The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Painting wheels with tires mounted ?

Can you give me some tips on painting my wheels with the tires mounted. Wheels are not on the truck. '54 3100 stock 16".

I know that I should remove the tires, sandblast, etc. etc., but I must start and complete the job this weekend so that the wheels can be mounted on the truck early Mon morning. And I must be ready for a show in two weeks.

I'm changing the color from a blue-green that doesn't match the truck to standard factory black. Probably semi-gloss. The paint on the truck is over 10yrs old, so "knock-your-eyes-out-hi-gloss" will probably not look right. The old paint on the wheels is in good condition. Only a couple of chips with some rust.

#1 objective is to look good.
#2 objective is to not flake off in a few months. Note - I drive the truck less than 500 miles a year. Always garaged.

QUESTIONS:

1) Pros-Cons on rattle can vs. 2K?

2) Any recommendations on rattle-can paint?

3) Any recommendations for semi-gloss 2K paint? I'm no painter, but I have shot 2K on small parts with OK results. I have reducer and catalyst, so the cost will probably be about the same as six or eight rattle cans.

4) Suggestions for prep? What's best to scuff up the old paint? Can I grind the rust spots to bare metal, then brush on some epoxy primer? Or should I brush on Ospho, then regular primer?

As you can see, I'm flyin' blind and on a tight schedule. Thanks for any help or suggestions that you can give me.

As far as the paint I use I look at it this way. Most of the time is spent in prep, so I pick a paint that will give me lasting results, or I will be doing this again sooner than I want.
I've given up on straight enamel cause it dulls up quickly, and only use it on farm machinery.
The worst part of painting wheels/tires on is the masking which I posted a trick for which speeds up and makes the job easy.

Break the bead loose from the wheel and cut cardboard to fit between tire and wheel. I take 2 pieces of cardboard, press them down hard on the wheel rim edge causing an imprint in the CB and then cut the CB about 1 in smaller than the imprint so it will fit nicely between the tire and wheel. Tape the split between the 2 halves and ur ready to shoot.
The nice thing about this is you didn't remove the tire and you don't scuff the paint off the edge mounting a tire on a freshly painted wheel.

Dan

I've done this many a time, to spruce up wheels. Here's what I do.

Clean everything (of course)

Buy a few rolls of cheap (for the high sticky factor) 2" masking tape.

I mask the wheel, buy placing the tape on the tire. You tear the masking tape into pieces about two inches long, and just keep overlapping, and moving around the wheel, placing the tape tangent to the rim. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in seconds (you don't need to have worked for JPL)

After there is a ring around the wheel, you just tape your masking paper to the tape on the tire, and voila.

I've used Tremclad (rustoleum to you in the USA) with good results, the wheels on my 1-ton are still presentable after 20,000 miles, and three winters spent in the rain, although they could use some freshening up.

You can thin down Tremclad and spray it, it'll be cheaper than rattle cans, but it does take longer to dry. You should only need a couple coats to cover though.

This way you don't have to break the bead, I'm too cheap to do that, don't have the equipment.

Thanks for your responses guys.

I bought a bag full of tape and rattle can paint this morning. Gonna use Rust-Oleum 252465 Automotive Aerosol Semigloss Black. According to Rustoleum website, it has good UV protection. My truck is on the rack at a shop near my house. I pick the wheels up today (Fri) at 5:00PM and will return them to be mounted on Mon morn. Hope to wash, scuff, and possibly prime and wet sand the rough spots tonight. Mask and final prime and paint on Saturday. One day of drying on Sunday.

Dan - Your idea about deflating the tires and inserting cardboard masks behind the rims seems like a good solution. I saw the process in a YouTube video. Don't know if it is yours but it's similar to your description. However, I don't know much about beads, tires, etc, so I'll leave the tires inflated.

Christopher - I'm using your encouragement to forge ahead. My main goals are to get the job done fast and for it to look OK for now. Probably words that I will live to regret!

I've done many a wheel by taping the tire to mask the wheel. Works good just takes a bunch of time, especially when going around a 38 in tractor wheel.

Dan

glasman -

You're right about taking a bunch of time. I worked all weekend on five wheels. Taping took forever. I deflated them to about 20# to reduce the ballooning of the sides so that I could get tape deeper behind the wheel. Don't know if it made any difference. But in the end, the wheels look great.

I used Ospho on the rust spots, let it sit overnight and washed and dried the next morning. Primed with Rustoleum Auto Primer and painted with Rustoleum Semi-Gloss Auto Paint in rattle cans.

Like the tractor reference. That is my other "hobby". Olivers and A/C.