Anyone Here "Refresh" or Restore Their Rims?

hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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4 Rims.JPG I just couldn't resist these (from an '06 RSX-S), got them really cheap, I think ($62.50 each). But they need some love. Two of them have pretty heavy rash at the rim. I already had the beat tires scrapped, so I can work on them. I don't know if it's possible to mask off the edges from the rest of the rim and sand, fill, sand, paint and clearcoat or not.

I would really like to just repair the rash, hit that with proper primer, and then etch or whatever they call it, the finish on the remainder of the wheel so I can repaint/clearcot them (I like the oem color and will try to match it).

Anyone have any ideas for me? It's a good project and could potentially keep me out of trouble for a few weekends. Also, centercaps appear to be the same fit as my '12 Si, but those caps are too shiny. I don't want to ride with Acura caps on my car.

The pic was taken by prior owner to show me what they looked like.
 
Pauly99to17

Pauly99to17

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I redid mine (CRV RIMS) and now now I'm looking to get some Acura CSX rims.

It was quite a bit of sanding. At first I started by hand, but then I got a wheel wire brush that attaches to your drill and I used that to sand and polish the metal. Worked really well and saved me a lot of sweat equity. I finished everything with a very fine sand paper to get everything as smooth as possible. The sanding smoothness didn't have to be totally perfect because I put 3 light coats of primer and then 3 light coats of a OEM matched up paint colour which smooths things out nicely. I love the rims, but unfortunately they are only 15" and I wanthou find some used 17" CSX rims......no luck at all so far.

Check my build thread for pics of my rims. They turned out looking brand new.
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/paulys-youre-my-boy-blue.6598/
 
hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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Flippercon said:
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/how-to-repair-curb-rash-on-rims.4540/
Click to expand...

Flippercon said:
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/how-to-repair-curb-rash-on-rims.4540/
Click to expand...

Thanks. Now how'd I miss that? :hmmm?:.

I may be able to get away with doing it this way, if I can match the color. I have a few small spots down on the spokes that need touching up too. I'm tempted, since they're bare rims right now, to do them completely, may be the only chance I get.
 
F

FB2Chris

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I'm in the process of restoring a set of HFP EP-R5 wheels. The pictures I took when I bought them don't show how bad the rash was, but this is how they currently sit:

(Tires removed, stripped most areas down to bare metal, smoothed all surface rash, and filled all deep rash)
 
hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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FB2Chris said:
I'm in the process of restoring a set of HFP EP-R5 wheels. The pictures I took when I bought them don't show how bad the rash was, but this is how they currently sit:

(Tires removed, stripped most areas down to bare metal, smoothed all surface rash, and filled all deep rash)
Click to expand...

Looking really great! but . . . oh . . . so much . . . work! :eek:
 
hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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the insider said:
Directly you won't want to strip the finish off the wheel - between clear coat, base coat, primer and filler its one hell of a job - you'll need a filler like lab metal to repair the rash.
Click to expand...

Wonder if this would be a good filler. Bought it for something a few months ago and never used it.

JB Weld.jpeg
 
C

CivicCanuck

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I have refurbished aluminum and steel wheels, plenty of them. My advice, unless they are in fairly good shape to begin with, it's not really worth the time and effort.

Best way to strip paint and remove oxidation or rust is to have them media blasted, then sand the blast profile with P180 if epoxy priming > then 2-3 coats of filler primer. If painting with single stage paint, anything other than black, hand sand with P400, follow with a red scotchbrite pad, blow off the dust, solvent clean, and tack with a tack cloth, then shoot the color coat. Alternately you could sand to P320 grit finish and mix an epoxy primer as a seal coat ( follow manufacturers procedure ) and then apply 2 coats + color coat, waiting the required flash time.

Before priming an aluminum wheel, you need to clean it religiously with a pre-cleaning solvent, and then apply the epoxy primer as soon as possible. Spray can primers may work, but they won't have the direct-to-bare adhesion of an epoxy primer. I haven't found any decent etch primers in a spray can that are worth using at all.

