RC-Monster Forums - View Single Post - can my chrome f150 rims be painted black chrome?

lincpimp · 03.09.2009, 05:05 PM

I have painted quite a few rims over the last 15 or so years at the body shop. Generally I have painted import wheels, or steel wheels, but what you suggest will not be that difficult.

Taking the tires off will be a great help. You will then wantr to sand/scuff the wheels. I find that a red scotchbrite pad with some powdered ajax/comet cleaner w/bleach to clean the wheels, use water while doing this to make a paste with the comet. Do that until you would be happy to serve the pope dinner on them. (that means get em really clean, you may not like the pope so that may have been a bad example).

After they are clean, inspect them for any deeper scratches. Now is the time to sand any of those inperfections out with some wet sand paper, something like 320-400grit will do.

As for paint, an epoxy primer with some sort of self etching (direct to metal) feature is good. You can prime them, and after they dry wet sand again with 500-600 grit paper to smooth any texture out. I mix the primer as a sealer (basically more watery primer, so that is dries quicker and smoother) and spray the top coat on wet on wet over the sealer. Priming and sanding will provide a better final finsh than sealer, but it adds time and complexity.

Top coat will depend on your budget and paint equipment. I have had great success with spray can gloss black (I am a professional painter though, and have alot of experinece if f-ing stuff up). I would suggest a single stage automotive grade black paint. This will have a seperate hardener and possible reducer (thinner) that will have to be mixed by you in a certain ratio and applied with a decent spray gun. This is where a spary booth and good equipment will pay off, with a smooth glossy surface with the minimum of trash (foreigh objects, like bugs or Neil) in the paint.

Best suggestion I can give is to find a body shop that will work with you, pay them cash for the best deal, and let them do the spraying. If you have a halfway decent gun and a small compressor you may be able to prime them and sand them smooth, thus giving the body shop the final painting to do. Best way I can see to save some money.

Remember that prep is 9/10ths of the job. Etching primer is a must to go over chrome, and epoxy will hold up better than urethane build primer.

Have fun, painting is a blast and can really set you ride apart from the rest!

	(#2)
lincpimp Check out my huge box! Offline Posts: 11,935 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Slidell, LA	03.09.2009, 05:05 PM I have painted quite a few rims over the last 15 or so years at the body shop. Generally I have painted import wheels, or steel wheels, but what you suggest will not be that difficult. Taking the tires off will be a great help. You will then wantr to sand/scuff the wheels. I find that a red scotchbrite pad with some powdered ajax/comet cleaner w/bleach to clean the wheels, use water while doing this to make a paste with the comet. Do that until you would be happy to serve the pope dinner on them. (that means get em really clean, you may not like the pope so that may have been a bad example). After they are clean, inspect them for any deeper scratches. Now is the time to sand any of those inperfections out with some wet sand paper, something like 320-400grit will do. As for paint, an epoxy primer with some sort of self etching (direct to metal) feature is good. You can prime them, and after they dry wet sand again with 500-600 grit paper to smooth any texture out. I mix the primer as a sealer (basically more watery primer, so that is dries quicker and smoother) and spray the top coat on wet on wet over the sealer. Priming and sanding will provide a better final finsh than sealer, but it adds time and complexity. Top coat will depend on your budget and paint equipment. I have had great success with spray can gloss black (I am a professional painter though, and have alot of experinece if f-ing stuff up). I would suggest a single stage automotive grade black paint. This will have a seperate hardener and possible reducer (thinner) that will have to be mixed by you in a certain ratio and applied with a decent spray gun. This is where a spary booth and good equipment will pay off, with a smooth glossy surface with the minimum of trash (foreigh objects, like bugs or Neil) in the paint. Best suggestion I can give is to find a body shop that will work with you, pay them cash for the best deal, and let them do the spraying. If you have a halfway decent gun and a small compressor you may be able to prime them and sand them smooth, thus giving the body shop the final painting to do. Best way I can see to save some money. Remember that prep is 9/10ths of the job. Etching primer is a must to go over chrome, and epoxy will hold up better than urethane build primer. Have fun, painting is a blast and can really set you ride apart from the rest! Alot of Savage parts for sale!!!