Painting Bead Blasted Aluminum Wheels

[tardis454]

Just got five Jeep wheels sandblasted & ready for paint.
Using hammered finish on the face, undecided on the rest.
The wheels are blasted front, back & inside.
What would you guys do about the back & inside of the wheels?

Paint? Clear coat? Leave it raw aluminum?

Discuss

[squirrel]

Kinda depends where your van down by the river is parked. If it's a mostly dry area, like here, I'd leave them. If it's a damp area, then you might want to paint them with something....and it probably doesn't matter too much what, as long as it sticks good.

[tardis454]

Cleveland, salt central. Flat black work you think?

[1badmonkey]

i would paint the center some color. doesnt matter which. blasting leaves a rough texture, makes tire beads drag, or get hung up. maybe even tear.

do the bead seat, and the drop center....

[milner351]

1badmonkey read my mind - I'd use a good enamel on the inside of the wheel, something that will fill in the beadblasting and leave a nice smooth finish.
Eastwood makes a diamond clear paint $15 a can but really nice stuff - I've used it alot on blasted aluminum intakes, after years, still shiny with just a little fuel residue staining. Never have used it on wheels but that's it's intended use.

In the salt belt we live in - I wouldn't leave anything un covered on those wheels - perhaps the best first coat on the entire wheel is self etching primer.

[Beagle]

I'd clear them at least. Oxidized aluminum looks crappy to me unless it's all the same and it never is. I'm not sure how much past satin you can go with a clear? The flat black will get unflattened with clear I fear.

Dan Stokes, are you seeing this?

These modern tire changers can put a tire on without screwing everything up, but I'd prolly still plan on a touchup. Lube the hell out of them is my motto, I stopped tearing up beads when I discovered RuGlyde!

[MR P-BODY]

Just got five Jeep wheels sandblasted & ready for paint.
Using hammered finish on the face, undecided on the rest.
The wheels are blasted front, back & inside.
What would you guys do about the back & inside of the wheels?

Paint? Clear coat? Leave it raw aluminum?

Discuss

I've painted a couple of sets of Jeep wheels.. blasted them
then I sanded them. cleaned with lacquer thinner then did
a base coat/clear coat... they looked great even when I sold
both Jeeps about 4 years after painting.... I just had to be
somewhat careful when mounting the tires.... oh... that was
painting the front, back and cleared the inside.... thats up
here in the Detroit area and this area is king of salt

[anotheridiot]

the reason you paint them now is because you will have more work when you decide to paint them later.also aluminum oxidizes to a powder and it is possible for the oxide to undercut where you stop painting and start bubbling up the edges.

[1badmonkey]

[These modern tire changers can put a tire on without screwing everything up, but I'd prolly still plan on a touchup. Lube the hell out of them is my motto, I stopped tearing up beads when I discovered RuGlyde!]

rough drop centers are a bitch though. last set of blasted wheels i did at my shop took an extra bar to work the bead around the drop. of course i was mounting 195-50-15's on a set of Omni GLH wheels, so the short sidewalls didnt help.

powder coat them clear....

[DanStokes]

Monkey beat me to it. If you can swing the $$ definitely powder coat. Tough as nails and laughs at salt. I'm going to get the race car wheels done, probably in silver (they're steel).

Dan

[Huskinhano]

Ditto on clear or paint on the back and inside. Why go through all the trouble bead blasting then?

[Teddyzee]

Duplicolor wheel paint is some great stuff, I've painted many wheels with it. I painted the Bullitts on my Ranger five years ago, they still look great. I just scuffed the powder coat on the spokes and sprayed color and clear. If/when I do it again, I will definitely do the back of the wheel, too, it will look much cleaner (if that matters).

[yellomalibu]

There's a guy around here I talk to once in a while that SWEARS BY a brand of etching primer for painting aluminum that he gets at the local auto paint supply store... it's three letters like "sem" or something. He uses it on a wide variety of aluminum automotive and boat components - including wheels. (no, not boat wheels! )

... even comes in black.

[DanStokes]

SEM is pro quality stuff. I've used a number of their products over the years and all have worked well.

Dan

[tardis454]

The wheels I've painted in the past have been on the face of the wheel only.
My friend's dad blasted these for free & did the entire wheel.
My biggest concern is painting the bead area, I don't want the paint to come off & make the rims leak..