# Refurbing & Spraying Alloy Wheels...



## FurioAL

_First things first... refurbing and spraying alloy wheels is a very long task... do not attempt to do these unless you have a serious amount of time on your hands... and will persevere through boring sanding in order to achieve a good result... it takes roughly 1-2hours to sand paper prepare one wheel with very few curb marks.. it takes roughly 4-6hours to sand prepare one wheel with major curb marks..._

*Things you will need:*
_Rough estimate for materials needed: £50_
Spare wheel, jack, bolts, filler (depending on how curbed your wheels are), 3/4 large cans of primer, 3/4 cans of chosen colour paint, 1/2 large cans of CLEAR laquer, a pack of 240 grade wet/dry paper, a pack of 1200 grit wet/dry paper and two large roles of masking tape... if you have some serious curbage or would like to save some time SOME of the preperation work can be done using an orbital sander with fine grade pads...



















We start of with curbed boring looking alloy wheels:




























*The guide:*

The first stage is removing the wheel from the car, make sure you use the car's jack points to avoid damaging the underside of the car...
(if you are unsure of how to change your wheel - follow the instruction in your saxo owners handbook)

Once the wheel is removed they need to be cleaned front and back... i covered mine in Autoglym tar remover and allowed time for it to soak in before rubbing gently with a wheel brush... this was then rinsed off and dried with kitchen paper....

Once dry, deflate the tyre completely, by unscrewing cap and pushing in valve... once flat... bend the tyre wall down (gently) by standing on it.. and tuck masking tape underneath the lip of the rim.. work your way around slowly... if you have a lot of tyre shine on your tyres the tape may not stick.. so work your way out the tread of the tyres as the masking tape will stick well there... you also need to mask around your tyre valve cap. It should look something like this:










Once masked the sanding can begin (the time consuming bit)...
Rub over the entire front face of the wheel... including every single nook and cranny with the 240 grit wet and dry paper. You will notice when and area is 'ready' as the surface will have lost it's clearcoat and will look either like primer grey, or like bare metal (depending on how deap you have to sand to remove marks)..

You do not have to sand the wheel all the way back down to metal.. you need to remove the surface clearcoat... and ensure the whole surface is flat and mark free...

Work around the wheel systematically with the 240 grit paying particular attention to the lip of the wheel... where there is bubbling or curb marks you will need to work on these areas for some time to make the surface flat... an orbital sander could be used at this stage to save some time....

*Filler:*

This may not be necessary, it depends on the nature of the imperfections on the wheels... my advice would be only use filler were 100% essential... as if used incorrectly can flake off and make the lifespan of your wheel paint job significantly less.... If needed follow the next section:

Mix up some filler with hardener (a golf ball size of filler to a pea size of hardener) like shown:










Once thoroughly mixed you will only have around 5 minutes to apply the filler... apply it sparingly as sanding down excess filler can take a long time...

Carefully fill any deep surface defects in the wheel:









Once filler is used leave for several hours before resanding the areas flat...the exact duration will vary depending on the filler used...

*Back to the guide:*

Now the wheel should be reasonably smooth, and flat... where bubbling used to be, you should now be able to brush your finger over the surface without feeling any resistance...

If this is the case proceed with sanding the entire wheel with 1200 grit wet and dry paper... this will make the surface of the wheel entirely smooth...

When rubbed down and smooth, it should look something like this:









We are now ready for primer... apply one light coat of primer to the entire wheel... allow 15 minutes for it to become touch dry...

*At this stage assess the wheel... if there are any visible imperfections go back to the sanding stage and keep working on it... do not carry on priming and painting.... the imperfections visible at this stage will be magnified by painting and laquering... so it is crucial you go back and filler/sand out the imperfections...*

If after the first coat of primer the wheel has no imperfection apply another coat of primer... i recommend applying 3/4 coats of primer leaving 15-30 minutes between coats for it to dry... then leave the primer for 24hours to fully dry... it should look like this:



















Once the primer is dry you are ready to apply paint... shake the can well before applying... apply lots of thin coats... as most wheels have lots of corners it is vital you do thin coats as paint can quickly accumulate leaving run lines... I recommend applying around 4-5 good coats of paint leaving 15-30minutes in between coats to dry...










Then leave the paint for 24hours to harden fully... then you are ready to start laquering...

Apply 3-4 good coats of laquer also being careful not to leave run lines... allowing 15-30minutes between coats... once laquered leave the wheel to dry for 24hours.. it is then finished... It should look something like this:




























Remove the masking tape from the tyre wall and the valve cap... re-inflate the tyres, then tyre dressing can be applied:



courtesy of adsayer said:


> 165/65R14 (i.e base models and 1.4's) - 2.2bar/32PSI - Front, 2.0bar/29PSI - Rear
> 185/55R14 (VTR models) - 2.5bar/36PSI - Front, 2.2bar/32PSI - Rear
> 195/45R15 (VTS and common aftermarket alloy size) - 2.3bar/33PSI - Front, 2.0bar/29PSI - Rear


Then the wheel can be refitted to the car... and you can start on the next one...  make sure you note the tread pattern direction when refitting the wheels to the car...

