Wheels are a very vulnerable spot in any car. It is they who take on the maximum impact: the blows of oncoming stones, curbs, branches of trees. Alloy wheels are especially susceptible to wear; when hitting an obstacle, they can not only bend, but also crack or scratch in some places, and their appearance becomes unsightly. However, the situation can be corrected; for this, a special paint for discs is used.
Wheel rims are painted for two main reasons:
- if the discs have lost their original appearance and require restoration;
- painting for decorative purposes - for example, glowing paint for rims will give the car originality and make it stand out from the stream.
In the second case, special colors are often used that attract attention, paint is often used for discs with the "chrome" effect.
Types of car paints
Wheel coloring is not only a decorative move, but also protection. Modern paintwork materials are able to reliably protect metal from corrosion. There are several types of such paints, they all differ in composition and purpose.
Powder
Powder paints for painting wheels are popular with motorists due to their durability and high resistance to all kinds of influences. Among the serious advantages, there is the possibility of applying it to almost any type of titanium, steel discs.
The disadvantage of powder paints is the need for special equipment - according to the technology, the dye in the form of a powder should melt at a temperature of about 200 degrees. That is why powder technology is not suitable for aluminum - aluminum discs can deform.
The staining technology involves cleaning the stamp from the old coating by sandblasting. Then the surface is thoroughly degreased, covered with primer and dye is applied in a specially designed spray booth.
It will take at least a day for the paint to dry completely. You can do such work in a garage with your own hands, but it is not profitable.
Acrylic
Acrylic paint works well for painting wheels. This option is the best choice. It is very convenient to use acrylic, but you can apply it yourself - the dye is sold in an aerosol, but you can also work with a spray gun. It is possible to paint discs with aerosol acrylic paint quickly and efficiently, and at the same time inexpensively.
Among the main advantages, one can single out the complete protection of the surface from the effects of atmospheric precipitation. Road reagents also cannot harm the painted surface in any way. But it must be borne in mind that acrylic has an average durability.
Paint for discs in spray cans is chosen in most cases because of its affordable price and ease of use - the spray allows you to get a high-quality result as soon as possible.
Always abrade the disc before applying spray paint. Next, the contents of the container are thoroughly mixed (the container must be shaken for three minutes) - thus uniformity of color is achieved. Then, without fail, a test spraying is done in any other area, if the paint is sprayed well and evenly, you can apply it to the discs.
Compared to powder paints, the advantage here is the possibility of quick drying - the painted surface dries in just 10 minutes. The choice of colors is also extensive, spray paint is available in any shade, but silver paint (chrome-like) is popular.
If you add a little phosphor to acrylic, you can get a luminous paint - the wheels will glow in the dark, which will attract prying eyes. The brightness of the glow depends on how strongly the phosphor is "saturated" with light.
Rubber
Rubber paints are in great demand among those who like to highlight their car, tune it in every possible way. The reason for the great popularity of such paintwork materials is their versatility. They can be used not only on metal, but also on plastic and glass. The coating can be either matte or glossy, this allows customers to choose what they want.
There is also a rubber luminescent paint on sale that glows. The composition contains a special pigment - a phosphor, which accumulates light during the day, and begins to emit it at night. The result is an interesting glowing effect.
It is very convenient to apply the dye to the cast wheels. Spray disk spray paint in two to three layers of small thickness. The surface will be smooth and even. The process can take an hour or more. In this case, the priming of the discs as a preparatory stage can be skipped.
In the video: painting discs with liquid Plasti Dip rubber.
Popular products
Body
Body paints are a one-component alkyd spray formulation. The product has increased strength and wear resistance, and has good adhesion.
Body paint is notable for its affordable cost, low consumption (the optimal number of layers to be applied is two or three). Ideal as paint for stamped discs as well as cast options. It should be applied with a spray gun. How much material is needed to paint one wheel is usually indicated on the bank, but the consumption is small.
Motip
Unlike Body, Motip disc enamels are acrylic-based compounds designed to give an attractive appearance. Products from Motype have all the advantages of acrylic paints, the compounds protect the surface from various influences, and are distinguished by high adhesion.
The palette has black, white, golden colors. The texture can be matte or glossy. All products are supplied exclusively in cans.
How to paint: the enamel is sprayed onto a cleaned and degreased surface, holding the can at a distance of 30-40 cm. The material is ideal as a paint for alloy wheels.
As an analogue, you can use Kudo products - these are paints in cans based on liquid rubber of good quality.
What paint to paint with depends on the purpose - if you need to give the surface gloss and shine, and not just protect it from corrosion, then it is better to use acrylic and rubber coatings. Painting the wheels with glowing paint will make the car doubly original.
