Painting Rims! How do I do it?

[Sparky84]

G'day
I'm looking at getting some FZR Rims but they seem to come in all colours and you cannot be fussy with what you find (there ain't many round)
What is the best way to prepare and paint? The ones I've seen seem to have chips off and look as if they have already been painted.

I'm not that good with a can (of paint)

Cheers Alan

[FJ1100mjk]

Powder coat, unless you're on a tight budget, then good epoxy rattle can paint.

[PaulG]

Or if you're not on a tight budget, some shops that powder coat will also do ceramic coatings.  Don't know if there is any advantage over powder coating, other than it would be a harder surface, and probably more expensive.

[FJ1100mjk]

Or if you're not on a tight budget, some shops that powder coat will also do ceramic coatings.  Don't know if there is any advantage over powder coating, other than it would be a harder surface, and probably more expensive.

Never heard of ceramic coat for wheels, so I called a local coater, and asked some questions.

According to the coater:

Ceramic is a thinner coating, and is suited for higher temperature environments. Ceramic coating costs more too. $75/wheel vs. $50/wheel for powder coat.

Powder coat, will have a clear coat also applied, and is thicker. It holds up better, and will be shiney. All the time. Ceramic's shininess, is dependent on application and will vary.

[FJmonkey]

Powder coat is more commonly done with a polyester base formula or acrylic. The best for wheels is the acrylic. It is not as common but it provides a better surface finish (smooth and glossy) that is easier to keep clean than a polyester finish. It can also be done in a clear so a polished wheel can be coated and keep the blinding bling with lower maintenance.

[ribbert]

This is the best stuff I have found, it's even used by restorers on expensive builds, it what it's made for.



Single pack, proper wheel colour (not too silver), impervious to fuel, oil and brake dust, DIY, can be touched up, just the right gloss level and easy to clean. Being polyurethane paint, it won't chip.

Personally, I would never powder coat wheels, they chip just like the ones you have now and need to be clear coated with something that won't yellow and has all of the above qualities.

Don't make any more complicated or expensive than it needs to be and still end up with the best looking finish.

IMO

Noel

[FJ1100mjk]

Powder coat vs. DIY rattle can? Tough call. I've done a lot of cleaning, prepping, and painting of parts over the years. Mostly (hell, all) by hand, and much elbow grease.

For $50/wheel, and all the nooks and crannies on wheels, one might lean towards having the powder coater prep and coat the wheels. If they value their personal time.

Mis dos centavos.

[aviationfred]

Powder coating is my suggestion. Prices in the USA generally run close to $70.00-$100.00 a wheel. The paint ends up extremely hard and very smooth. In most cases, it only takes a dry cotton rag to clean the wheels.

Here is a before and after of my FZR750R wheel.

Fred

[carey]

I've done several sets of wheels, both car and bike, with a rattle can wheel paint.  Three years later, it still looks good.  Powder coat is nice, but add to the cost a set of new wheel bearings.

[Sparky84]

Here is a before and after of my FZR750R wheel.

Fred

Mate that looks unreal,
What did they do to get rid of all the chipped paint? Sandblasted?

Looks like powder coated wheels might be the go!

Are the FZR wheels good to buff back to alloy and make super shiny? Just thinking out aloud.

A mate says use a can but I'm know I'm no good at that.

Cheers Alan

[giantkiller]

Some do a chemical dip. But most just blast. Have had several powder coated. Best way to go. Prices vary widely around here. So have to shop around.

[Sparky84]

Some do a chemical dip. But most just blast. Have had several powder coated. Best way to go. Prices vary widely around here. So have to shop around.

How does the powder coat go with tyre changes?
Do the get chipped or marked?

[red]

Just a note: no matter who does the paint, powder coat, et c., make sure that none of it gets into the bearing recesses.  The new bearings won't fit, if it does.

[FJmonkey]

Some do a chemical dip. But most just blast. Have had several powder coated. Best way to go. Prices vary widely around here. So have to shop around.

How does the powder coat go with tyre changes?
Do the get chipped or marked?

My experience with powdercoat shows it to be more resistant to chips and small impacts than most wet paints. Tire changes will affect all finishes. The quality of tools and labor come into play on preserving the finish.

[FJ_Hooligan]

If you do your own wheels then you know that tire irons do the most damage to the finish when prying the tire off of the rim.

To avoid this, after breaking the bead on both sides of the tire, make a radial cut through the sidewall all the way around the tire.  After accomplishing this on both sides you can simply remove the center tread and peel the sidewalls off the rim without any prying.