DIY Wheel Refinishing (How To)

[RoyB]

My 1987 Carrera needed the wheels refinished. The aluminum area was discolored and had some staining. The black center section was very faded and had some scratches. One of my hobbies is gunsmithing and I have extensive experience with various metal coatings available to the firearms industry. The product I used on my wheels is a two part epoxy finish that you apply with a simple airbrush and compressor. I bought my air brush kit from a Job Lot store for $15 and it works great.

The product used is available from Midway Shooting Supplies

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=206276



Lauer (LCW) DuraCoat Firearm Finish Semi Gloss. This is the same finish HK uses on firearms supplied to various military and federal agencies. I've used it on firearms and motorcycle parts with amazing reasults. It is extremely easy to mix, does not need to be reduced to spray with an airbrush, dries quickly, but not so quick that you have to rush. The finish is a Semi-Gloss black. It is also available in Matte Black or if you add a bit more hardener, it will drie Gloss Black. I used it in the Semi Gloss fashion.

Here's what you need to perform the refinish.

Airbrush
8 OZ of DuraCoat
Brake Cleaner (i sparay can)
Quart of Acetone (for cleaning tools and wheels)
Plastic Electrical tape
Masking tape
Sandpaper(if your wheels are scratched)

Start bu removing the tire/wheel from the car. Place face up on a couple of saw horses or on a garbage can. Spray wheel with brake cleaner and wipe dry. Use an acetone soaked rag to scrub the wheel as clean as you can get it. Let acetone dry.
If the aluminum area of your wheels needs attention, now is the time to deal with it. You could polish them or simply clean them up a bit. All I used was Mother aluminum polish and 0000 steel wool, followed by more mothers polish on a soft rag. They came back looking like new! A nice buffed aluminum but not "chrome like" polished.
After you are finished with the aluminum area, clean the whole wheel with acetone again.
Now it's time to get the wheel ready for painting.
Use the plastic electrical tape to mask off the aluminum part of the wheel. Follow up with standard masking tape. I use electical tape first because it can bend to the diameter necessary to mask the center section. Cover the entire wheel and tire where you do not want the finish to reach. Once this finish dries the only way to remove it is with sand blasting.
Hook up your airbrush. Add six teaspoons of DuraCoat with 1 teaspoon of hardener. Mix with a straw or a piece of wire. Do not shake.
Set your compressor to 30 PSI.
Spray the wheel with many light coats rather than one thick coat. I used the whole six tablespoon mix on one wheel. You can not stop between coats. The finish begins to harden within 10 minutes.
If you want you can also spray the lug nuts. I did and they came out great.
Once you are done spraying your wheels, clean up your airbrush by spraying acetone through it.
Let everything dry overnight and then put the wheels back on. While I had all four wheels off I also painted my brake calipers with special "High Temp Brake Caliper" paint I bought at the auto parts store.
I would suggest applying a thin coat of grease to the seat area of your lug nuts before to tighten them down. You wouldn't want the epoxy to glue your lug nuts on! Especially if you also finished the lug nuts.

Your finished! Stand back and admire your handi-work!







This is representative picture. As you can see, DuraCoat is available in many colors. An excellent product to use on engine, suspension and other parts.

[flipper]

Nice work!!

[RoyB]

THANKS!

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by RoyB
Start by removing the tire/wheel from the car. Place face up on a couple of saw horses or on a garbage can. Spray wheel with brake cleaner and wipe dry. Use an acetone soaked rag to scrub the wheel as clean as you can get it. Let acetone dry.
If the aluminum area of your wheels needs attention, now is the time to deal with it. You could polish them or simply clean them up a bit. All I used was Mother aluminum polish and 0000 steel wool, followed by more mothers polish on a soft rag. They came back looking like new! A nice buffed aluminum but not "chrome like" polished.
After you are finished with the aluminum area, clean the whole wheel with acetone again.
Now it's time to get the wheel ready for painting.

One word: corrosion.

I work in the aviation industry, where working with aluminum is an every day occurance. I see many people (not just this forum) who strip and repaint aluminum wheels, and have beautiful results, only to wonder why the paint is bubbling and peeling within a year or so.

Any time aluminum is stripped bare, you have to treat the metal to prevent corrosion. Especially on a wheel, that is subject to stones making little nicks in the paint. Anywhere moisture can get under the paint will set up to start a point of corrosion. (then bubbles, then peeling)

I have no experience with the DuraCoat product, but if it has no specific info about use on aluminum I would have treated the wheels before application.

In aviation, aluminum is stripped and cleaned with a mild acidic solution. It takes a couple of steps - read the package.

Then apply an ALODINE wash (dip tank is best) then rinse and air-dry. Alodine comes in brown or clear. Obviously, you want to use the clear so that it is transparent on any unpainted areas.

Then prime all areas to be painted. The military aerospace industry in the U.S. uses MIL-P-23377 primer.