Now stand back and admire all that hard work:



























You should notice a massive difference from standard:




































Hope that helps a few of you :y:
Alex


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## Justin-172

Fantastic guide.


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## 190Evoluzione

Top stuff, great advice.
May i add that doing your own wheels is very rewarding indeed, i was well chuffed when i finished mine.
The estimate of 4hrs+ sanding each wheel is spot on, mine took a good few summer evenings...


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## MickCTR

great guide. I'm thinking of refurbing some myself. Thats spot on mate cheers :thumb:


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## kipper

super results there mate


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## stomper250

Super guide there mate.

I'm just about to embark on a refurb of a tired set of golf rallye sebring alloys so this will come in very useful.


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## Fat Audi 80

Fantastic guide, but I just could not be arsed with mine... 

I got Mark at Juswheels to do it instead! :thumb:


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## edthedrummer

fantastic!! just what i needed.


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## steveo3002

one tip....for any bare metal bits you really need etch primer first

and i hate to say this , im not having a dig, but aerosol paint wont hold up to winter roads very well at all

might be a idea for anyone thinking about this to do the prep and see if a body shop will paint em with 2 pack


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## [email protected]

Fantastic guide, im in the process of doing my speedlines, but trying to find the exact paint code and emulating a diamond cut rim is proving to be a nightmare


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## Ricardo_smooth

katbloke, the pait code is kicking around on williamsclio (yes i'mon there too) the only way to get the diamond cut rim is to have it professionally done i'm afraid. get the rim cut first and mask it off is my advice


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## streaky

good guide. Tempted to have a go at this myself now :thumb:


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## ThyJones

awesome guide there! given me the confidence to attempt all of mine 

One query I do have though, when applying coats of primer, and then the top coat, and then finally the lacquer, do you lightly sand down first, or just continue spraying on top with no further work?


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## Bronzed

wished i could do that


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## B19 OJM

Fantastic guide! I have done a couple of refurbs in the past and it is a time intensive job to say the least. I sent my sportspack (mini) wheels of to be stripped and highly polished last year as I didn't have the time to do them myself. They looked very good but with last years winter didn't do them anygood so they are now at the bodyshop (with the rest of the car!) have a healthy smattering of 'house of colours' chrome paint to make them a bit easier to take care off. Since having a baby spending 2 hours polishing each wheel is frowned upon by the good lady :lol: 

Tempted to have the wheels on the LC done if I can source the code for the anthracity colour as illustrated on the saxo VTS in this post.....


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## myxa

*wheels*

Nice work, nice finish :thumb:


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## bidderman1969

just comparing this guide to this one

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=36167

they're both good, but both kinda different 

are aerosol paints up to the wear and tear? or are they likely to deteriorate rather quickly? was gonna have a go myself but im too confused to now,


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## mcaldo

that is just fantastic...

this is really helpful.


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## Guest

I thought i'd bump this because it's a bloody superb writeup!


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## grant_evans

awsome guide, i started refurbing my saxo wheels a while ago, does feel good when you get some paint on, but it has taken me about six months to do one wheel.


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## neo_xf7

Fantastic guide:thumb:
Tryed on mine

used wheels for winter tires








tyres were first fitted then masked
used news papers to mask large areas
















clear coated and posished


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## buncey

what spray did you use on them alloys as the finish looks lumpy?

i have some kurbed alloys

i have not even started to spray them yet as i cant get a color match for the origanal Anthracite color on these rims

i went to halfords to get the paint matched ( Anthracite ) as someone said its code a22
cost me 12 quid and not a happy bunny as the match is wrong, done a quick test and its a darker paint so pretty mad to say the least .

i have attached a picture to show you guys.

darn halfords!

so at the moment just unsure which way to proceed from here as colour i got mtached was different.


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## little john

Take the paint back for a refund and go get an auto paints place to match the paint for you.


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## buncey

i heard halfords wont do refunds on cans that have been matched to paint code given


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## nokia

I refurbed my wheels a few weeks ago.

I used aerosole spray paints. Problem i found is the nozzles get clogged up then splatter paint all over the show. To fix this, i soaked the nozzle in white spirit or paint thinner after every coat. This makes sure they dont clog up as much.


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## Reece

I really need my wheels refurbed but some of the curbing is really bad and i don't think i could trust myself with the filler. Being an 08 car also the last thing i want to do is mess it up, if i havn't already done enough with the curbing anyways!!

Reece


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## buncey

nokia, you should post up some pictures matey b good to keep this thread going not just to help me but to help others too.

reece i know what you mean mate, its alot of messing about, but worth ago if you end up with a better looking alloy and saves loads of money getting them redone properly,
:thumb:

worst thing for me i cant get right matching paint.