How to paint wheels yourself (2 videos)
Paints of different brands (25 photos)
A car with shiny or unusually colored rims is always pleasing to the eye. However, these graceful design elements require unremitting attention. And even regular thorough cleaning will not save discs from darkening and tarnishing after a while. Why car owners have to think about the restoration of disks, is it possible to carry out this procedure on their own and how to paint it correctly - we will consider these and other questions in our material.
Reasons for painting wheels
If you use your car frequently, it is almost impossible to maintain the excellent appearance of the rims for a long time. Indeed, in the process of driving, they are attacked by fine gravel, dirt or chemicals that are sprinkled on roads in winter. In addition, temperature fluctuations affect the coating. And inaccurate parking, as a result of which you seemingly "grind" the discs a little, can lead to serious damage to their surface. As a result, scratches and chips appear on them, which cause the growth of corrosion foci. As a result, after a certain time you have a problem - dull discs with scratches and traces of rust. However, knowing how to paint rims, you can cope with it yourself, without the involvement of expensive specialists.
How to paint discs without removing the rubber
The first step is to determine the type of your disks. After all, the question of how to paint stamped discs is easier to solve: it is not necessary to cover them with primer before painting. Cast ones require preliminary application of a special primer. The rest of the painting technology does not differ.
What you need to paint wheels
Before proceeding with the restoration, you need to prepare the necessary materials:
- Hand protection gloves.
- Sandpaper of various grit sizes - from the coarsest to the finest.
- Masking paper or film, as well as masking tape.
- Soft rags.
- Degreaser.
- Motip standard acrylic primer.
- Enamel for Motip wheels.
- Motip clear acrylic varnish.
Stages of painting discs
Now let's figure out how to paint wheels with our own hands:
1. Thoroughly clean and smooth the surface of the discs.
First of all, we need to get rid of the pollution. To do this, thoroughly wash the discs with a special cleaning agent using a brush. Then we remove the remnants of the old paintwork from the discs, cleaning them with sandpaper. We use grain numbers from 200 to 600. From time to time we rinse the surface with water. Sanding will remove all irregularities and traces of corrosion from the discs.
2. Degrease the surface.
Before applying the primer, the discs must be degreased. Indeed, on a clean and degreased surface, the paint will last much longer. This will allow us to paint the discs with high quality without removing the rubber.
3. Cover the tire.
Now, using masking paper or film, as well as masking tape, carefully cover the tire so that no paint gets on it.
4. Apply a primer.
Priming is one of the most important stages of restoration work, therefore it is important to choose a high-quality product for it. Motip standard acrylic primer has excellent adhesion and provides an ideal base for further paint application. Due to the presence of anti-corrosion components, this composition will protect the surface from rust. The primer should be applied from the inside of the disc, spraying the composition from a distance of about 25 cm and shaking the can from time to time. We need to apply 2-3 layers of soil, giving each of them time to dry. Now you need to figure out how to paint the wheel rims with your own hands using paint in an aerosol can.
5. We paint car rims.
For this purpose we use Motip Disc Enamel. It has excellent adhesion and hiding power and contains anti-corrosion components. After application, a durable smooth coating is formed that is resistant to aggressive external factors. Shake the can vigorously for two minutes, after which we spray paint from a distance of 25 cm. The main thing here is not to overdo it - it is better to apply several thin layers instead of one thick one. Motip disc enamel has a short drying time, so each new coat can be applied after 2-3 minutes!
6. We varnish the coating.
The final stage will be varnishing the painted surface - we use Motip clear acrylic varnish. It will enhance the protective properties of the coating, as well as give the discs the long-awaited shining shine! We apply several layers of the composition from a distance of about 25-30 cm, waiting for each of them to dry. After the completion of the restoration work, we admire the result!
We've learned how to paint rims with our own hands, save money, and achieve a shiny shine!
Inspirational Painting Ideas
1. How to paint a cast wheel.
Most often the discs are painted steel, or you can paint the discs black. However, the scope for your imagination is endless! Motip disc enamel allows you to choose any shade - from white to gold or silver. When painting alloy wheels, it is not necessary to be limited to just one color. Combine contrasting shades for spectacular combinations!
2. How to paint stamped discs.
The contrasting edging looks beautiful on stamped discs. To do this, first you need to apply the first shade of paint and let it dry. Then cover the middle with masking paper and apply a second color. Wait until it dries, then remove the paper and enjoy the result!
