How to Restore Repair Car Wheels
Need to restore your Car wheels? Learn how to restore your wheels by following the procedures below.
We will show you how to make old wheels look like new. Painting the rims with the right paint is one way to restore alloy wheels, aluminum wheels, and hubcaps. The first step is to clean your wheels, but that’s not enough. You must remove rim scratches using 200, 300, and 400 sandpaper. Lastly, you will paint the car wheels and apply a clear coat. Use paint specifically designed for rims for long-lasting results and the best look.
If you are looking for an OEM factory look, use three Silver Wheel Paint. If you want to change the look of your car, consider Black Wheel Spray Paint or Graphite Wheel Paint as alternatives. If you plan on removing the paint in the future, your best choice would be to use Plasti Dip Rim paint.
🔧 Stop paying the dealer for every warning light
Get dealer level diagnostics at home with the YOUCANIC Full System Scanner.
- ✔ Works with all makes and models, including most luxury brands
- ✔ Topology map view shows all vehicle modules on one screen for faster diagnostics
- ✔ Bi directional controls to test fans, pumps, actuators and more so you do not have to guess
- ✔ Special resets and calibrations such as ABS bleed, EPB service, battery registration and more
- ✔ Free lifetime updates with no recurring fees
Before you begin
- Only spray paint your wheels when the temperature is between 55 and 90 degrees F.
- Shake the can for at least three minutes before you spray the wheels.
- Hold the can at least 10 inches away from the wheel when spraying.
- If bare metal is exposed, apply primer first.
- Always wait at least 15 minutes between coats. Apply all coats within one hour.
- The wheel can be handled in 30 minutes, but it may take a day for the paint to cure.
- Gloss or Matte Clear Coat Spray is recommended for extra protection.
Instructions
As you can see from the pictures, our wheels had severe scratches, curb rashes, and even discoloration. The process is easy but does require patience and can take a few hours to complete. All the hard work will be worth it when you’re done and your car’s wheels look new again.
- Park your car on a level surface and set the parking brakes. Loosen the lug nuts before you jack up the vehicle.
- Jack up the car. Place jack stands to support the car. Remove the first wheel from the car. Repeat the procedure for other wheels, or work with one rim at a time.
- Clean your wheels. Prepare your wheels by removing any previous paint, rust, grease, or dirt. Wash the wheel with warm water and wheel cleaner. Make sure to clean the back of the rim as well. You need to ensure that there is no grease or dirt anywhere on the wheel. Power wash the wheel if a pressure washer is available.
- Repair any deep scratches. Large scratches or dents can be repaired with rim repair filler. If there are any cracks, bends, or missing chunks from the wheel, have a tire repair shop professionally repair the wheel.
- Sand the rim surface. If your wheels are already painted, remove the paint from the wheel.
Sand the wheels with 200-grit sandpaper to remove any imperfections and curb rashes. Next, sand down with 400 and 600-grit sandpaper. Proper sanding is important. Otherwise, imperfections will show even when you paint the wheel. The wheel surface should look and feel smooth. - Clean wheel surface. A critical step that is often skipped is cleaning the wheel surface with mineral spirit, white spirit, or solvent. During this process, you will be removing dirt and oil residue remaining on the wheel metal. For best results, it is important to get the wheel as clean as possible before painting it.
- Mask the tire if the tire is still mounted on the wheel. For best results, you may want to remove the tire from the rim or carefully mask the sidewall of the tire.
- Spray a light coat of primer on the wheel if a primer is used. Some wheel sprays will have primer missed with the paint, so this step may not be necessary. Read all the directions and follow the instructions printed on the spray can you are using.
- Spray a thin coat of wheel spray and allow it to dry for at least 20 minutes. Spray a second coat of paint and wait another 15 minutes. Spray a final coat of paint and allow it to dry for at least an hour before putting it back on the car.
- Spray a couple of layers of clear coat for extra protection. A glossy clear coat will make your wheels look more like the OEM wheels. At the same time, matte will look less glossy, but add the protection necessary to make the paint last.
Wash the wheel with warm water and wheel cleaner. Make sure to clean the back of the rim as well. You need to ensure that there is no grease or dirt anywhere on the wheel. Power wash the wheel if a pressure washer is available.
Large scratches or dents can be repaired with rim repair filler. If there are any cracks, bends, or missing chunks from the wheel, have a tire repair shop professionally repair the wheel.
A critical step that is often skipped is cleaning the wheel surface with mineral spirit, white spirit, or solvent. During this process, you will be removing dirt and oil residue remaining on the wheel metal. For best results, it is important to get the wheel as clean as possible before painting it.
For best results, you may want to remove the tire from the rim or carefully mask the sidewall of the tire.
Read all the directions and follow the instructions printed on the spray can you are using.
Spray a second coat of paint and wait another 15 minutes. Spray a final coat of paint and allow it to dry for at least an hour before putting it back on the car. 
A glossy clear coat will make your wheels look more like the OEM wheels. At the same time, matte will look less glossy, but add the protection necessary to make the paint last.
We hope you find the How to Restore Repair Car Wheels guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your vehicle.
