Alloy Wheel Refurbishment DIY Guide
How to refurbish curbed & corroded alloy wheels - full DIY restoration guide.
In this how2everystep video I am going to show you how to fully refurbish a corroded and curbed alloy wheel. I will show you the sanding, degreasing and masking process to prepare the wheel for painting, and then how to spray the wheel with primer, silver base coat and then clear lacquer.
In 12 easy to follow steps…
Every Step Summary
Step1: Deep clean the wheel
Step 2: 80 grit sanding
Step 3: Fill deep kerb rash scratches
Step 4: 180 Grit sanding
Step 5: 320 Grit sanding
Step 6: 400 Grit sanding
Step 7: 600 Grit wet and dry sanding
Step 8: Clean & degrease
Step 9: Mask off the wheel
Step 10: Primer spray paint
Step 11: Silver base coat spray paint
Step 12: Clear lacquer spray paint
Tools & Materials Required
1: Electric drill
2: 75mm/3” Velcro sanding disk drill attachment
3: 80, 180, 320, 400 Grit sanding disks
4: 600 Grit wet and dry paper
5: Alloy wheel filler
6: White spirit/panel wipes
7: Microfibre cloths
8: Playing cards + masking tape
9: Primer spray paint
10: (Silver) base coat spray paint
11: Clear lacquer spray paint
The best wheel refurb video I've ever seen
Thanks Ady. Much appreciated. Glad you found the alloy wheel refurbishment video useful. 😀
Getting ready to do my wheels one of the best videos sorry …is the best video seen so far
Thanks Anthony! Glad you found the wheel refurbishment guide useful! Good luck 👍 how2everystep.com
Very good guide with impressive results. Thanks
Thanks Jason. Glad you found it useful!
Having refurbished wheels myself before, this is a really good guide which has taught me to improve my technique.
Many thanks for the positive feedback. This wheel refurbishment method definitely works the best for us. Regards how2everystep.com
After watching 100+ videos (exaggerated) on wheel refurb, this has to be one of the best videos out there. (I never comment on videos)
Really appreciate that. I tried to show every step. Good luck with your alloy wheel refurbishment. Thanks How2everystep.com
An amazing video you did! Many thanks!
Thanks Karl! Glad you found the wheel refurbishment video useful! Thanks Col
this was deadly. love the trick with the cards.
Thanks Neil. Yer I love using the cards to mask the tyres. Thanks How2everystep.com
Yes a good idea as long as you have a garage or a non-windy day ! tried this myself outside as I don't have a garage, trouble was when a gentle gust of wind came along and blew the cards onto the wet paint ! aaaahhhhh and yes when I started the job it was a very calm day, but two hours later a breeze built up causing havoc ! 😂
Top video, loved the card trick :)
Glad you found the alloy wheel refurbishment video useful. Thanks How2everystep.com
Very nicely done
Glad you liked the wheel refurbishment video. Thanks How2everystep.com
This is useful as I was thinking about just tickling the worst bits on the wheels. I can see that would look patchy and doing this is probably going to take at least a day's labour in sanding, filling and painting per wheel. And several days waiting for paint to harden. I'll live with curbed wheels, I think. This video has save me a lot of heartache and hassle.
It worked out as about an hour a wheel. Doing the same stage on each wheel at the same time definitely helped speed up the process. Thanks How2everystep.com
Ooo that card trick was magic.
Just make sure you overlap the cards by half each time to ensure no overspray gets through to the tyre. Thanks How2everystep.com
Such a useful vid 🔥
Really glad you found it useful. Good luck with your alloy wheel refurbishment! Thanks How2everystep.com
Lovely
Helpful video. I'm tempted to stop after sanding out the corrosion, then send the wheel off for professional finishing. I'll spend the time I save on sorting out the wheel arches.
Hi James. Glad you found it useful. I find sanding out the corrosion is the time consuming part. Then prepping the wheels for painting is the quicker part. Good luck with the wheel arches! Thanks How2everystep.com
By the way! Really nice job
Glad you found the video useful. Good luck with your alloy wheel refurbishment! Thanks How2everystep.com
Love your video formats! Just subscribed! Just a thought might be worth dipping the sound on the bits with the noisy power tools nearly blew my ears off 😂
Fair point. I will keep that in mind for future videos. Thanks How2everystep.com
Good job, only in the last step I recommend to use 2K clear coat. Yes it is more expensive, but it has a higher gloss and significantly higher durability
Awesome, I already have all the stuff to do this barring the lacquer so the cost to me is negligible. I just wanted to say the playing card idea is brill!
Thanks Graham. Yer - the playing cards work really well - just make sure you have half a card overlap to ensure you get no overspray onto the tyres... thanks How2everystep.com
amazing
Good video, thank you
Thanks Bish. Hope you find it useful for your alloy wheel refurbishment. Col
Very helpful info and instruction here, thank you! Can I use the same process on a set of rusted steel wheels? Also the rust and brake dust removal process in your other upload? Many thanks..
