marsman Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I have 4 16 inch MIMAS rims to repaint. My first attempt was not as successful as I'd hoped and I'm looking for a good how to here. I have brake dust imbedded into my front rims that does not come out with washing! it does come out if I use comet and a rough pad which mares the finish considerably. The process that I used was 1.wash/clean/mask tires and rims 2. sand rims using 320 grit paper 3. apply primer and wait 30 to 45 minutes 4. apply 938 silverstone paint 3 coats 5. apply laquer clear coat 2 coats. What did I do wrong? Any ideas on a better way to refurb my rims? Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the primer to dry or should I have sanded after priming the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesoam Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 you need to sand all that crud off, paint does not stick to it... a palm sander will make quick work of the barrels after sanding wipe down with denatured alcohol (get it from home depot/lowes) fill in any light curb rash with bondo, sand level clean again primer, 2 light coats is enough, sand the primer if needed, 800 grit is plenty if you have a compressor, buy a cheap spray gun and go to town, practice on some cardboard... if you must use rattle can go with multiple light coats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgerBob Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 A good wheel acid will remove baked on brake dust. Any dedicated automotive detailing shop will know about the stuff (my local place is Heiden). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbump Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Mesoam is correct. Rip it all off and try again with an air gun and decent compressor. I just did something similar this Saturday. Bu I didn't paint the whole wheel. I was detailing the rotors and calipers. With them clean you really noticed how disgusting the rims were. This info is too late for you now Marsman, but here's some input for someone if they come to this later. It appeared the blackening was only trapped within the clear coat, here's a quick rim refresh. Remove wheel. Clean wheel inside and out Scrub target area gently with 350 sandpaper and dish soap water Use a lighter grade sandpaper like black wet/dry 600 if you aren't familiar with roughing a clear coat without removing base, Don't sand down to the base color. Just gently off the clear coat. The black removes with it . Next clean thoroughly and dry thoroughly. I used an air gun then let them dry in the sun. The area you worked will look clean but will appear dull. Then shoot with a rattle can of clear cote. to restore gloss. Lightly ! Illustration only. Do this off the car. I was finishing up when I finally took some pictures with my phone.. I did this only between the spokes where the black crud was and sprayed the new clear lightly between the spokes where the clear was scrubbed off only. Not the whole wheel. I don't have before picture but they were so ugly and dirty in the first place, that I actually put sandpaper to it, so that should say it all ! Very happy with the results. The fronts were moved to the backs and were the worst and you can see the results. This is my 98 s70 so these are almost 15 year old rims, you be the judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbump Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 EDIT.. What did I do wrong? Hey can you post a picture of what you don't like about your paint job for us to look at ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsman Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Thank you for all the great how to ideas guys!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsman Posted August 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2011 Yes, Speedbump. I will take a pic of the rim that looks like crap for you to see. I'll post sometime in the next few days. Sorry for the delay in reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s10lowrider1994 Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 Not sure how much time and money you want to invest but here's what I do. I typically pull the tires off the rims and have them media blasted front and back. Nothing you spray on them is going to remove everything I dont care how potent it is. Local media blasting shop around here charges $25 per rim which is cheap and sure beats sanding your knuckles into the ground trying to remove stuff. After that the minor curb rash can either be filled and sanded or if its really light can be filed out completely. I dont usually like using any type of filler on rims, it simply doesnt last long and doesnt take much to break it loose. An etching primer followed by a 2k primer and a final sanding and you're ready for paint. I have an extreme hatred for anything in a rattle can but if thats your only option use a quality product like DuPont or UPOL. Typically you can get these brands in rattle can custom matched to whatever paint code you prefer. They are pricey but you get what you pay for. I really like DuPonts panel and jamb clear in the rattle can, its equivilent to their Chroma Clear, just in a rattle can and seems to hold up well. Works excellent and can be cut and buffed after it cures. Total project cost I would guess to be around $200. Sucks to spend on refinishing stock wheels, but half a$$ing it with cheapo products only to have them fade and fall off every few months doesnt make much sense either. In the end you'll spend just as much money hacking it a few times a year than to do it right the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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