I am repainting my wheels and was wondering the best approach and products to use. I am aware of powder coating but it is very expensive and was thinking of trying a quality paint job first.
I have the wheels stripped down to to the OEM primer. I was going to spray epoxy primer over that. What is the most durable paint that will work on wheels that heat,cool and flex? I have herd mixed reviews on clear coats also. Any help with specifics would be great?

P.S. Please don't post anything about clear coat I already know all about it thanks!

 

you seem to have it pretty well covered, good luck

 

These started off as being flat black anodized from CCW. I bought them used and they were turning purple from brake heat. I sanded them down and painted them a charcoal "high temp wheel paint" that lasted all of 5 min on track. Probably would have been fine on the street, but they turned a dark black color with heat. I then sanded that off and sprayed them with a 1200° header paint in silver. Those held up well until I sold them.







I would not use a primer as there is no need to seal anything underneath. Aluminum wont rust, and if the primer cannot take the heat (even street use will generate heat) than the paint over top will just flake off with the primer. Use a good high temp paint and you'll be fine.

Regarding clear, if all you want is a flat color than your ok, but if you want gloss and depth you wont get that without clear.

 

why don't you just polish them?


Paint on aluminum is like a burlap bag on Miss America.

 

They are magnesium. I bet they would be a mother to polish.

I started to sand off the oem primer and after about half the wheel was done I noticed it either had a thin layer of anadizing. Would this be to help stop corosion? I have never seen a wheel anadized then painted. I hope this didn't screw up the wheel and was a needed prosece befor painting. I don't know much about painting magnesium like if it needs etched for the paint to hold.

 

[QUOTE=Kubs;1578768978]These started off as being flat black anodized from CCW. I bought them used and they were turning purple from brake heat. I sanded them down and painted them a charcoal "high temp wheel paint" that lasted all of 5 min on track. Probably would have been fine on the street, but they turned a dark black color with heat. I then sanded that off and sprayed them with a 1200° header paint in silver. Those held up well until I sold them.



Uh-oh. Am I in trouble then?

I have an 85 with the standard stock alloy rims. Here is what I've just done. They were just done yeserday and won't be put on the car until the morning.

I scuffed them up to just remove any coating or dirt etc. I then sprayed an etching primer on them. I then sprayed them with high heat rotor paint, and finally a clear coat.

Can I expect problems sooner than later?








I would not use a primer as there is no need to seal anything underneath. Aluminum wont rust, and if the primer cannot take the heat (even street use will generate heat) than the paint over top will just flake off with the primer. Use a good high temp paint and you'll be fine.

Regarding clear, if all you want is a flat color than your ok, but if you want gloss and depth you wont get that without clear.[/QUOT

 

The wheels had a fairly thick layer of primer on them from the factory. Is there such a thing as high temp primer?

 

I seriously doubt they are magnesuim. Magnesium is Farrrrrrr too brittle for wheels. Besides, I can see some shine on the bead...thats certainly not mag.
The term "mag wheels" is from prehistoric days when almost any exotic metal that wasn't steel...was assumed to be magnesium, alluminum alloy (not really such an animal in wheels) because all that crap sounds cool. Mag wheels...?

Magnisum is pale white and will NOT polish what so ever. It also turns brown when exposed to most cleaning agents, soaps or base chemicals. Uneffected by some acids...C4 valve covers...all brown now and the edges broken or cracked by the seal. Thats magnesium.

That layer of whatever you describe is more than likely the aluminum oxidation layer that grows with age. I just used a grinder to take off a layer on a 10 yr old Suzuki frame that sandpaper would not scratch...it gets hard and thick. Once you find metal, it can be polished.

Lets say that all the coatings on that wheel are anodizing or paint or powder coat (dry paint)....its getting covered anyway right?

Take a small area somewhere and use a small test spot with some stripper and see if or what bubbles up and wipes off. The oxidation will stay. ANY coatings will lift.
Not trying to beat a dead horse here, but those flats on the wheel face would look great polished. They'd be a b*t*h to maintain...but they'd look hot !

 

Those pics are not my wheels. And yes they do make wheels from magnesium. Hell all fighter jets and most aircraft have magnesium wheels. I have never seen white magnesium but the wheels I have were made for the C5 Vette for only a few years.

 

Mag wheels in the 1960's were originally all Magnesium.

Every Altered, Top Fuel Dragster, Funny car, AFX altered wheelbase,
and Super Stock racer had them.

Magnesium Hurst wheels were optional on the 1965 Pontiac GTO right from the factory.
On the dealer order sheet.
Very rare.
A friend has a set of 5 of them.
Mint.
He paid $5,000 in for them in 1996.
Estimated value on those special Hurst real magnesium wheels today are $15,000 to $20,000.

Magnesium wheels will polish out like aluminum.
Problem is it starts to oxidize right away.
takes a week or 2 then back to satin silvery look unique to uncoated Magnesium wheels.