i got bored tonight and decided to take the rims off already so i cant be ready to paint tomorrow...how much sanding is enough?? what to do about the center cap?? lug nuts?? keep silver or not???

 

I assume your going black?You shouldnt have to sand at all.we usually just use a scotch brite and scuff them good but if you wanna go the extra mile and sand them then up to you.I would to everything black.looks best IMO

 

yeah i think im just gonna paint the center cap after looking at some pics..leave the lug nuts silver..i got 320 grit sandpaper just to smooth it out a little..got nothing to do tonight so i figured why not????

 

Ya just make sure you dont stop on a rough grit otherwise youll see your sanding marks through the paint.thats why its easiest to just use a tough scotchbrite to scuff then clean it off that way you dont see no sanding patterns through the paint but if you do sand ,do the last time with a finer grit

 

is 320 fine enough or should i go more?? i literally have the sandpaper in one hand and holding the rim with the other as we speak..........debating scotchbrite now haha

 

lmao you can use 320 but dont start painting after 320.go a little finer b4 you spray....or just scotchbrite em real good lol.like i said thats what i do to be on the safe side.plus my brothers a painter and thats what he tells me to do

 

if you want a really nice looking black paint job I recommend powder painting them black. (If I had stock SS rims that what I would do)

Benefits of Powder Painting

* No Fumes
* No Messy Cleanup
* Odorless
* One Coat Fast Drying
* Extremely Chip Resistant and Durable
* Non-Flammable
* Non-Hazardous
* No Solvents or Mixing Required
* Brilliant High Gloss Fluorescent Finish in less than 10 Seconds
* 45 Colours and Finishes Available
* Blend (dry mix) Powder Paints to Create Custom Colours

 

what you can do if you want to sand them is to sand with 320 then feel/look if you can see deep scratches,if not your golden,if so go to finer grit

 

damn **** the sandpaper then!! haha ya got me nervous...im just gotta scotchbrite the hell out of them then....thats what i did before but somebody had me convinced that i HAVE to sand them

 

I don't think 320 is fine enough for that...500 would be the lowest I'd go for final sanding. Scotch brite is deff the easier way to go, less work involved. If you do start sanding, you have to make absolutely sure not to miss a spot because it will show.

 

will def be doing that..this is a temporary fix for a couple car shows until i leave for military..then when i return im gonna do the full powdercoat

 

exactly^^^

 

I sell you some 600grit if you need

 

haha im so happy walmart is down the street

i knew i should have gone with scotchbrite..had it in my hand..oh well.....back to walmart i guess

 

Not quite sure if this needs to be said or not, but make sure you clean the wheel very well with some sort of solvent to get all the brakedust off before you scotch brite them or ur gonna have bubbles and chips.

Edit-And a LINT FREE cloth. Otherwise you'll be going back over them sanding all the lint out.

 

correct they sale a prep spray that is solvent base works well.

 

i got a big ass bottle of alcohol..that work?

 

Uhh...possibly, but I don't think alcohol is strong enough to wash away the brake dust and road grime. You might have to make yet another trip to wal-mart to get the pre-painting solvent mentioned above.

Alcohol isn't necessarily a "solvent" which is what you need to get the crap off the wheels.

 

the rims only have about 1,000 miles on them so they are VERY close to spotless........

 

You would be surprised how much **** you've prolly driven thru in the last 1k miles. On top of that, brake dust is quick to dirty up your wheels. I wash my car every sunday religiously and do a good wheel cleaning and the amount of brake dust that comes out is rediculous. You can try the alcohol, but I'm not gonna guarantee it'll work. You switched from sanding to using scotch brite, this is prolly somethin you shouldn't overlook either. At least not if you want them to last and look good. I'm not tryin to bust ur ***** or anything, but don't underestimate the amount of dirt and abuse your wheels take on a daily basis.