not trying to sell any1 but letting you know about the deal i got, and if you dont think its a deal then let me know....anyway, ive been stripping my wheels for the past month(ive applied paint thinner, aircraft remover, etc) my buddy is an off-road guy and some1 he went to highschool with opened a sandblasting/powder coating shop last month, anyway, he blasted and coated each wheel for $220, i had the rota auto-x black with red lip, now they are flat black and look so nice, i will have pics when i get tires on them and on my car

 

the before pics, middle and after pics


http://www.flickr.com/photos/62032926@N07/5943571486/http://www.flickr.com/photos/62032926@N07/6095097278/http://www.flickr.com/photos/62032926@N07/6094558455/http://www.flickr.com/photos/62032926@N07/6167808695/http://www.flickr.com/photos/62032926@N07/6167809139/

 

Have fun keeping them clean...

 

new ones are powder coated black

 

I personally think that matte black is the hardest thing to keep clean, EVER.

 

But regardless, at around 50$ a rim to strip and coat, that isn't a bad deal. Did he remove and remount/balance the tires for you as well? If so, that's a pretty damn good deal.

 

Media blasting ruins the metallurgy in alloy wheels. Just as a forewarning.

 

naw i had to bring them in without tires, but everything thing was stripped and coated, yeah the sand blasting takes away the alloy or polish finish whatever you call it, i need new tires anyway, like i said b4 ill have pics, if anyone want to do it im sure if you tell him i sent you he will hook it up too

 

bump pics up

 

So your saying it weakens the wheel by blasting it?

 

Yes sir. As the alloy is 1/3 of the density of normal steel (sometimes even less dense), its far less durable to blown media. Thus, when someone media blasts an alloy wheel, they essentially ruin it.

 

Well this is good to know since I was going to have this done here soon. I'm not arguing since you seem to be a wheel guru but I do know plenty of friends that have had their wheels powder coated without any type of issuess arising from it.

 

Powder coating is fine. Its the media blasting that is the problem (as I stated earlier). I've got 3 sets of wheels that I've had chemically stripped and powder coated.

 

is media blasting different than sand blasting?

 

No. Media blasting refers to using high pressure to strip metals of coatings. Sand is a type of media used in media blasting, hence the term "Sand Blasting". Baking soda also fits in this category, and is often referred to as "Soda Blasting".

 

Yeah I understand. I just forgot to mention.The place that does coating around here blasts everything.

 

If it were steel, I'd say go right ahead. But, sadly, that is not the case with these wheels.

 

Yeah they were all aftermarket wheels so I can't recall any of them being steel. Looks like I'm just going to be scuffing mine really well and using base/clear on them. Is there anything I can use to fill in curb marks and smooth back out? I though about jb weld but it doesn't sand for ****.

 

Can't you strip the wheels yourself, then have them powder coat them for you? That's what I would do. Powder coat covers small scuffs great, as its a self-leveling coating.

 

Yeah I could try it. Aircraft stripper is the only thing I'm aware of that may work. I've heard from some people though that it doesn't so that's why I was up in the air. Also my firnds dad paints so it's not going to cost me anything but materials and may a few beers. As for powder coating I'm looking at $60-$70 a wheel that did however include sanblasting so it may be a bit cheaper now if I do all the prep work first.

 

I've had good luck with Tal-Strip. I've not had as good of luck with Aircraft Stripper, but I did use a very old can... so I don't know if that's even a valid review.

 

That's the stuff you brush on right? Wal mart carry it in the paint section?

 

Yes, its the brush-on type. I picked mine up from a hardware store, but I'm sure Wal-Mart probably has it.

Just as a forewarning, it emits a rather toxic smell... so make sure you're in a very well ventilated area.

 

Yeah I used it one time before on a valve cover and it worked really well. I'll have to pick some up here soon then. SO just brush it on and let it sit for 20 minutes or so. What about using like a scotch brite pad to help me out some? Yeah I will be doing this outside and wearing gloves.

 

I would definitely recommend cleaning the wheels before stripping them. It'll help the stripper get to the job of stripping much easier. I would say it'll only take 5-10 minutes for it to start peeling/bubbling, as well... depending on how well the wheels are currently coated. Scotch-brite will help in the process of getting the stripper under the coating it has, as well... but who knows if you'll truly need it.