Hi Harriet. Glad you found the wheel refurbishment and alloy wheel cleaning video useful. For steel wheels you will find it much harder to sand down to flat bare metal as the steel is harder than alloy wheel aluminium. I would suggest cleaning the wheels as per the cleaning video to remove all brake dust. Then follow the return video but use a wire brush drill attachment on all corrodes areas to get to the bottom of any pitting. Then use a rust treatment to full treat any bits of corrosion you can't completely sand back (e.g. Kurerust). Then fill any pitting with filler or high build primer before following the video painting process. Hope this helps?
@@How2EveryStep It helps massively! Thank you so much; we are being donated a set of steel wheels for our old Hilux and I'd like to get them in as good a condition as possible, so your knowledge and advice is hugely appreciated, as is the quick reply.
Great how to guide, looking forward to doing it myself. Trying to gauge how much paint I would need for example 4 wheels like the one in your video? Many thanks
Hi there I did a set of 5 wheels and used just under 4 x 500ml cans of primer, base coat and lacquer. Good luck with the alloy wheel refurbishment!
@@How2EveryStep do you mean 4 cans of each? Or 1 of 2 and 2 of 1?
@@7EiamJ7 Hi there. 4 cans of each. So 4 x base coat, 4 x silver and 4 lacquer. Thanks
Great vid. As I haven't got time to wait 24hrs per process can u speed up the process of hardening with a heat gun?
Hi David. You can indeed speed up the process with a heat gun. My advice would be keep the wheel indoors so the wheel is warm before spraying, then use a heat gun for 5 minutes around the wheel between coats. Thanks How2everystep.com
Great wheel refurb guide, many thanks. What drill speed did you use?
Hi there. Hope it was useful! I used a cordless drill on the highest speed. I find on the lower speeds the sanding disk tends to grip too much and 'dance around' - then you end up sanding the parts of the alloy wheel you don't want to. Cheers Col
Great video, thank you. Where did you get the drill attachments with velcro backing? I'm one wheel in doing it manual on some badly corroded wheels and it's time consuming to say the least!
Thanks Johny. I bought the drill attachments from ebay. Search for 'velcro drill attachment' and loads should come up. Should be less than £10... thanks How2everystep.com
IKR?! I so want one..!👀
The amount of guides ove seen where someone has bothered to do a voice over but not to just dip the audio from the original recording so its not drowned out by a drill or compressed air or something. Thanks for the tips tho
Good How to vid. However, what about the inner wheel surface. When did you paint them or didn't you bother cos they are not seen?
Hi there. To be honest I just let the overspray coat the inside of the wheels. There was a good coverage and didn't need to worry about the finish as the inside is hidden by the multispokes. Thanks How2everystep.com
Hey How2 great video! I got question regarding the painting process. I will be painting also the inside as well as the outside of the wheel. In which order should I do the paintjob? Should I do the inside paint first then let it dry for 30 min, flip the wheel and do the outside part - and go like this one layer at a time? Or should I do the outside of the wheel first with all primer layers, then mask of the spokes and any outside area that might get covered with paint and do the primer on the inside of the wheel?
Hi Arthur. Glad you liked the refurb video! Good question - I would say it depends on how ventilated your spray area is as this will affect how much overspray will collect on the other side of the wheels. I would suggest for each coat, spraying the rear of the wheel first and then spray the front of the wheel second - that way you get a chance to cover any overspray on the front of the wheel. I don't think you need to leave 30 mins between spraying the back and front of the wheel - you will get a nicer finish if the whole wheel is wet with paint at the same time. Hope this helps?
@@How2EveryStep Thanks for the advice. The problem is I don`t have a tyre on the rim, so by flipping the wheel after the back has been sprayed, some of the just painted area will be touching surface.
@@athom740 oh I see. The spray shops have a hook that you hang the wheel from. Unless you can hang the wheel somehow I would suggest primering the inside, letting it dry, then primering the outside, and so on for paint and lacquer...
Hi, great video thanks! Does using playing cards stop all over spray on the tyre walls? Thank you! x
Hi there. Yes it really does work :) Make sure you have at least half a playing card overlap over each card. Also make sure the card is securely inserted between the tyre bead and alloy wheel rim... Thanks Col
@@How2EveryStep Brilliant, thanks Col! I will try that when I refurb my alloys!
Great job buddy. The paint looks a bit dull but apart from that it looks new. Defo will give it ago.
Thanks. It was a really dully day when I filmed the finished wheel. Wish I had waited till the sun was shining... thanks How2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStep once it's dry and the lacquer has hardened, is it worth waxing, polishing, and ceramic coating the wheel or is that just overkill?
