How to Correctly Paint Alloy Wheels | LK Performance

Whether they are a little the worse for wear, purchased second hand, or you just fancy a change of view to your mags, they can be repainted without too much difficulty, so long as you have the wherewithal to get the wheels off and indeed the tyres off the wheels and the space to work in comfort.

1

Once the wheels are off the car, you’ll need to deflate and break the tyre bead. It’s possible to paint the wheel with the tyre still on, so long as they are well out of the way and masked up. Complete removal is always best though and if you aren’t able to do this at home and have the use of a second vehicle, it’s easy enough to get them along to a local tyre shop and have them do this for you for very little cost.

2

The next bit is the application of some good ol’ elbow grease, getting them clean. All dirt, grease and brake dust has to be removed, so you can take a good look at the wheel and survey for any damage while you’re at it, like dings, corrosion, or the odd curb infringement.

I tend to use a wire brush attachment on a power-tool to get rid of any loose paint and stubborn dirt. From here, it may be necessary to rectify any holes with some liquid metal, sanding it flush, once dry. At this point, the whole wheel surface to be painted needs ‘keying’- sanding to enhance the new paint taking to the surface. It’s well worth using a proprietary degreaser here too, to give your paint the best chance of properly adhering to the surface.

3

Presumably you already have a good idea what colour you are wanting and have selected a paint suitable for the job. It’s highly advisable to use a coat or two of top quality primer, as this will both protect your wheels for years to come, but also give the finishing coat something excellent to bond to.

Whether you are spraying or hand painting is up to you. I would advise extensive practice runs on a test surface, if you haven’t had previous experience, as spray-painting is an acquired art. Rather like welding, it looks pretty straightforward when you see someone doing it, but it’s actually pretty hard to get an even, solid coat down, especially on a complex, uneven surface like a wheel. The alternative is to get someone experienced in, or paint by hand with something like Hammerite.

4

Whatever you do, ensure you’re somewhere warm and well ventilated. For the paint to do its job with a good finish, you’ll need a constant temperature, out of direct sunlight and dust free.

5

Your biggest assets for a successful job are patience and preparation. If you spend your time well- cleaning, prepping and masking up your wheel properly, then leave plenty of time between coats, you will achieve best results, of which you can be proud.