Steel Wheels..paint 'em or powdercoat?

[DenCo40]

I am getting rid of my goofy looking aluminum stock wheels on my taco and I am replacing them with some stock steel wheels of the same size of course. Can anyone tell me if there is a good way to paint the wheels with a good kind of paint or is it just better to pay to have them powdercoated? Also does anyuone know what kind of price they get for powdercoating four wheels?
Thanks!

 

[mcgovski]

powder

powder coat those puppies. soooo much more durable than paint. I have had 4 wheels sand blasted and powder coated for $25 a wheel. well worth it IMO. that is how Rickson wheel does it on their steel wheels...
cheers

 

[Robert Bills]

Paint vs. powdercoat depends on how you use your vehicle, how you want it to look and your budget.

I recently restored a set of wheels for an early Jeep CJ. I decided to powdercoat them because they needed to be sandblasted anyway and my powdercoater normally sandblasts steel products before powdercoating as part of the process. Cost $45 each (for silver + clear, same as is on Saleen Mustang wheels and many Mercedes).

You can buy new aftermarket powdercoated steel wheels for not much more than that. (Places like 4 Wheel Parts.) New wasn't an option for me - I needed the original Kelsey Hayes wheels.

 

[Pskhaat]

Hot-dip galvanize 'em.

 

[Jacket]

Powdercoating would look nicer, but if you wheel your truck the rocks are going to scrape it off the outer rims anyway, and you'll have to touch it up with the rattle can.

 

[Sloan]

Rattle can, because when they are off road they will get scratched.

 

[slosurfer]

Rattle can, I did mine and get comments on them all the time. I could care less when I scratch them also, as they are super easy to touch up.

Before:

After:

I used Duplicolor High Temp Wheel Paint from Autozone. I did not put a clear coat on mine as I didn't want them shiny, the clear coat would add more protection though. Mine are in dire need of a touch up soon, should take me all of 5 minutes if that.:wings:

 

[tibaal89]

Yup, I did the rattle can thing... used the same black Rustoleum as I did on parts of my body, bumpers, sliders, etc. I have no qualms about beating things into rocks because the cost/effort of repairs is pocket change.

 

[DenCo40]

Awesome ideas! Thanks! Now if I could just find that swinging deal on craigslist for some stock steel rims......

 

[ntsqd]

If you have a friendly local tire shop you might also ask them about take-offs, and leave your number if they might get some in the future.

 

[theMec]

slosurfer & tiball89 did you do any prep work before you sprayed them?

Is there any differences spraying Aluminum vs Steel? I'd like to do my Aluminum rims.
Thanks.

 

[DenCo40]

If you have a friendly local tire shop you might also ask them about take-offs, and leave your number if they might get some in the future.

Great idea! thanks..

 

[tibaal89]

slosurfer & tiball89 did you do any prep work before you sprayed them?

Is there any differences spraying Aluminum vs Steel? I'd like to do my Aluminum rims.
Thanks.

In fact my experience is with alloys... they seemed to be coated in something, so I just sanded the piss out of them, taped (because I was painting a pattern), primed, and threw down some flat black Rustoleum.

I'm very pleased with the results.