Wagon wheel Wednesday

"NaturallyAspirated" (NaturallyAspirated) 10/02/2013 at 15:29 • Filed to: None

0

11

I really need to do something about the terrible condition of my wheels. I've been planning on painting them, but I'm not sure of the best way to prep wheels that are this corroded.

dogisbadob > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:31

1

What's wrong? The wheels look fine. Does that say Jalopnik on the center cap?

rcasi > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:32

1

Plasti-dip. Minimal prep work, surprisingly durable, and you can do it without even removing the wheels.

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:32

0

I've personally never done it, so I don't know if this is helpful, but I would sandpaper the shit out those rims. Clean then. Then prime/paint.

dinobot666 > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:35

0

Mine did this too. It can cause a few problems, the worst being that the bead leaks at the edge of the rim of the wheel. If this does happen, you'll find out soon enough when it gets cold outside, when beads tend to leak the worst.

Most decent tire shops can remount your tires and clean up the bead and add bead sealant, which helps enormously.
As for the outside of the wheels, I'd scrub them down and plastidip them black to prevent further corrosion. It's worked well on all of the wheels I have that are exposed to salt and other corrosive elements during the winter.

MonkeePuzzle > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:37

1

actual experience: sand and clean combo. Sand them down with a sponge type sanding block, so you get into the nooks and crannies, whilst soaping it down with a de-greasing soap, dish soap usually suffices.

1 coat of primer, 2 coats colour, 1 coat clear. Done and done. ~1 hour work per wheel. Roll on your donut while you do it.

OLDSLANG > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:40

2

Just clean the shit out of them and Plastidip them. Done.

desertdog5051 > NaturallyAspirated 10/02/2013 at 15:50

0

Phosphoric acid. It cleans and lightly etches aluminum. Wash them with soap and water first and then apply the acid. Use an old pump spray bottle. Rinse it off after 30-60 seconds or when they take on a clean, unstained appearance. I got mine at a truck stop that had a truck wash but you should be able to find it other places too

duurtlang > rcasi 10/02/2013 at 16:01

0

Is it really that durable? I'm not familiar with this stuff, but wouldn't it peel right off when hit by something modest like a little rock?

rcasi > duurtlang 10/02/2013 at 16:13

0

There are a lot of reviews on youtube with this stuff. It seems you apply it in multiple coats, which helps durability. The people I saw on various car forums said they have had it on their wheels for over a year without needing touch-ups, and have been subjected to pressure washers, mechanical car washes and winter. I plan on doing them to the wheels on my Jeep XJ.

The wheel kits run as low as $25 on dipyourcar.com, so figure you can't go too wrong for that small of an investment. Never heard of this stuff causing damage.

duurtlang > rcasi 10/02/2013 at 16:15

0

Right. I have to look into this. Thanks.

OLDSLANG > duurtlang 10/02/2013 at 17:11

0

I dipped my wheels on my truck over a year ago. Since that time I've had it power-washed a few times, and driven offroad more than a few times. It still looks brand new. I always feel like a Plastidip salesman, but I really love the stuff.