okay so since im running stock wheels with snow tires for the winter ive decided to paint my 17 inch TCs that i run in the summer, but they have some curb rash and theyre painted wheels i believe, how should i go about preping and painting them, i was thinking sanding, then etching primer and filler primer, then sanding, prepsol, then wheel paint(gunmetal or black possibly), then the dupli color clear coat for wheels?

What specific wheels are you talking about. Lace, steelies..........? All need different method.

im talking about painting the 17 inch scion tc wheels

I'm familiar with the wheels you are talking about, and they do look like they're painted. Maybe one of the paint experts here can tell you about prep and re-painting of aluminum wheels.

ive tried searching youtube and stuff but most of those guys just shoot paint on it and let it go, im only 17, but i know that isnt goint last long

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: i was thinking sanding, then etching primer and filler primer, then sanding, prepsol, then wheel paint(gunmetal or black possibly), then the dupli color clear coat for wheels?

Sounds like your first post is right on the money! Prep is the key, and you seem to know how to do it right. Go for it.

Kevin

thanks any recomendation on what grit sandpaper to use, i helped paint a targa top for dads c5 and we just scuffed it before priming it and then scuffed again after priming, just used a 3m scuffing pad that the body shop guy gave me i think he said it was equivalent to 400 grit or so

[This message has been edited by dmcgreene (edited 12-20-2010).]

You could start with a more corse paper if you need to sand the edges down on any bad chips in the paint, then work your way to finer grits. Start maybe 180 etc. If you dont have to deal with chips, then yes, 320, 400 etc. wet sanding should work fine.

Kevin

well the wheels are moreless scarred in places i guess you could say, where its went all the way thru the stock paint

The quickest way is to media blast them, epoxy prime & paint. If the wheels don't need any repair, there's no sanding involved.
If you don't have access to a media blasater, you can strip them (usually) with Aircraft Stripper (chemical), & then sand with 400 or 320 wet. Any gouges that won't sand out can be filled with a catalyst-hardened putty. Once sanded smooth, prime with epoxy & paint. If you still have small imperfections after priming, they can be sanded smooth, or they can still be filled with putty if bad enough. Always prime back over any bare metal or putty.
Once epoxy primed, any base/clear or single-stage paint should work fine.
http://gafieroclub.org/bbs/index.php?topic=469.0
You can also polish the rim (or the whole wheel for that matter) on aluminum wheels if you finial sand it with 1000 wet & polish it with Mother's Aluminum Polish.
HTH,
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Times are hard. The other day I heard Exxon had to fire several senators.

[This message has been edited by Tha Driver (edited 12-20-2010).]

that would prob work the best but my budget is about 40-50 bucks and id rather not take the tires off.lol

I would now go 220, then 320, etch primer, 320 (don't sand through to metal, more etch primer if you do), primer (coats needed), 320 between primer coats, 320 before paint, wipe with tack rag to remove dust between steps, paint.

Kevin

thanks ill run out and gert some more sand paper at napa in the morning, is filler primer better to use after sanding the etching primer or standard gray primer?

If you don't have any scratches showing up after the sanding and then the etching primer, reg primer should be fine. You should be able to tell if it looks good to you after the etching primer is dried.

Kevin

You don't have to pull the tires to blast & paint the wheels. The blasting will just bounce off the rubber: tape them up & paint.
I'm assuming you're using spray can primer & paint. I would sand them with no rougher than 180 before priming, & sand the primer with 400 wet before painting (320 will leave scratches that the paint won't hide). Any rough spots that you fix, final sand with 180 before priming again (can also sand the primer with 180 to smooth it out, before final priming).
HTH,
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

I couldn't fix the brakes... so I made the horn louder!

so basically i should work my up to 320, then prime, then do 400?

180, prime, 400 wet, paint.

will do, ill go get the supples and post my results tonight

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: okay so i sanded 180, and i have 2 coats of etching primer on 2 wheels, and goin to do the last coat on the other 2, then ill do the filler primer tomorrow, then 400 wet and paint.. i decided to go with black, should i use basic outdoor spray paint or go with engine enamel with duplicolor wheel clear coat over it?