3. What color to paint the wheels on the silver car.
Against the background of a silvery body, light green or purple wheels look great! In this case, you can choose both glossy and matte shades.
4. What color to paint the wheels on the blue car.
You can use a creative move and paint the rims on the wheels of a blue car yellow, light green or even pink. Coloring in white or black will become a classic. Well, you can achieve a spectacular look of the disks by painting them in two colors: the outer part is a light blue shade, and the inner part is blue in the body color!
If for you a car is not just a means of transportation, but an important component of your image or, in general, a passion in life, then for sure you want everything to be perfect in it, so that every detail is in harmony with the rest of the elements and makes your four-wheeled friend stand out from the stream of cars.
This applies to all elements of the exterior, including the discs. We will talk about them in detail. Professional will allow you to give them exactly the look that the car owner desires. But how do you decide on the color of the discs?
Which wheels are right for your car?
It is important to think about the combination of discs with the color of the car body, otherwise the car may look awkward. So, if a four-wheeled friend is made in white, then the same or silver components will suit him. You can also try to play on the contrast and choose a matte solid black disc, some elements of the product may have a groove.
A good solution for a silver car would be discs of the same color with a milling groove. For cars in dark red and dark blue, products with a decorative strip along the rim, the color of which will match the paint of the car, are suitable. If you are looking for a versatile option, then you should pay attention to the silver rims, which are suitable for almost every car.
The owners of black cars are the most fortunate - wheels of almost any color will look good on them, only it is better not to install white products. High quality will help not only to get the product of the desired color, but also ensure their excellent appearance throughout the entire service life.
Other important points when choosing discs
Color is not the only parameter by which one should choose wheels for a car. Among specialists there is such a simple rule: with an increase in the height of the tire, which is used in the wheel, the thickness of the spoke increases. In this case, you can achieve an amazing harmony of the wheel and tire, as well as the entire product and the car. On the other hand, as the tire profile is lowered, it is better to give preference to thin spokes.
The thin-spoke multi-spoke wheels are ideal for those looking to enhance the sportiness of their four-wheeled friend. But for lovers of the classics, wheels with the number of spokes from five to seven are suitable.
Car decoration can be a real art. And your four-wheeled pet will become not just a means of transportation, but will also be able to attract enthusiastic glances from passers-by and drivers.
Before answering the question of what color to paint the discs, you need to understand why this is done and what goals are pursued by painting original and non-original discs. In most cases, this procedure is performed in order to restore the wheels. It so happens that the condition of the disks is satisfactory, and their appearance leaves much to be desired.
On the one hand, it is a pity to throw away such rims, while you will have to buy new ones, which are very expensive. On the other hand, the appearance of the products is so depressing that the car owner does not know what to do with them. Another reason that can lead to painting discs is the desire to transform the appearance of the car. It would seem that everything suits, but at the same time there remains some understatement in the exterior.
Many car owners tend to use bright enough and unusual color solutions for tuning. If in the classic version a red car can have ordinary chrome or white rims, then for the lover of non-standard solutions in tuning, blue, green, purple shades can be used. Glowing paint options also look quite interesting.
What color should the wheels be painted - if the car is black? There are a lot of such questions on automotive forums, and each participant tries to contribute to the formation of a real sense of the style of the person who asked the question. In the case of a black car, there can be a huge number of options. These are any color shades that will match the interior color.
If the glass is tinted, then you can choose almost any option you like. But even this is not the main thing. It is very important what to paint the discs. If the driver has decided in what color to paint the alloy wheels, then the next task will be what method of painting and the type of paint he will do it.
Painting options
Today there are two paint options. It is powder and acrylic paint. Moreover, each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, which every car owner who decides to paint should know about. Powder material options not be afraid of moisture and can even withstand significant mechanical stress and impact. Salts, acids, corrosion - all this is not a problem for powder coating.
But a significant disadvantage of such coverage is its cost. buying such equipment at home and even renting it is impractical. But in a car repair shop, such work will be carried out at a decent level, although you will have to pay a considerable amount.
An alternative could be acrylic coating. It is much easier to work with such paints if you need to do work at home. In addition, the palette of colors and shades of professional acrylic-based paints is so diverse that it will not be difficult to choose the most suitable option.
What color to paint wheels on a gray car?
These can be completely different colors, but matte or glossy options look especially beautiful. blue, purple and salad shades. Discs that are painted in neon or glowing colors look quite interesting. At night, they are especially attractive and visible to all road users.
What color should the stamped wheels be painted?
Sooner or later, stamped rims for wheels will have to be painted unambiguously, since stamped steel becomes corroded over time, and nothing can be done about it. To hide such traces of dilapidated disrepair of disks, it is necessary to expose them to painting from time to time.