If painting with a base coat / clear coat system, you need to go finer on the sanding before paint. For solid colors, you can get away with P400-P500 sand scratch, but for metallics you need to use P500 grit minimum, and for light gold and silver with fine metallic ( especially base coats with spherical metallics ) you must sand to P600 for optimal results.

Paint doesn't hide any mistakes, unless you keep sanding and painting the item, but this is a gross waste of time and materials. The paint will telegraph to the substrate.

Again, unless the damage is minor, I would look for better wheels to start with, IMO.
 
C

CivicCanuck

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For what it's worth, there are companies that specialize in refurbishing all wheels, including straightening, welding, blasting / stripping / light machining etc.

Most will work on any wheel, whether it is a stock wheel or an aftermarket wheel. Try Googling " commercial wheel refinisher " to see what you can find. I haven't ever used one, but have seen wheels that were ugly returned in fantastic shape. Of course, the price will be based upon the work needed and they generally aren't cheap, but less expensive than buying new wheels.
 
hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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FB2Chris said:
I'm in the process of restoring a set of HFP EP-R5 wheels. The pictures I took when I bought them don't show how bad the rash was, but this is how they currently sit:

(Tires removed, stripped most areas down to bare metal, smoothed all surface rash, and filled all deep rash)
Click to expand...
What did you fill the rash with? I don't see any sign of filler.
 
C

CivicCanuck

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Some 16" wheels I blasted and painted with the tire on, only one side, this was for a vehicle that was resold, otherwise the tires would have been removed and wheels blasted and painted inside and out. They have been primed with 3 coats of high build polyester primer, sanded with P180 to fill in some small pitting, and this is a second round ( another 2 coats ) of high build primer. After curing, they must be sanded to P320 by hand, cleaned, taped, then they will be ready for an epoxy primer seal coat and then silver BC / CC, wet on wet.

With my gravity fed 1.7mm fluid tip primer gun, I can put down more material in one coat than you could with 7-8 coats from a spray can, and these required a second round of primer.... then after sanding, yet another coat of an epoxy primer mixed as a sealer, then base coat and clear coat.
IMG_8185.JPG
 
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hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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Pauly99to17 said:
I redid mine (CRV RIMS) and now now I'm looking to get some Acura CSX rims.

It was quite a bit of sanding. At first I started by hand, but then I got a wheel wire brush that attaches to your drill and I used that to sand and polish the metal. Worked really well and saved me a lot of sweat equity. I finished everything with a very fine sand paper to get everything as smooth as possible. The sanding smoothness didn't have to be totally perfect because I put 3 light coats of primer and then 3 light coats of a OEM matched up paint colour which smooths things out nicely. I love the rims, but unfortunately they are only 15" and I wanthou find some used 17" CSX rims......no luck at all so far.

Check my build thread for pics of my rims. They turned out looking brand new.
http://9thcivic.com/forum/threads/paulys-youre-my-boy-blue.6598/
Click to expand...

They turned out great!
 
hotdogjohnny

hotdogjohnny

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Civic Si
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Michael Hurd said:
Some 16" wheels I blasted and painted with the tire on, only one side, this was for a vehicle that was resold, otherwise the tires would have been removed and wheels blasted inside and out. They have been primed with 3 coats of high build polyester primer, sanded with P180 to fill in some small pitting, and this is a second round ( another 2 coats ) of high build primer. After curing, they must be sanded to P320 by hand, cleaned, taped, then they will be ready for an epoxy primer seal coat and then silver BC / CC, wet on wet.

With my gravity fed 1.7mm fluid tip primer gun, I can put down more material in one coat than you could with 7-8 coats from a spray can, and these required a second round of primer.... then after sanding, yet another coat of an epoxy primer mixed as a sealer, then base coat and clear coat.
View attachment 12762
Click to expand...

That's a lot of work for steelies. How'd they turn out?
 
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C

CivicCanuck

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random pics 040.jpg random pics 039R.JPG
Alternately, here's a set of Neon hubcaps I sprayed with RM BASF Uno-HD single stage polyurethane paint.
 
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