Engine enamel will be fine, but you might want to use the same paint for the clear (They do make clear engine enamel).
Try not to experiment too much by mixing different brands/types of paint. You never know how well they'll adhere to each other, or how they might react (lift or crack).
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

okay so i used all rustoleum, should i use gloss black rustoleum engine enamel , and then shoot clear over it, or will just the enamel befine

I've never used Rustoleum engine enamel. Most of their products are good, though - but they usually do take a long time to dry.
You may not need clear if you use gloss black. You'll have to try it & see how glossy it dries.
There is a difference in wet & dry sandpaper. Wet paper has sharper grains, so if you wet sand with 400 it's about the same as dry sanding with 320 (dry sand only type of sandpaper). But it's usually much easier to wet sand than dry sand, especially with fresh primer (It doesn't gum up the paper near as much).
EDIT: I do use other paint over Rustoleum primer quite often.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

[This message has been edited by Tha Driver (edited 12-21-2010).]

well would it be fine if i used a scuffing pad thats suppose to be equivalent to 400 grit sand paper since thats what i used when i helped my dads body guy paint dads targa top? or should i get sum 400 wet sanding paper?

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: well would it be fine if i used a scuffing pad thats suppose to be equivalent to 400 grit sand paper since thats what i used when i helped my dads body guy paint dads targa top? or should i get sum 400 wet sanding paper?

The red scuff pads are roughly equivalent to 400, but they won't smooth out the primer like sandpaper will. For instance, a speck of dirt will remain & the scuff pad will scuff (scratch) all around it. Also, they won't smooth out the orange peel.

thanks ill run out and get some more sand paper,i gotta get the engine enamel too...also,sorry for the stupid question but whats orange peel?

[This message has been edited by dmcgreene (edited 12-22-2010).]

Is the current paint on them bad...peeling, salt damaged ? If so then sanding them is in order. If you just want to recolor them, a scotchbrite on them is all thats needed. If you use Rustoleum spray cans, no primer is necessary at all. I painted the aluminum mags on my Coronet satin black Rustoleum and no primer (theyre AR Torque Thrusts) 3 years ago and they still look perfect. Its a show car. I drive it in rain and salted roads. I just dont drive it on snow or ice, mostly so other idiots dont run into me.

------------------

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the paint was in good condition just chipped from curb rash in spots, and hadnt had salt on them until a few weeks ago, which is when i stopped driving it until i put stock wheels with snow tires on it and washed the tcs and put them in the basement, so far iv sanded with 100 grit on the bad spots, all over with 180 grit ,then prepsol(wiped on then back off). then 2 coats of etching primer, with around 15 mintes between coats, then 2 coats of filler primer with 15 minutes between coats, then let it dry over night, and all of this is in a heated basement thats around 70 degrees

etching primer


filler primer

[This message has been edited by dmcgreene (edited 12-22-2010).]

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: thanks ill run out and get some more sand paper,i gotta get the engine enamel too...also,sorry for the stupid question but whats orange peel?

Orange peel is the surface texture you get most of the time with paint & primer. It looks kinda like the skin of an orange.

so when wet sanding do i just squirt water on it and sand it?

The surfaces are so narrow, theres absolutely no reason to wet sand or buff them. You should be able to get a good high gloss right out of the can. Theres no problem spraying them wet enough without overlaps to just spray and drive. Id also suggest you use stick on weights if you remove the ones already on it. If you use the clip ons, they will scratch into the paint soon as you put them on, leading to corrosion.

sweet, and yea it has the stick on weights on it, so ill make sure my tire shop can do stick on weights

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: so when wet sanding do i just squirt water on it and sand it?

If you have a hose, just turn it on so it trickles. You can use a squirt bottle, but a drink bottle with a small hole drilled in the top is better. You just need to keep it wet, with a little extra to wash off the "dust" so you can see what you're doing.
Roger thinks you're talking about wet sanding & buffing the paint...
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

so i still need to wet sand the primer? or will it be okay to paint

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: so i still need to wet sand the primer? or will it be okay to paint

You need to sand it. Wet sanding is the preferred method, but you can dry sand it if you want. 400 wet or 320 dry.

Yes, you def need to sand primer ALWAYS. The only exception is if you use a 'non-sanding' primer or sealer. I kringe when I see a body shop spray primer on a spot and put it immediately in the booth for paint...I see it all the time.

well i did sand the primer and so far i have around 4 coats of the engine enamel on it, starting with a light coat and getting progressively heavier

quote Originally posted by dmcgreene: okay so the wheels are dry but they are more of a satin finish, how long should i wait before i clear?

If you wait for the black to dry, you'll have to sand them again. If you do that, put another coat of black & then after it tacks off go ahead & spray the clear.