You cannot compare the MIL-spec coatings with those that you purchase at a hardware store. The latter are intended for the consumer market and do not possess the corrosion resistance or durability that you can expect from the spec products.

Over the primer goes the topcoat. I use Mil-C-85285 topcoats, but MIL-C-83286 and MIL-C-46168 are also common. You can get a paint-chip book free from the GPO.

Use whatever topcoat that you want, though. The important part of my post is to PREP THE ALUMINUM with an anti-corrosive before painting!!

I get my mil-spec coatings from Lowcountry Industrial @ 843-821-2005

Note that these coatings are not prohibited in California, but you must get a "low voc" formulation to stay legal. Not sure about the alodine rules - you'll need to check.

Your wheels look great, Roy. Let me know if DuraCoat has anything mentioned about use on bare aluminum.

[scottb]

Aren't Fuchs wheels a magnesium alloy?

[RoyB]

I didn't remove the anodizing. I painted right over it after scuffing it up a bit with steel wool. But this DuraCoat is used on Aluminum weapons (M-16, MP-5, etc) when they are going to be subjected to the nastiest of conditions. I've coated dozens of motorcycle aluminum parts with it and have never had any bubbling issues. I'm confident these wheels will look great for many years.

[dvkk]

Originally posted by scottb
Aren't Fuchs wheels a magnesium alloy?

0.9% Mg.

Alloy is aluminum 6082

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by RoyB
I didn't remove the anodizing. I painted right over it after scuffing it up a bit with steel wool. But this DuraCoat is used on Aluminum weapons (M-16, MP-5, etc) when they are going to be subjected to the nastiest of conditions. I've coated dozens of motorcycle aluminum parts with it and have never had any bubbling issues. I'm confident these wheels will look great for many years.

Glad to hear that it's "tried and true". And as long as you did not scuff through the base protective coating, you'll be okay. I guess my post should mostly be directed at those people who bead-blast and spray-paint; something I addressed on another sports car forum. I know Porsche owners tend to be a little more careful with their equipment, but any time you get to bare aluminum it can come back to haunt you.

It's been a while since I handled any military weapons, but I thought I remembered them being parkerized rather than painted?

[RoyB]

Parkerizing is still in use, but the newer baked on Teflon impregnated or two part finishes are all the rage. Some of the ceramic spray on and bake finishes are truely amazing. If I had an oven large enough and a way to get the tires off easily I would have used one of these.....they are nearly "bullet proof"...:-)

Thanks for your advise, it won't go to waste.......

[VaSteve]

Speaking of "painting" - I was planning on painting mine. A simple respray over the factor finish which has worn through with one too many carwashes. Assuming it's not through the anodization, will rattle canning with some Wurths balck satin flake off when the brake are hot?

[glenndeweirdt]

VaSteve try this link for a "primer"
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/realwhda.html

[theclaw]

Originally posted by RoyB
I didn't remove the anodizing. I painted right over it after scuffing it up a bit with steel wool. But this DuraCoat is used on Aluminum weapons (M-16, MP-5, etc) when they are going to be subjected to the nastiest of conditions. I've coated dozens of motorcycle aluminum parts with it and have never had any bubbling issues. I'm confident these wheels will look great for many years.

Roy,

This is exactly what I want to do to my wheels this winter but you've got me confused. In your first post you did not mention painting the Al rim of the wheels only using the steel wool/mothers method to bring it to a brushed Aluminum look. Did you actually paint the Aluminum rims on the wheel?

Jeff

[RoyB]

The only area that was painted is the black. I left the aluminum area as is.

[theclaw]

Roy,
I see you are also a Ducati and Aprilia guy. Still have an '86 F1A, 93 900ss, gone is the FZR 400 (CCS light wt superbike), 748 pro thunder race bike (350lbs wet), 04 RSV-R. Lots of track time over the years.

ok..done with the hijack.

Wheels look great. Going to do exactly that to mine. Been trying to find the right combo of preserving the brushed look of the rim and good solid color of the centers. I didn't want to have to send them of to SoCal.

jeff

[RoyB]

YES...FZR400! Love it!

I've got a little 400-4 in the barn. Ever seen one of these?



Honda CB-1 (RC27)

[theclaw]

Always wanted the Big CB1, not that though. Once had a KZ 1300, now that was big!

[theclaw]

Roy,
Did you try using Scotch brite pads?

[RoyB]

Update from five years ago!!!

My wheels still look great! Granted the car doesn't go out in snow / road salt conditions. But after 5 years of normal "Sunday Morning" use, the wheels still look great. No bubbling etc.

I found this old thread while looking for some steel lug nuts that look like the factory alloy units........No luck!

[cashflyer]

I read back over what was discussed.

I am glad to see your update, and to hear that they still look great!!

[1-ev.com]

Have you repainted wheels since 1st post? Thank you.