Painting aluminum alloy wheels

Hi guys,
The rattle can sticky is great but doesnt cover painting rims. If someone remembers a good thread please link me

I'm wondering if I should do this or splurge for powdercoating Anyone that has done it care to pass some wisdom along?

I'm putting a 93 nighthawk 17" on my 83 and since it is bare aluminum it wont match so I'm thinking of doing both in flat black.

I'd hate to have it come off when mounting tires.
Do you prime first? Should I do the entire rim including inside or would with tire on be acceptable?

Thanks for any tips ... would hate to do the work and have it come off when the tires get changed.

You're always going to risk chipping paint changing tires.

Generally, I paint them with the tire on. Scuff them up a touch with sandpaper, take them to a car wash, get them clean, wipe them down with acetone, break the bead, tape it off, prime, paint, clear, done. I do use automotive paint and clear, no rattlecan.

My GL1800 rims were powder coated at first tire change. With 115k miles on them, they are chipped all over. I just touch them up with model car paint. If I did it again, I would consider just having them sprayed. Unless you never plan to ride it, you really should use gloss and gloss clear. Flat black will be splochy grey too soon if riden. I did the Comstars on my GL1000 with Duplicolor gloss black Wheel Paint and clear wheel paint in rattle cans. Looks great but scars easy. I just cleaned and sanded them well and masked the deflated tires. Some guys use a deck of playing cards shoved in between tire and rim. Following rattle-can directions is important to get a good looking finish.

Interesting thoughts thanks! I agree that gloss would probably be better as well as easier to clean .... but I'm just worried it wont look as nice and wont match the rest of the flat black paint on the engine. I'll have to look at some other examples of this and see how it looks I'm practice.

If I am inclined to rattle can them .... is brake caliper paint a good choice??

chickenStripCharlie said:

Interesting thoughts thanks! I agree that gloss would probably be better as well as easier to clean .... but I'm just worried it wont look as nice and wont match the rest of the flat black paint on the engine. I'll have to look at some other examples of this and see how it looks I'm practice.

If I am inclined to rattle can them .... is brake caliper paint a good choice??

Click to expand...

I used Satin Black VHT Epoxy Paint to do the wheels on my CB360. I had great luck with it and no chipping from road debris in the 500+ miles I put on the bike before I sold it.

I'm debating whether to have my rims powder coated or just paint them my self. From what I've heard/seen quality powder coating lasts longer and shouldn't chip? I'm keen to see what others say/have experienced.

advCo said:

I used Satin Black VHT Epoxy Paint to do the wheels on my CB360. I had great luck with it and no chipping from road debris in the 500+ miles I put on the bike before I sold it.

Click to expand...

Looks great! Is that without additional clear coat? How about primer?

Also, did you paint with tires on or before you installed the tires? Curious if they held up to tire mounting

Karlloss said:

I'm debating whether to have my rims powder coated or just paint them my self. From what I've heard/seen quality powder coating lasts longer and shouldn't chip? I'm keen to see what others say/have experienced.

Click to expand...

Oh, it WILL chip, but it is much tougher and certainly a lot more rub-resistant than paint. 2K paint is probably just as good if you have the setup to do it.

chickenStripCharlie said:

Looks great! Is that without additional clear coat? How about primer?

Also, did you paint with tires on or before you installed the tires? Curious if they held up to tire mounting

Click to expand...

No primer and no clear coat with that paint.

I originally painted the rims before I mounted the tires, then boogered them up while installing the tires. I had to touch them up with the tires on. When I put the new front rim on (seen in pic) I mounted the tire first and painted it afterwards.