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## nokia

sure, i will get some pics up here by the weekend, as long as the weather holds up


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## Reece

buncey said:


> nokia, you should post up some pictures matey b good to keep this thread going not just to help me but to help others too.
> 
> reece i know what you mean mate, its alot of messing about, but worth ago if you end up with a better looking alloy and saves loads of money getting them redone properly,
> :thumb:
> 
> worst thing for me i cant get right matching paint.


Yea i would love to give it ago but have no other wheels to put on or even a spare so i could do one at a time as these new cars don't carry a spare wheel, just that silly tyre foam stuff. Not to sure if i would do them the original colour thou, probably black or the colour on the colour 182's

Reece


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## neo_xf7

buncey said:


> what spray did you use on them alloys as the finish looks lumpy?
> 
> i have some kurbed alloys
> 
> i have not even started to spray them yet as i cant get a color match for the origanal Anthracite color on these rims
> 
> i went to halfords to get the paint matched ( Anthracite ) as someone said its code a22
> cost me 12 quid and not a happy bunny as the match is wrong, done a quick test and its a darker paint so pretty mad to say the least .
> 
> i have attached a picture to show you guys.
> 
> darn halfords!
> 
> so at the moment just unsure which way to proceed from here as colour i got mtached was different.


few notes where posted on wrong images and guess that made you confused. Sorry mate, now corrected.
OK the closeup shot was taken before the clearcoat and looks lumpy because of it's metallic flakes.

BTW I was nervous about color matching too and decided to paint the entire wheel.
The hardest part was wet sanding. (to roughen the surface and allow the new paint to adhere)
Even used spatulas to sand every corner perfectly and took almost a day just for that.
Still guess worth it to get free from the color matching worrys though.


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## buncey

neo xf7,

oh i see least that clears that up then lol what paint was it?

oh and what colour is it gunmetal?


looks like i might have to spray the whole wheels mate and dont think im going to ever get the right colour match for my alloys.

also what puts me off is sorting the alloys out where they are kurbed getting them just right, and think i might need tyers off to do that to sand around the lip:buffer:


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## Reece

Luckily for me i don't have a lip, it would just be the filling part. Tempting, tempting.....


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## neo_xf7

gunmetallic I said is like a dark gray metallic or steel.
the paint I used was from Isamu, a Japanese paint dealer and guess it's not sold in UK.. 
acrylic-urethane paint spray.
highly durable and also highly priced, 4 x primer and 4 x color and 4 x clearcoat added up tobe about 130GBP.

if you mask tight and spray completely, you won't need to take your tyers off at all.
sand rims as well and spray primer. will give you a nice result.
If using primer, I think 400 grit or so is enough and you can make your work faster.


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## little john

After the inspiration of the earlier post, I have bought a wheel to have a play with with the hope of doing this to the wheels on mine, my dad's and sisters cars. The wheel I bought is one that matches my sisters car so not too bad she has a full alloy spare now. bought from a local scrappy via ebay for £55
This is the car it came off, before agreeing to buy I had a look at the wheel to check for any cracks or chunks missing and it was OK as this was the only untouched corner of the car.








I took it to a local tyre place and got them to check the tyre for running under inflated and other damage to either the tyre or wheel apart from a puncture it was fine.

So the wheel before, not really that dirty especially as it could be nearly 12 month old wheel it was an 08 car.

























Cleaned with bilberry and a few brushes, left a few tar spots
a quick going over with tardis sorted them out








All gone now from the back and front.

























I also clayed the wheel just to make sure I haven't missed anything there was a few patches of transport wax on the inner rim and in the centre which the clay sorted out.

5 of the spokes had some damage 4 curb and one stone chip, a few shots of the damage
































and the stone chip









I then cut up a sheet of 400 grit wet and dry soaked it in some water for a while and using a hose to keep it wet during sanding. Sanded the spokes with the damage on them and surprisingly the damage was mainly to the paint and not the alloy
4th damage spokes after sanding, just a few low spots which need filling








stone chip spoke (2nd after the valve)








The rest of the wheel nearly all sanded, I think I have used my thumb to sand the wheel in some parts as I have a blister building up and I wore the skin away. its very sore.








The 2 near spokes still need sanding and the centre section. I'm not sure if I should be sanding all down to the primer or even further to bare metal or just removing the top surface to give a keyed surface for the primer to bond to. The surfaces sanded are smooth as a baby's bum and it looks pretty good so far.

Any constructive criticism is welcome.


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## mobileman

little john said:


> Any constructive criticism is welcome.


Looking good LJ finished results should look good :thumb:


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## little john

mobileman said:


> Looking good LJ finished results should look good :thumb:


Thanks
Do I know you from somewhere else on the net? maybe a digital forum?


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## buncey

little john,

what laquer did you use as you got one hell of a shine was it from rattle cans :doublesho


im really concidering attempting doing mine but they have a lip on them so think it would be quite hard with tyers on.

the kerb marks are quite deep, so not sure which way to attack them any ideas heres a couple of pictures.