@@spicerldn I use silicone spray on the alloy wheel paint. It is great at keeping the brake dust from sticking. Just wipe it off to clean and then reprotect with some more silicone spray. Check out my videos - there is one on this process... thanks How2everystep.com
Can you do a video please on small kerbed alloys where you don't have to take the whole wheel off the car. And also I have a finish slightly diamond finish. How can I restore to same finish?
Hi Irfan. I am actually planning to do a video of small kerb repair. Will give you a shout when released. Thanks How2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStep excellent can't wait!
Looks really good, and repeat on the inside?
Thanks. I found the overspray was enough to coat the inside of the wheel. Thanks How2everystep.com
great job!! think dark gun metal grey wouldhave looked better on the car tho lol 😉
Thanks. You might be right there. I do like gun metal grey 😀 thanks How2everystep.com
You need to use etch primer or epoxy primer over bare metal before spraying regular primer. Regular primer does not adhere to bare metal as well, nor does it have anti corrosion properties, so although it will look fine for now, in time the paint will peel and/or rust will come through.
Would it be okay to just spray paint over etch primer ? Do I have to add a coat of regular primer ?
@@alfonsolofredo1964 normally you need to use regular primer on top of the etch primer and then paint over that, im no expert though, just echoing what ive heard and read from professionals.
If you have keyed in the metal surface then you can use normal primer. You need to use etch primer when the alloy wheel surface is smooth I.e. not sanded. Thanks How2everystep.com
Alternatively; Have your alloy wheels 'professionally' re-furbished (inside & out) (tyres off & re-balanced) for £320 (all 4). It saves you taking a week off work & spending it covered in dust in your garage. Sure, I could save myself £200 by doing it myself, but I'd lose the £600 wages for the week. This is for retired blokes who are very bored.
This wheel refurbishment took 1 hours per wheel in total. And they were badly corroded multi spoke wheels, so most alloys would need less preparation. So not as time consuming as you think. Thanks How2everystep.com
I just got mine back. Cost me £240 for 4 wheels all powder coated, but the only thing is they sat the wheels on top of each other when they were done they have slight marks on them because if this fkn morons
@@1newme425 Shop around m8, you will always find something cheaper than the first quote. or as you said do it yourself
Did you do anything else to the inside of the wheel after sanding off the corrosion?
Yes - the inside got painted too. With the multispokes you can pritty much rely on the overspray doing the job. It is definitely worth painting the inside of the wheel to avoid corrosion creeping around and lifting the new paint on the outside - you just don't need to worry about getting the perfect finish. Good luck. Col
Shouldn't the paint on the contact surface of the wheel bolts be removed?
I always leave painted. In reality the paint gets scratched off / flattened back when you tighten the wheel bolts. Thanks How2everystep.com
Great video. 👍 Did you prime the inside? I’ll have a go at this and if I do a rubbish job, I’ll take it to the specialist.
Thanks James. I only primed the inside spokes where I sanded back to the aluminium. I found with the overspray from the front covered the rest of the back of the wheels...Good luck! Thanks How2everystep.com
Looks great, but don't think I've got 3 days spare to paint wheels 🤔
It took 1 hour per wheel and these were multispoke alloys that needed a lot of work. I would recommend doing the whole set of wheels at one. It makes the refurb quicker overall... thanks How2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStep OK. I thought you said you had to leave for 24 hours after each coat?
@@bonhoff67 yer I leave 24 hours between coats. So the hour per wheel is spread over a few days... thanks How2everystep.com
Can you provide information on the product you are using a description?
Hi there. It's AutoTek paint. You can buy of eBay and deals for multi buys... See my other comments for spray can quantity per wheel. Thanks How2everystep.com
hi how many cans of paint did you use cheers
Hi Bill. I used 4 x 500ml spray paint cans of primer, silver base coat, and clear lacquer to do 5 alloy wheels. So just under one spray paint can of each paint type per wheel. Thanks Col
After ALL that, I can GUARANTEE a freaking small fly will decide to land on it and bugger up the perfect finish....EVERY TIME!
Hello what is the name off paint in spry you use ??? Where to buy??
Hi there. I used AutoTek paint. You can get it on ebay. You can get deals on buying multiple spray can together. Thanks How2everystep.com
If you have four wheels to do and none of the materials, I wonder what the cost would be per wheel, I would think it's not cheap and professional refurbishment might be more cost effective....but....good video mate :-)
I spent £50 on spray paint and sand paper for 5 alloy wheels. The spray paint was the majority of the cost (about £40). And £10 on sanding disk pads and the drill attachment, and had loads of sanding disks left over. So I would budget for £10 per wheel, which is at least a fifth of the cost of getting your wheels refurbished professionally. Thanks Col
@@How2EveryStep plus the satisfaction of seeing your work adding value to the car!
