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Ok well first let me start out by saying I was lucky to have a body shop to mix up some paint for me and allow me to use their spray booth and stuff. But the general steps that I took are the same no matter what you're painting with or where you're painting.
Supplies Needed for the project:
Your rims....
3m Scuff pads or ~ 300-400 grit sand paper
Prep all or another similar wax and grease remover.
Rubbing alcohol
Paper Towels or a whole bunch of shop rags
Masking tape and paper
Razor blades
Rubber Gloves
Adhesion Promotor/Spray Epoxy Primer/Aluminum Primer.... your choice
Your choice of wheel paint
Clear Coat
Well ventilated, clean area to paint in
Some things you dont need... but would really help
A couple heat lamps
Patience.... and I stress that
A lot of time
Ok so here we go. IF you are like me, when you clean your car you like to shine your tires. Well guess what? All that tire shine and silicone is going to come back and bite you in the ass. First step is to use the Wax and Grease Remover and go over the tire and your rim with a soaked shop rag or paper towels. Note, best results when you don't let it dry... keep the surface damp with the Solvent. Also, this stuff is brutal on your hands, so some rubber gloves aren't a bad idea here. This is the product I used, anything similar will do just make sure it leaves no residue.
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Now you want to do this for a VERY long time if you've used a lot of tire dressings in the past. You can tell when you're done... for now.... when you can get a piece of masking tape to stick to both the tire, and the rim. If you can't... keep spoaking and wiping off. Ok, now once you feel you've gotten all the waxes and gunk off, now its time to take your sand paper or scuff pads and scuff the wheels. You dont want to sand the color off completely, just enough to make them look dull.
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This is how you want them to look
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Once you've gotten them scuffed, making sure you get in all the corners, and in the lug nut holes then next step is to degrease them again. Be very careful to wipe them down completely. When you think you've done enough do them again. If they are not degreased completely you'll run into problems later on down the line. After this, you want to soak a different rag with your alcohol (rum does not count) and wipe them down again to remove any dust or further residue.
Moving on, next step is to tape off the inside of the wheel. If you plan on painting the inside of the wheel this step you can skip but you want to tape off the area where the wheel meets the hub, paint there is a bad idea. Using your masking tape and paper create a line around the rim on the inside. Perfection is not too important with this, but be as careful as possible.
![]()
Now this is where you may do things differently. I was lucky enough to be at a body shop so we had a spray mask that we could use. This is where I taped off the face of the rim. This is where you will probably be taping off the tire.
![]()
After the spray mask...
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Next, you want to spray an adhesion promotor or primer. I used an epoxy based adhesion promoter. Spray thin even coats. Sand down any drips or bubbles and repaint any problem areas. Be sure to coat every part of the rim.
![]()
After letting the primer dry for about 30 minutes its time for your color. The key to getting it to look good is do many thin coats as opposed to 1 or 2 thick coats. This helps guarantee even color and no drips.
After one coat
![]()
Done with the base coat
![]()
Now check for uniformity with the paint and let that dry. If you have heat lamps now is the time to use them. Depending on heat, humidity and type of paint let them dry for anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour or more. Make sure you read the directions on your paint for drying times both between coats and for complete drying times.
Next comes the clear coat. This is much harder to spray than the base coat so be extra careful to avoid drips or runs. This coats once again is very important.
![]()
![]()
Now let the clear dry. The longer the better. If you don't have heat lamps, your best bet is to let them cure over night or as long as possible. Next step is to remove your tape from your tires and the inside of the rim. Be careful while you do this. you're almost done!! Now carefully put your wheels back on your car and step back and enjoy your hard work.
![]()
![]()
Congrats, you're done!
Supplies Needed for the project:
Your rims....
3m Scuff pads or ~ 300-400 grit sand paper
Prep all or another similar wax and grease remover.
Rubbing alcohol
Paper Towels or a whole bunch of shop rags
Masking tape and paper
Razor blades
Rubber Gloves
Adhesion Promotor/Spray Epoxy Primer/Aluminum Primer.... your choice
Your choice of wheel paint
Clear Coat
Well ventilated, clean area to paint in
Some things you dont need... but would really help
A couple heat lamps
Patience.... and I stress that
A lot of time
Ok so here we go. IF you are like me, when you clean your car you like to shine your tires. Well guess what? All that tire shine and silicone is going to come back and bite you in the ass. First step is to use the Wax and Grease Remover and go over the tire and your rim with a soaked shop rag or paper towels. Note, best results when you don't let it dry... keep the surface damp with the Solvent. Also, this stuff is brutal on your hands, so some rubber gloves aren't a bad idea here. This is the product I used, anything similar will do just make sure it leaves no residue.
Now you want to do this for a VERY long time if you've used a lot of tire dressings in the past. You can tell when you're done... for now.... when you can get a piece of masking tape to stick to both the tire, and the rim. If you can't... keep spoaking and wiping off. Ok, now once you feel you've gotten all the waxes and gunk off, now its time to take your sand paper or scuff pads and scuff the wheels. You dont want to sand the color off completely, just enough to make them look dull.
This is how you want them to look
Once you've gotten them scuffed, making sure you get in all the corners, and in the lug nut holes then next step is to degrease them again. Be very careful to wipe them down completely. When you think you've done enough do them again. If they are not degreased completely you'll run into problems later on down the line. After this, you want to soak a different rag with your alcohol (rum does not count) and wipe them down again to remove any dust or further residue.
Moving on, next step is to tape off the inside of the wheel. If you plan on painting the inside of the wheel this step you can skip but you want to tape off the area where the wheel meets the hub, paint there is a bad idea. Using your masking tape and paper create a line around the rim on the inside. Perfection is not too important with this, but be as careful as possible.
Now this is where you may do things differently. I was lucky enough to be at a body shop so we had a spray mask that we could use. This is where I taped off the face of the rim. This is where you will probably be taping off the tire.
After the spray mask...
Next, you want to spray an adhesion promotor or primer. I used an epoxy based adhesion promoter. Spray thin even coats. Sand down any drips or bubbles and repaint any problem areas. Be sure to coat every part of the rim.
After letting the primer dry for about 30 minutes its time for your color. The key to getting it to look good is do many thin coats as opposed to 1 or 2 thick coats. This helps guarantee even color and no drips.
After one coat
Done with the base coat
Now check for uniformity with the paint and let that dry. If you have heat lamps now is the time to use them. Depending on heat, humidity and type of paint let them dry for anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour or more. Make sure you read the directions on your paint for drying times both between coats and for complete drying times.
Next comes the clear coat. This is much harder to spray than the base coat so be extra careful to avoid drips or runs. This coats once again is very important.
Now let the clear dry. The longer the better. If you don't have heat lamps, your best bet is to let them cure over night or as long as possible. Next step is to remove your tape from your tires and the inside of the rim. Be careful while you do this. you're almost done!! Now carefully put your wheels back on your car and step back and enjoy your hard work.
Congrats, you're done!