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## Reece

This is how my wheels are looking at the moment. Not as bad as i first thought but with loads of spokes all close together i can see it being tricky.


































Reece


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## little john

buncey said:


> little john,
> 
> what laquer did you use as you got one hell of a shine was it from rattle cans :doublesho
> 
> im really concidering attempting doing mine but they have a lip on them so think it would be quite hard with tyers on.
> 
> the kerb marks are quite deep, so not sure which way to attack them any ideas heres a couple of pictures.


It isn't finished yet, I have only sanded it so far and still need to sand a bit more. so I havn't used a laquer yet, the shiny bits are probably the unsanded bits. or the difference between the area where I have only removed clear coat and the bits I have removed paint down to the primer.

As for "touching up your rims" then you have little to loose, the edges can be a pain for the sections that are countoured I wrapped the wet and dry round a peice of clay so it moulded to the wheel and just went at it. Deflate the tyre and you can push it back a little to help. Your not really looking to sand them flat you want to remove the high points then fill the areas that are lower than the metal surface then sand the filler till its smooth with the wheel surface.


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## mobileman

little john said:


> Thanks
> Do I know you from somewhere else on the net? maybe a digital forum?


Who Me :thumb:


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## dazzerjp

neo_xf7 said:


> gunmetallic I said is like a dark gray metallic or steel.
> the paint I used was from Isamu, a Japanese paint dealer and guess it's not sold in UK..
> acrylic-urethane paint spray.
> highly durable and also highly priced, 4 x primer and 4 x color and 4 x clearcoat added up tobe about 130GBP.
> 
> if you mask tight and spray completely, you won't need to take your tyers off at all.
> sand rims as well and spray primer. will give you a nice result.
> If using primer, I think 400 grit or so is enough and you can make your work faster.


Love that colour. Exactly what I want for mine. My car is white also and the gunmetal looks so good!

is that http://www.isamu.co.jp/ ?

do you know the product code?

Thanks


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## neo_xf7

dazzerjp said:


> Love that colour. Exactly what I want for mine. My car is white also and the gunmetal looks so good!
> 
> is that http://www.isamu.co.jp/ ?


Yeap, that's it!
detail page of the actual spray paint: http://www.isamu-aer.co.jp/products/air-urethane.html

primer(product number:629-8021-8), black(629-7982-8), medium gray metallic(629-8018-8), clear coat(629-7987-8)
these are the paint I used
I painted inner side black and out side medium gray metallic as you can see from the pics
I used 4 primers, 3 blacks, 3 medium gray metallics and 4 clear coats total

but you might want to first find out if spray paints are importable/exportable..


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## neo_xf7

>dazzerjp
WOW you were in Japan:lol:

more info:
http://msearch.carview.co.jp/search.exe?input-form=simple&v:sources=mk-0&query=エアーウレタン
http://search.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/...ocale=0jp&apg=1&s1=cbids&o1=a&mode=1&auccat=0


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## Hallsy

Just to add to this, I have resprayed a few wheels now, and although the general method of the guide is pretty good, I personally do it differently.

If the wheel is in pretty good condition and you just want to change colour, or whatever, then I would rub down the wheel with 240/320 dry and then use a good quality high build primer, and as has been mentioned, if there is any bare metal on show, spot prime using an etch primer first. Rubbing down with 1200 as the OP suggests will take a long time if you have even minor scratching, and will also not give the best key for the primer. Check the primer you are using, most will say rub down with 180-320 before priming.

Once the primer is dry I would then rub this down with 600 if going for a solid colour, or 800-1000 if using metallic & clear.

You can wet on wet as the OP does, but this won't give as good a finish IME.

I find it best to wet on wet with basecoat, just let the basecoat flash off once you have good colour coverage, then start applying clearcoat.

Also it is a good idea to clean the wheel with panel wipe before priming, and again after you have flatted it off, and use a tack rag.

I hope this helps, just a few subtle differences to the guide on here :thumbs:


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## little john

Well a little more done this afternoon and its the exciting bit.

Yesterday morning I mixed up some of the filler and applied it to the gouges on the wheels. I put more on than I needed but I had a full tub of the stuff to fill small marks on wheels so I wasn't bothered.



















This afternoon I spent 30 minutes or so this afternoon sanding the areas with the filler till they were smooth with the wheel surface again with P600 grit wet and dry sand paper. The gouges were now smooth and rock hard, the bits round the rim were a little pain but sanding close to the tyre hasn't been easy anyway.





































Lesson from that no matter how much filler you have you still don't need to plaster it on as you just need to sand it all off later. so apply the filler sparingly.

