What to use to mask off tires when painting steel rims?

I

imported_detail1

New member
I saw a tire and wheel detail/masking kit on Eastwood but i want to know if there r other places that sell a kit like this. I am going to paint the rims on my dad's 84 GMC Pickup truck and I dont want to get any paint on the tires.



Which tire paint is better- Duplicolor or VHT?

Also should i sand down the rim a little. What grit(s) should I use?



Thanks



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I would vote for - remove tire, sandblast portion of rim that is exposed (not the part under the tire), paint or powder coat.
 
I am going to paint the rims gloss white. Ideally it would be nice to remove the tires but I am not taking this route. I am going to sand the rims and paint them with the tires still on.
 
I commend you on not painting them black, and I second the remove-the-tire recommendation, but since you're not taking that, how about using, I dunno, masking tape and kraft paper/newspaper?



EDIT: In your 3rd picture, it looks like one of the most-in-need-of-painting sections of the wheel is the lip, in the bead area of the tire. IMO, with the tires on, you have little chance of properly prepping that area and getting proper adhesion of the new paint, which will result in it flaking away from that area again. My 2 cents.
 
I trick truck painters use is to put some grease or vaseline on the tire. After painting simply remove the grease and wash the tires down.
 
When I painted my wheels I taped off the tire. I used 3/4 in tape under the edge ot the rim and then 2 in tape on the tore themselves. They came out looking fine.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
In your 3rd picture, it looks like one of the most-in-need-of-painting sections of the wheel is the lip, in the bead area of the tire. IMO, with the tires on, you have little chance of properly prepping that area and getting proper adhesion of the new paint, which will result in it flaking away from that area again. My 2 cents.
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Another point of interest, what about the wheel weights? Gonna paint over 'em or around 'em? Hate to play Devil's Advocate but it's pretty tough to get a lasting, good looking result on wheels without going whole hog.



TL
 
Index cards. You know, the 3"x5" kind. Stick 'em between the tire and lip of the rim. You can then use tape and newspaper to cover the rest. As far as the paint goes, you'll definitely need to rough up the steel a bit with some sandpaper/steel wool and use a good primer. Good luck.
 
was going to paint the wheel weights but I am going to tape off the wheel weights and the air valve.



It's just not worth it for me to remove the tires. I would have to put the truck on 4 HD jack stands which I dont own for 4 days and this truck weighs alot.



Then go to a shop to have the tires removed, sand, prime and paint, then go back to the shop. Your looking at a good 4 days and i dont want to leave this truck on jack stands for 4 days.



Going to figure something out with everyone's help.
 
kenleekenlee said:
Index cards. You know, the 3"x5" kind. Stick 'em between the tire and lip of the rim. You can then use tape and newspaper to cover the rest. As far as the paint goes, you'll definitely need to rough up the steel a bit with some sandpaper/steel wool and use a good primer. Good luck.
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That's how i've seen it done as well. Except, it was playing cards all the way around, not index cards. Same concept.



-Jason
 
detail1 said:
was going to paint the wheel weights but I am going to tape off the wheel weights and the air valve.
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That will probably look great until you have to have the wheel balanced for any reason. Why are you painting the wheels? They don't look that bad from the pictures. Sometimes a half-baked repaint looks worse than leaving something alone.



How about getting a set of junkyard rims and painting them up real nice, then bringing the truck to a tire shop and having them swap the tires onto the "new" rims. Then you can paint them right and not have to worry about jack stands.
 
1. Wash the wheels with Dirtex or TSP Substitute. Do not use soap!

2. Wire brush the rusty surfaces, then sand the rusty area with 150 grit paper.

3. Lightly sand the wheel surface with 400 wet or dry sandpaper.

4. Wipe clean with IPA and allow to dry. Do not use paint thinner. Paint thinner affects adhesion of acrylic enamel paints.

5. Mask all areas as required.

6. Apply one coat of rusty metal primer and allow ample drying time.

7. Apply two coats of acrylic enamel in satin sheen or gloss if that's your preference.









Yes, my real job is professional painter. Not cars, homes.
 
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