PREPARATION AND PAINT

Wheel painting

The old lacquer and the corrosion come off, then the wheel is built back up: primer, colour and topcoat on clean metal.

Paint holds as well as what is under it

Most of the work in painting a wheel goes into the preparation, not into the colour. The old lacquer is stripped, corrosion removed and the places left behind by an impact or a weld are levelled. Only when the metal is clean and dry does it make sense to put anything over it.

Then comes the primer that ties the colour to the aluminium or the steel, followed by the topcoat in a tone agreed beforehand. The whole wheel is done rather than just the damaged spot, because the join between old and new lacquer always shows in the end, especially in daylight.

Painting usually follows on from other work. A wheel that has been straightened and welded is bare metal where it was machined anyway, so a fresh coat is the logical end of the job and at the same time protection for the metal against damp and road salt.

Usually done alongside painting

Tyre off and back on with balancing
Machining the front face on the lathe
Welding a crack before preparation
A polished lip against a coated wheel body
Brake calipers coated in a matching tone

What painting gives you

Four reasons wheels end up in paint preparation, from appearance right through to protecting bare metal.

Stripping the old lacquer

Flaking or faded lacquer is removed from the whole surface. A new coat does not go over an old one, because it would soon lift together with it.

Removing corrosion

White deposits on aluminium and rust on steel are taken back to sound metal. Left under the paint they carry on working and push the new coat off from below.

An even look across the set

When all four wheels are coated in the same run, the tone is identical on every one. That is why a full set is often done together even if only one was damaged.

Protection after a repair

A machined or welded area is left with no protection at all. Primer and topcoat close the metal and stop corrosion starting again at exactly that spot.

The path from old surface to new

Four steps carried out in the same order on every wheel, because each one needs a clean base underneath it.

Tyre and weights off

The tyre and the old balance weights come off, because a wheel is only painted when it is completely bare. The valve is checked as the tyre goes back on.

Surface preparation

Old lacquer, corrosion and grease are removed and uneven spots levelled. The surface has to be clean and dry before anything at all goes over it.

Primer coat

Primer is laid evenly across the whole wheel and gives the colour something to bond to. Without it the topcoat has nothing to hold on to.

Topcoat and drying

Colour is applied in passes with a pause between them. The wheel is left untouched until the coat has set, and only then does the tyre go on and the assembly get balanced.

Colour, tone and combinations

The tone is chosen before the work starts. Most people ask to return to a shade close to the original, but a move to something darker or lighter is done just as often, as is a painted wheel body with a polished lip. The colour sample is looked at together before anything begins.

If only one wheel out of a set is painted, remember that the other three have years of sun and washing behind them. The new colour will look fresher, and the tidiest answer is to coat all four. Where the difference is acceptable, a single wheel is done on its own.

Questions about wheel painting

Does the tyre come off before the wheel is painted?

Yes, a wheel is only painted bare. The tyre, the weights and everything else come off, because the colour has to reach the edge and the bead seat. Once the coat has dried the tyre goes back on, the assembly is balanced and only then is it ready to bolt onto the car.

Can only the damaged part of the wheel be painted?

Technically it can, but the join between old and new lacquer shows in the end, especially in lighter tones. That is why the whole wheel is done. It also deals with the places where the old coat has started to let go and is not yet noticeable.

How long does fresh paint last on a wheel?

That depends above all on the preparation underneath and on how the wheels are washed in winter. If the metal was taken back to sound material and the primer laid on properly, the coat holds for a long time. Aggressive cleaners and road salt are what wear it fastest.

Can I have a different colour from the original?

You can. The tone is chosen before work starts and does not have to match the factory finish. A common combination is a wheel body in one colour with the lip polished to bare metal. The colour is settled between us before preparation begins.

Do you paint steel wheels as well?

Yes. On steel rims the preparation matters even more, because rust has to come off down to sound metal or it carries on working under the new coat. After cleaning comes primer and then the topcoat, in the same order as on aluminium.

What if the wheel has been painted before?

The previous coats are stripped, because there is no way of knowing how they were applied or how many there are. Fresh lacquer over a thick old build-up soon gives way. Once the metal is reached, the wheel starts from the same point as any other going into preparation.

What comes before painting

Colour is the last step, with straightening, welding and machining in front of it, because each one leaves bare metal behind.

Wheels looking tired?

Photograph them in daylight and send them over. We agree the tone and a day when the wheels can stay here.

Send pictures of the wheels +387 61 570 429