A quick trip to the local auto paints place, the guy colour matched the existing wheels and mixed me some paint for the wheels, some primer and also some clear coat bought. £26 lighter in the pocket. If I had a compressor and a paint gun the cost would have been about the same but I would have been able to buy half a litre of the paint, thinners, primer and clear coat enough to do all 4 wheels easily, this lot may do 2 if I'm lucky.










So time to mask the wheel up, I spent a while on this, I wasn't quite sure how to attack it first I wanted to just mask the front of the wheel and inside the spokes with masking tape and paper round the tyre, but that would have left a hard edge on the inner spokes which can cause problems when removing the tape lifting the paint sometimes. So I decided on masking the inner rim just behind the spokes then another layer of tape attached to the paper and stuck that to the tape already in place. this will leave the inner wheel untouched and possibly a little over spray on the back of the spokes but that won't be seen so I can live with that. Round the outside of the tyre I deflated the tyre and pushed the tyre back while I slipped pieces of tape between the tyre and rim, I then stuck paper and tape to the first layer of tape. and then stuck it all together. I'm not too bothered about paint on the tread of the tyre as it will wear off but not the walls.










Next the spraying, I applied a light coat of the primer left for 10 minutes then applied another light coat. I tried a few methods here, first I went vertical, then horizontal over the whole wheel, I was surprised actually as the mist actually covered the whole of the spokes no need to spray direct at each spoke or anything which was pretty good.




























The problem of spraying outside, bits of crap land on the wet paint.










Another 10-15 minutes passed and it was touch dry so I tilted the wheel up and then another 2 light passes from about 25 cm ensured that everything got an even coat.










A few speckles where the rattle can spluttered but I will be flattening it tomorrow if I get a chance.










And this is where I am at now, sanded, filled, and 3 coats of primer. Its looking pretty good so far.










Left to do, light sand with 1200 grit to remove any imperfections then 3 or 4 coats of the silver paint. then 4 coats of clear coat/lacquer. I only have another 4 wheels for the corsa to do. I'm thinking about trying to do spot repairs on the others as some are so slight it is a shame to spend what is coming up for 6-7 hours just for slight marks. Its all a learning curve and something to do while work is quiet. Then I have the 17" on my vectra and the 18's on my Dad's astra. but I need to get hold of extra wheels for those before I start them.

Continued

So the wheel got a bit more work done on it. a few mistakes made today which I will see if you spot.

So the wheel after primer










It wasn't that smooth so I lightly sanded it with P1200 grit wet and dry so it was smooth ready for the colour coats.










Then wiped down to remove the sanding residue, nice and smooth and keyed ready to take the paint.










After a light coat, again applied from about 25cm horizontally then vertically.










Mistake number one, I thought I may have been missing a few bits so I stood the wheel up as I had with the primer and I ended up with a few runs. all round the wheel nuts, so I had to sand them bits again to remove them and start the colour coats again. So I layed it down again and sprayed each coat in the same manner, between coats I turned the wheel a quarter of a turn to make sure it was all covered equally.




























I wasn't too sure at this point whether I should have sanded the surface again but I decided not to and went on to the clear coat. I sprayed it in the same way many light coats 15 minutes apart to let them build up and the results are great, nice glossy but not quite smooth surface so I went over it with the P1200 to smooth it out and then applied 2 more light coats and it came out perfect.



















I then noticed the bin that has been at the side of me during the painting. Opps its not quite the same colour it used to be.










And the finished result, ok I left the masking on but you get the idea.










My sister had arrived home by this point so I wanted to see the colour match, it looked a little bright but I wasn't sure as the wheels were a little dirty last time I saw them. I was going to clean the wheels but she moaned at that and insisted the whole car was cleaned so after washing the car and cleaning the wheels I carried the refurbished wheel out so see how good it was.

Next to the front drivers side










Front Passenger side just in case they were different colours.










Ohhh **** colour match is slightly off, bolocks it is, it's a totally different finish, very metallic lots of silver flake in there and quite a few shades lighter, I was sort of expecting it to be a little darker if anything not so much lighter.

I shall be giving the guy who colour matched it for me and see what he has to say, what a pain in the **** this is as to sort it I need to sand and start again. I actually like the colour it seems to make the wheel look bigger than the standard colour one, I know its closer to the camera but the lighter colour makes a difference. So what do I do, My sister likes the lighter colour also surprisingly as she wanted be to paint them black. So I could get more paint and full respray all the other wheels where I was hoping to do some touch ups as 3 of the other wheels only have tiny marks on them the other is untouched.

The latest is that I had to take a wheel off and leave it with them to do another colour match which they have and I did a test spray last night and it is miles better. So I now need to sand the wheel back again and start again. I did some sanding the other night and tried to go over with the primer but it has reacted with what ever is there from the prevous attempt so needs a lot more work on it and all the sanding has knackerd my fingers so this is on the back burner for a while till my fingers work again.


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## Hallsy

Looking good John, but as you say colour match is a little off.

This could be caused by the paint being wrong (obvious I know), not enough base coat (poor coverage on a light primer will mean it will look lighter), or originals had different colour primer.

