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Found another great buy on Craigslist. Michelin XRV 235/80/22.5 to replace the 8.00-22.5 on the rear of my truck. Price for these new is about $485 per tire - I bought four for $75 each and they are almost new. Should I sandblast and paint the wheels prior to dismounting the old tires or go through multiple trips to dismount, blast, paint, remount?

I would consider cleanin/blasting and painting the wheels after the new tires were mounted. That is what the pros do around me, saves mucking up the new paint when the tires get mounted.

The absolute best way is blasting and painting or powder coating just the bare wheel, no tire.
Around here that cost somewhere around $100 per wheel, total, for one that size; blasting, primer powdercoat, and color powdercoat all for $100 or so.

Installing the tires is very easy and can be done without scratching the paint or powder coat if you take your time and pad the tire iron with strips of plastic cut from an oil jug or similar. I installed my 22.5" tires on freshly doen wheels with no issues, and two weeks ago did some 19.5 just the same, no tire shop necessary.

Grigg, so your saying I can dismount and mount the tires myself? That would be my preferred method as I could work on a couple at a time and still be able to drive the truck in and out of the barn, heck I could do three at one time since I have seven wheel/tire units and would have only four trips to and from the blaster. I would prime and paint them myself.

Dismounting old tires is more difficult but certainly possible at home.
For 22.5 tires most tire shops use a bead hammer and two Ken Tool T45 tire irons.
They make it look easy, and it is with experience. I have the tools but it wears me out every time I dismount one, I lack experience.

Mounting them is however much easier and very possible to do with good results without a lot of practice.
Still need or will benefit from those T45 bars. T45HD is the model I got, any of them you might want to file and sand and otherwise do a better job finishing the ends to help not scratch new paint.
Lay down some heavy cardboard, a rubber mat, or moving blanket to work on. Use enough tire soap to lube the bead and rim, I used Frey lube last time (and will continue to), Murphy’s oil soap brand tire lube before that.
The best tip for not scratching paint is strips about 3” wide and 5 or 6” long from an oil or antifreeze jug to always pad between tire iron and rim. Might take two people, one to place and later catch the plastic protectors.
Installing the first tire bead on rim usually needs no tools, kind of throw it on at the right angle and it jumps on. Use tire irons for second side.

Well, I might have a shop break them down then I could drop off the wheels at the blaster. Thanks for the input.

I agree to sandblast and powdercoat before mounting tires, only have to do it once.

Ed