04-12-2005, 08:45 AM
It might be easier to paint the wheels if you took the tires off, but then you have the chance of scratching the paint off when you get the tires put back on the rims. Also, you need a machine to mount tires on rims, so you'll have to take them to a shop if you want to go that way.
When I painted my wheels, I left the tires on.. the tireshine that was soaked into the rubber really kept the overspray from sticking to the tire, it just rubbed right off. Disadvantage was that the tireshine stuff on the tires made it impossible to mask them off, but since the paint was a dark color, you couldnt really see the overspray on the black tire anyway.. that and it rubbed right off like I said.
I took all my wheels off, cleaned them very thoroughly with Simple Green automotive, then sanded them down light enough to get the shiny coating roughed up. Then primer, a few coats of Duplicolor Wheel Coating, and a couple coats of the Duplicolor wheel coating clear. And make sure you've let them set up really well before mounting them and driving on them, you dont want dirt getting stuck in the tacky wet paint.
When I painted my wheels, I left the tires on.. the tireshine that was soaked into the rubber really kept the overspray from sticking to the tire, it just rubbed right off. Disadvantage was that the tireshine stuff on the tires made it impossible to mask them off, but since the paint was a dark color, you couldnt really see the overspray on the black tire anyway.. that and it rubbed right off like I said.
I took all my wheels off, cleaned them very thoroughly with Simple Green automotive, then sanded them down light enough to get the shiny coating roughed up. Then primer, a few coats of Duplicolor Wheel Coating, and a couple coats of the Duplicolor wheel coating clear. And make sure you've let them set up really well before mounting them and driving on them, you dont want dirt getting stuck in the tacky wet paint.