You could always do the rest, lol!!

EDIT: Just read it was down to colour match, at least they sorted it for you.

I doubt you'd have got proper paint for £26 though. 1/2 a litre of base coat is going to be around £15, 1 litre of 2k primer ~ £10, same for cheap 2k lacquer, then you'd need some activator ~£10 per litre, thinners suitable for both basecoat & 2k ~£15 for 5lt, cheap gun wash thinners ~£5 for 5lt. Soon adds up to around £50 but will have plenty to do 4 wheels and would probably have some primer & lacquer left over, as well as thinners.

It can soo add up for little jobs unless you have some consumables in stock


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## LeeH

Great guide, which I found it first as I'm doing mine now.

I google'd alloy wheel filler and this came up!!

I'll post a pic up later on.


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## lee-bowman

why do you need to sand the wheel back....surely you could just lightly key it with some fine grade and primer then paint, you should even get away without primering with it keyed

Or am I just wrong.....


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## diffinking

great job little john should get you to do mine :thumb:


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## LeeH

lee-bowman said:


> why do you need to sand the wheel back....surely you could just lightly key it with some fine grade and primer then paint, you should even get away without primering with it keyed
> 
> Or am I just wrong.....


I'm no painter but I thought that was the case. And its all I did.

We'll see in a year when I'm doing the again or not


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## little john

I sanded the wheel back as far as I could without going through to the metal to ensure the surface was as flat and as even as possible removeing the clear coat and paint. I used p400 wet and dry which left a really nice surface for the paint to go on. I could have just keyed the surface but that could have resulted is the edge detail of the spokes being lost a little so sanding back ensured that the edges were retained.

As for refurbing more I have almost finished this wheel for the 2nd time after the mistake with the wrong colour, sanding destroys your fingers I am now having problems useing my finger print reader. I just need to flatten the clear coat with p2500/p3000 then polish it back up.

I have a wheel for my Vectra on the way so I can sort that and the ones on my car out aswell so I will be busy for the next month or so, its been enjoyable doing it I will attack the rear bumper on my car I think over the summer.


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## lpoolck

great work mate, bet you were impressed with the results like most of us!


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## nj1

cool guide - thanks


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## Jochen

I started refurbing a set of wheels but didn't read the guide thoroughly :tumbleweed:

I sanded the wheels down with some p220 and then carried on priming them, not refining them with the p1200 paper :wall:
They look pretty good though 

No need to sand between priming and painting?


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## fonzi83

The theme is very good, but I want to ask you something!
Can you use a filler wheel of this thing ... http://cgi.ebay.com/CAR-BODY-FILLER...t?hash=item2c4f7b90d6&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177


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## Brian.

Jochen said:


> No need to sand between priming and painting?


Sanding the primer is the essence of a good finish, otherwise your colour coat will be very rough! I usually w&d with 1200 on primer.

I've refurbed a few wheels now but these were my favourite! 










I've used P38 before with wheels and it does the job but there are better things out there that are a bit more hard wearing


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## Techgeek

good guide, I`ll add a tip a professional refinisher gave me, spray the clearcoat over the base much sooner, depending on how fast the solvent flashes off it`s anywhere between 10 mins to an hour after the base has been applied. You want to apply the clearcoat after the solvent has flashed off, but before the base has fully cured, this gives better intercoat adhesion so theres less chance of the clearcoat flaking off later.


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## Brian.

Techgeek said:


> good guide, I`ll add a tip a professional refinisher gave me, spray the clearcoat over the base much sooner, depending on how fast the solvent flashes off it`s anywhere between 10 mins to an hour after the base has been applied. You want to apply the clearcoat after the solvent has flashed off, but before the base has fully cured, this gives better intercoat adhesion so theres less chance of the clearcoat flaking off later.


I do this too!  Not because i knew it gave a better adhesion to reduce the chance of flaking though. But i found that you get a much better/glossier finish to the paint instead of letting the colour coat dry like a lot of online guides tell you to do!

Just be careful when doing this that no dust/particles have landed on the colour coat before you go and lacquer over the colour finish with flakes of dust underneath your lacquer!


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## mouthyman

Brian. said:


> Sanding the primer is the essence of a good finish, otherwise your colour coat will be very rough! I usually w&d with 1200 on primer.
> 
> I've refurbed a few wheels now but these were my favourite!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've used P38 before with wheels and it does the job but there are better things out there that are a bit more hard wearing


looking good, what colour is that?


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## murfs frst

mouthyman said:


> looking good, what colour is that?


id like to know as well,they look a nice colour


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## fonzi83

thanks a lot...

I think the color is graphite gray !
mate... I think that rims are PEUGEOT ? 16' Ouragan or... Nimrod !!!


