Plastic Dipped Wheel Treatment
I've always been a fan of black wheels. I had been searching for black wheels for a while, but the prospect of
spending a lot of money for new wheels wasn't very attractive to me. Moreover, my wheels were starting to corrode, especially around the lug nuts.
I saw that a bunch of people on the GMLS4 Forum were using Plasti Dip ® on their wheels and I was impressed by their results. So I read about how to Plasti Dip wheels, how much it would cost, and what the benefits / downsides would be.
The benefits include being a very quick, easy project that encapsulates the wheels with a rubberized coating that resists weather, corrosion, salt, etc. What's also great about this project is that should you decide that you don't like the look or you need to re-do it, you can peel the Plasti Dip coating off -- it's not paint.
The downside that I see, is that the Plasti Dip coating is prone to damage, like from metal tools hitting your wheels. So be careful with your wheels, especially around tools, curbs, boulders, dynamite explosions, etc.
So, here's how I did it: - in order to apply the Plasti Dip, you need to clean your wheels carefully, remove any corrosion that may be present (I used a 2000 grit wet and dry sandpaper), and then clean the wheels using rubbing alcohol
- tape the tires with painter's tape around the wheels to avoid getting overspray on the tires
- apply the Plasti Dip in very light coats so as to avoid runs. I applied 5 coats to my wheels with 30 minutes drying time between each coat
- after the final coat, I give the wheels 4 hours to dry and cure before mounting the wheels to the car
I found that the look is quite flat (as opposed to glossy); however, I've since discovered two options give the wheels a glossier appearance -- there's a clear Plasti Dip products that appears to be usable like clear coat paint or you can use a wet tire shine product (I use Eagle One Wet Tire Shine) on the dried surface. If you go with the wet tire shine, you'll have to re-apply every once in a while (I do mine every 6 - 12 months, but then again, I don't drive the car very often)
- carefully remove the tape so as to not pull the Plasti Dip coating off along with the tape. I found that a utility knife worked well (be careful around the tires!)
- when mounting the wheels, be sure to torque the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds as recommended by the Haynes Repair Manual
Painter's Tape:
Rubbing alcohol:
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