cost me £25 per wheel to do but this included having the tyres removed and refitted and balanced. I did 2 coats of primer followed by 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of laquer.

It does give you satisfaction knowing you've done them yourself and can save you some money.

a trick i picked up! if you t cut them or polish the wheels before you lacquer them it will bring out more of a shine :thumbsup

 

[roberto]

Laptab are superb, i've always used them:thumbsup

Great writeup though.

 

[Wonkydog]

Great thread, you've given me the confidence to do mine.
Thanks.

 

[maikothegreek]

Great thread, you've given me the confidence to do mine.
Thanks.

remember when painting the more coats the better as long as you do light coats. never let the paint build up, hold the can atleast 15-20cm away from the wheel and spray in a swaying motion to avoid build up

 

[stevie spence]

instead of putting masking tape all round the wheels, I use detergent soap, laying the wheel so it`s flat and paint it in with a paint brush, then at the end of painting and wheel completely dry, just wash the wheel, saves a lot of time and masking off.