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## Jochen

Brian. said:


> Sanding the primer is the essence of a good finish, otherwise your colour coat will be very rough! I usually w&d with 1200 on primer.
> 
> I've refurbed a few wheels now but these were my favourite!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've used P38 before with wheels and it does the job but there are better things out there that are a bit more hard wearing


They look very good, nice job!
I've got some 1200 wet sandingpaper but I' was afraid it's a bit rough and will remove some of the basecoat at some places? No poblem with that? I applied 4 layers base.


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## Techgeek

Brian. said:


> I do this too!  Not because i knew it gave a better adhesion to reduce the chance of flaking though. But i found that you get a much better/glossier finish to the paint instead of letting the colour coat dry like a lot of online guides tell you to do!
> 
> Just be careful when doing this that no dust/particles have landed on the colour coat before you go and lacquer over the colour finish with flakes of dust underneath your lacquer!


Theres another thing I forgot to mention thanks for reminding me, when your at the refinishing supplies place buy a tack rag, theyre dirt cheap, and theyre basically a sticky cloth that doesnt leave any residue if you wait till the solvents flashed off you can VERY gently use the tack rag to remove any contaminants that have settled between coats.


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## jnc90

Awesome guide, thanks mate! Will certainly use it when I do mine!

Quick question, where can I get the hardner from for the filler and what should I ask for?

Cheers!


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## RandomlySet

P38 from Halfords is what I've used on wheels before....

Comes in a black tin


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## dolly

might have to try this instead of getting them done profesonally


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## markbob917

spot on. cheers for this, am looking to do this to a set of wheels ill have as spares


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## DG Cruiser

excellent thanks, i take it you have done the back as well?


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## PugIain

On the look out for some pug alloys (dont do aftermarket ) now to have a bash at for my 406.


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## Peter R

I'm in the process of spraying up a set of alloys and will reach the lacquer stage next weekend. Once that's done, how long should I leave it before applying some wax?

(I was thinking of applying FK1000 or Poorboys Wheel Sealant or Carlack 68 Sealant. I've also got a bit of Zaino CS and Z2 left).

Thanks very much.


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## rgDetail

I think with any fresh paint the minimum you should leave it is 2 months, possibly 3 but I may be wrong. I remember asking a similar question a while ago about a wing i had sprayed and got that 2-3 months answer.


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## Peter R

Thanks Rob. I ended up leaving them for 48 hours (in a warm room)after the final coat of Wurth lacquer before putting sealant on. Ideally I would have left them for a few months ~ but I got them for winter tyres; it's already been hitting 2 degrees C heading into work and back home so I'm quite anxious to get them fitted. Along the way I came across a TOGWT post:



> Surface Preparation
> 
> •	Ensure wheels and rotors are cool before applying cold water as this may cause them to warp.
> •	Hose off as much initial grime as you can.
> •	Rinse up into the wheel well to wash away road kill, mud and other debris.
> •	Use detailing clay and lubrication to remove any embedded contaminants
> •	Use a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner to remove any road tar or oil. Apply P21S®® Total Auto Wash to surfaces and let soak in, agitate with a long-handled boar's haired brush before rinsing
> •	Before finally removing cleaner, agitate with a soft brush and then rinse off
> 
> Refinishing
> 
> •	Clean the surface with PrepSol and then sand any scratched or damaged area with Norton 3X Sandpaper (p-graded aluminium oxide grain,) 60, 80 or 100 grit sand paper, sand wet or dry with a rubber sanding block.
> •	Use a tack rag and wipe the area, using a light pressure
> •	Fill any minor indentations with Bondo Lightweight Filler 264 and Red Cream Hardener, allowing approx 30 minutes before you shape / sand
> •	Sand until you have removed the scratches.
> •	Continue the sanding process using finer and finer grades of UniGrit paper, 220 or 320 grit and finally with 500-grit paper.
> •	For small hard to reach places use a Dremel Tool and a suitable sanding bit
> 
> Repainting (cast aluminium) Surface
> 
> The following will result in a durable re-finished repaint
> •	Prepare the surface by removing all sandpaper residues with a tack rag, wash surface and then dry thoroughly. .
> •	Use 3M Painters Masking Tape between the tyre and the wheel rim (or use Vaseline to mask the tyre from paint overspray)
> •	Wipe-down the wheels with DuPont Prep Sol and allow to air dry.
> •	Apply a thin coat of 1z 'Haft-Grund' Self-etching Primer to stabilize and provide an etched surface.
> •	Use at temperatures between 70 - 90.oF degrees Fahrenheit (.Do not use this paint in damp conditions)
> •	Shake the can well for at least a full minute
> •	Push the spray nozzle as you sweep across and release at the end.
> •	Spray on, spray off. Spray on, spray off; apply as a very fine / thin coat.
> •	Paint with two thin coats of silver alloy paint (Wurth German Alloy Silver Wheel) to ensure complete coverage
> •	Allow air-drying; 1-2 hours between coats and then lightly sand finish, then leave to cure overnight.
> •	Finish with a clear lacquer paint (Wurth European Blend Lacquers) apply two or three thin coats of clear with about 20-30 minutes of drying time between coats to seal the silver metallic paint and add depth and gloss
> •	A allow clear coat to air-dry and then cure for 4-6 ours
> •	Apply a sealant for protection
> 
> Product details
> 
> Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, and most other European OEMs use a cast aluminium alloy wheels. They're usually painted silver and have a clear coated finish.
> 
> 1.	1z 'Haft-Grund' Self-etching Primer - bare metal (steel or aluminium) wheels should be primed first with a self' -etching primer and is lead and cadmium-free Applied under a topcoat of urethane paint provides a secondary method of protecting the steel from corrosion. This primer bonds to bare metal and forms a base suitable for synthetic resin, acrylic lacquer and nitro combination paints. A single can will prime two wheels
> 
> Warning - Do not use this primer on painted or clear-coated wheels where you are touching-up scuffs and scrapes. A self-etching Primer is for use only on wheels that have been taken down to bare metal.
> 
> 2.	Wurth German Alloy Silver Wheel Paint (Aerosol) can be used as a spot touch-up or whole wheel repaints, one can is enough to coat two complete wheels. This paint is unusually user-friendly, it's a fast-drying lacquer that matches the standard allow wheel paint use by Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and most other European OEMs. One aerosol restores two complete wheels. to match the OEM gloss of new vehicles
> 
> 3.	Wurth European Blend Lacquers (Aerosol) - used for all German (silver) painted wheels, to match the OEM gloss of new vehicles. This paint is unusually user-friendly, it's a fast-drying lacquer that matches the standard allow wheel paint use by Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and most other European OEMs. Wurth German Alloy Silver Wheel Lacquer can be effectively used for spot repairs or full wheel restoration. One can is enough to coat two complete wheels. For the best results, use at temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.