What color should the stamped wheels be painted? Here, in most cases, standard paint options are used. It can be black, white or silver. These are classic colors and are usually suitable for any vehicle color. At the same time, some drivers are afraid to use brighter and more saturated colors, as they are afraid to spoil the exterior of the car.
But there is nothing terrible here. It is enough to be able to use some kind of photo editor to quickly estimate the most advantageous color scheme for your car. In addition to powder coating, other options can be used.
For example, methods such as liquid rubber and acrylic paint have become quite popular recently. In the first case, with the help of special equipment, liquid rubber is applied, which, together with the addition of modifiers, acquires a completely different color.
An equally interesting option is acrylic paint, which can be applied even at home with a special spray gun. Today in car dealerships such paint is relatively inexpensive, and in conditions of independent work, the cost of work will be quite small.
In any case, no matter what color of paint is chosen, it must be remembered that stamped discs with a new coating will last much longer. And if you leave visible the braking elements, make them part of the design of the wheel, then passers-by and other drivers simply cannot take their eyes off such tuning.
The car should not only perform the main function of movement, but also harmoniously combine the elements of the exterior. To create a beautiful appearance of a car and emphasize its unique design, you need to know how to paint a car's rims and how to choose colors for its body elements.
What colors can be suitable for rims
Before you paint your wheel products yourself, you need to think about how the selected shade will be combined with the vehicle body. For example, for a white car, silver rims will fit well. Alternatively, highlight the contrast and paint them in matte black tones. A groove can be used for individual body parts.
If the car has a silver color or "wet" metallic, then the disc elements are recommended an identical color with a milling groove. Cars in burgundy, dark blue and bright yellow are perfectly combined with autodisks in black tones or of an identical color with a strip along the rim.
For motorists who want to find a more versatile option, painting the wheels in silver tones will become relevant. You can also apply black metallic paint. It will give a beautiful appearance and additional shine to the disc surface.
Black car owners can use almost any color scheme to paint their rims. In particular, reds, bright yellows and golden tones will work well. Organic and dark green. It is not recommended to paint white, as it will cause dissonance with the exterior of the car.
Color plays an important role, but do not forget about the quality of the paint and varnish material, since the durability of the selected color range and the resistance of the paint to anti-corrosion effects depend on it.
By the way, the same can be said about the paintwork of the entire car - you only need to choose the best. For example, they offer a high-quality service - a protective coating of the body with ceramics.
How to emphasize the outer style of a disc
In addition to choosing the right color scheme, you can use another interesting method to create a harmonious car exterior. Auto painters recommend combining colors with the profile height of a car tire.
In particular, as the tire profile increases, the thickness of the disc spoke increases. With this option, a beautiful appearance and a harmonious combination between the disc and the tire are achieved. If you try to reduce the height of the profile, then the use of thin spokes and black metallic is recommended.
High-spoke rims can be a great choice for sports cars. For example, if you have a red sports car, you can increase the profile height, install a multi-spoke auto wheel, painting it in matte black with red edging around the edges of the rim.
Lovers of classic cars in white or yellow can use bright or dark silver wheels with 5-7 spokes.
What colors to use for stamped discs
On factory stampings, paint often peels off, small scratches and defects are formed. Such structures are exposed to corrosive effects, as a result of which they begin to rust. With the help of coloring, they can be updated or made more original.
To correctly select the color, you must follow some rules.
If the car is painted in classic bright white or black tones, then you can choose similar shades, or dilute them with silver paint. For example, the black bodywork perfectly matches the dark red stampings, decorated with bright yellow edging around the edges of the rim.
As a rule, car enthusiasts try not to use orange and purple tones for painting wheels, since they do not combine well with white and black body elements.
Powder paint is mainly used for painting, but acrylic materials are more optimal to give originality. They stand out from powdered paints in that they look prettier and shine in bright light.
Recently, liquid glass has become especially popular. These are new paints and varnishes, after the application of which car disks are radically transformed. In bright light, a car enthusiast can see his reflection in them.
If the car is painted in bright yellow with the use of liquid glass, then matte black or "poisonous" stampings are recommended.
What colors to use for alloy wheels
Die-cast models blend harmoniously with the exterior of the vehicle. But at the slightest damage, they must be repainted. Popular staining options:
- Bright green car - yellow wheel paint,
- The bodywork is red and the windows are tinted black or dark green.
- Gray or bright yellow auto wheels are perfectly combined with white body elements.
When choosing a color scheme, pay special attention to the contrast and combination of the palette.
