Painting alloy wheels

[spooky]

I was advised to use etching primer before painting my wheels but what kind of primer and paint should I use to get a nice smooth finish as the wheels have been bead blasted to bare alloy? Also what other prep do I need to do? Should I do the inside off the rims also, (the bit you can't see when the tyres are fitted)

[Psychosomatic88]

Do you have means to use an air compressor and sray gun or is this an aerosol job?

[spooky]

I have a mate who is a pro. sprayer, But doing this on the cheap as best I can, Just wanting a heads up on it.

[simmo]

well i just got mine back from the powdercoaters and they look like this:-




as you can see the inside is done as well, so if you have any primer and paint left once the "bit you will see" is done, it wouldnt harm it to spray the inside.

[spooky]

Looks cool mate, I was thinking about powder coating but was advised against it as it's harder to repair if it gets stone chipped.

[yayoboy]

im getting mine back from the powder coaters today, if your doin it on a budget most powder coaters only charge a tenna a wheel, i had them done on my rs 125 and nothing put a mark on em, really hard wearing!

[yayoboy]

got em back yesterday

[royster81]

to all those powder coating ,make sure the drive pins and the hub face is free from coating also,good luck getting the discs on over the access coating if you haven't had them masked off ....

[fumb]

to all those powder coating ,make sure the drive pins and the hub face is free from coating also,good luck getting the discs on over the access coating if you haven't had them masked off ....

Royster, any tips on which parts to mask/protect when getting wheels powder coated? I will be getting mine done shortly and would like to know all the pit falls and tips.

thanks

fumb

[hannakournikova]

rear wheel - hub face, holes for pins and surface where the big washer goes for fitting wheel
front wheel - bearing seats and discs mating face