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## Jonny IX

Im having a go at this got some old wheels in the garage and going to try and sort them out


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## M4hood

Quick tip on saving time and loads of masking tape, get a large piece of cardboard, a piece of string and a pencil, draw out a circle that is slightly larger than your alloy wheel and cut out the centre part. What you should be left with is a large piece of cardboard that will slot nicely in below your deflated rim enabling you to use a very small amount of tape on sealing the edge.


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## jedi16v

Jochen said:


> They look very good, nice job!
> I've got some 1200 wet sandingpaper but I' was afraid it's a bit rough and will remove some of the basecoat at some places? No poblem with that? I applied 4 layers base.


Thats looks wicked! and pretty much the same colour I'm aiming for on the r32 wheels I've started on.


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## jedi16v

Ooops massive thread revival fail:newbie::wave:


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## ScoobyDoo555

nothing wrong with that - it's a good thread :thumb:


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## james_death

*Good to see some of our older how to threads still warranting there place on the servers...:thumb:*

*Talking of old thread revivals this was a while back at Daytona GB...
*

*Ok Folks what did i think to the Wheel Refurbishment Day @ DaytonaGB.

Cracking Day, a very easy going casual affair a great day with fellow Detailing Members.

Good Banter with Members and Our Instructor and Host.

Learned about the Home Refurbishing of Wheels.

Pics not great had the dedicated flash with me but was enjoying myself so much forgot to attach and didnt take many pics.

There were a selection of wheels to practice on however most of us brought one ourselves.

Here is Mine...










As happens with alloy a ding can push up the alloy creating high spots as well as gouging.

So a going over with some 80 Grit paper ripped through them...



















Filled and flattened going through the grades.










Would need a bit more filling and flattening.










Some primer...










Wet sanded the primer with 800 Grit.










Some paint.










A few light coats of lacquer but not finished.. along side a finished Puma Wheel...










The finished Puma Wheel and a few more from the Day...

Oh the dark blob to the mid bottom slightly to the left in any shot is on camera sensor... stil cant find my cleaning kit...:wall:




























Would i recommend it..???

Sure...:thumb: What better way to spend a day... with fellow Detailing World Members and learning a new skill...:thumb:

I now want even more now an air compressor and a spray gun as well....:lol:*


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## Karl woods

As James said really good day that and the finnish on the focus rim in his pictures is still looking good to this day.


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## benysound

Fantastic guide.


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## Blackwatch

Well I have book marked this and will be starting on mine next week, Its going to be tricky as the wheels I have to refurb are on my daily and I cant afford to buy a cheap set to run about on. 

So its going to be a case of a corner at a time. For those in the know would one of those cheap halogen / electric fires be ok to bake the paint?


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## jduan

great guide, thanks!


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## RS200Mark

*Refurb and colour change.*

I've been toying with the idea of getting my wheels refurbished as they're showing their age. I'm going to have a go myself after reading this guide. Possibly even a change of colour.


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## dave 36

a great guide wanna do mine lol do not wanna try myself incase i ruin them


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## uruk hai

It's surprising what you can achieve with lots of time, a bucket full of patience and a little know how !


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