@@Bob-nu3xe could not agree more! Thanks How2everystep.com
How many spray paint cans did you use mate
Hi there. I allowed for 1 x 500ml spray can of primer, base coat and lacquer per wheel, and had about half a can left over. You might get away with less if not multispoke with large surface area / lots of overspray... thanks How2everystep.com
What did you do to protect the back of the wheels? Kind of an important point to miss isn't it?
Hi there. Yes I painted the back of the wheels, around the back of the spokes in particular. You will find the overspray provides a fairly decent coat... thanks How2everystep.com
Can any car spray paint be used on alloy wheels?
Hi John. Yes - the spray paint does not necessarily need to be for alloy wheels. I used AutoTek alloy wheel silver spray paint because I like the colour, but any metallic or pearlescent silver (or any other colour) will do the job. What you need to be mindful of is not having a mix of Cellulose and Acrylic primer/base coat/lacquer combination - as these can react and cause a bad finish. Best stick to the same type of paint for all layers. Good luck with your alloy wheel refurbishment!
In my first base coat layer I had a little paint run. How do I fix it?
I'm afraid it needs a sand to remove. 400 then 600 grit sand paper to flatten back. Then start spraying more base coat. Thanks How2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStepOk, thanks
They quoted me £50 for one wheel refurbishment. As much as I'm tempted to do it myself, I can't imagine taking my car out of use for two days twice (do a pair of wheels at a time). Great video, though.
£50 per wheel is a good price. Good luck How2everystep.com
Yeah Thats a great price, i was quoted around 600 for mine
wont the paint split off where the screw heads will come on ?
Yer, the bolts normally bite into the paint when they are tightened. You don't see this with the bolts in place. Thanks How2everystep.com
How much did this cost you all together, all bits and sprays plus hours of labour.
Hi there. It took me 4 hours in total - so about 1 hour per alloy wheel. Though with the wheels being multi-spoke - the sanding of each spoke to most of the time. Your wheels may well take less time if simpler design. Paint and sanding disks cost be about £50.
@@How2EveryStep thanks man. Great video. How many cans of primer and colour and lacquer needed to do exactly as you have done for 4 wheels and what ML cans? Also where can u find out exactly what colour your wheels were?
@@flavoursonly thanks mate. So I used just under a 500ml can of primer and silver and lacquer for each wheel. I would ring your main dealer for the paint code and then buy on-line.
can u do this same method on wheel lacquer bubbling?
sand it all back
What about the back of the wheel...... 😮
No paint on the inside face? Isn’t that where the bubbling and paint-lifting starts?
Hi Simon. You are correct. I removed the flakey paint and oxidisation on the inside of the wheels, then let the overspray do the rest. Where these where thin multispoke wheels, lots of overspray reached the inside of the wheels. Depending on your wheel design you normally would spray the insides first for the best results. Thanks How2everystep.com
I am an aircraft engineer and know nothing about cars. After this treatment, do I need to balance my wheels again?
No you shouldn't as long as you leave original weights in place. Thanks How2everystep.com
So you don't sand the finished primer coat before the silver coat, correct ?? Also, how many tins of primer, Silver and lacquer paint to do 4 wheels. Thanks
I didn't sand the primer as it went on really smooth. If you see any imperfections/orange peel, then you should lightly sand till smooth. I allowed a 500ml can of each type of spray paint per wheel, which was more than enough. Thanks How2everystep.com
Why dont you have the tires removed amd do the full wheel?
Hi there. You can remove the tyre if you want. If the tyre holds air we'll the alloy wheel bead paint should be in good enough condition, so no need to remove the tyre. Thanks How2everystep.com
where can i buy the full repair kit
Hello. I got all the parts off ebay. Had to buy individually thought. Thanks How2everystep.com
Did u not paint the back of them?
I think it might take me 2-3 days to get one wheel done, and then I'd have no interest in finishing the other three. 😩 But I was thinking maybe finding a cheap wheel to try it out one time and see how it goes before touching the actual wheels.
Hi Callow. I would definitely recommend doing all 4 wheels at the same time as it is more time efficient in terms of only doing each step of the process once. No harm in getting a cheap cracked or badly kerbed alloy wheel to have a trial run on...
For now I have one very bright shiny wheel that sometimes blinds other motorists, so I am not going to do the other wheels and see how long this one lasts.
@@silentvoiceinthedark5665 I guess you're trying to be funny but if you understood my comment you would realize your joke makes no sense.
@@c-x-1 This past April I started to polish the wheels on my Honda Pilot. It was back breaking work. I used a Dremel tool to get the corrosion off, then buffed it and finally applied mothers ceramic coating. After doing just one I kind of put the remaining 3 off. So I was not making fun of you
@@silentvoiceinthedark5665 My apologies. With so many sarcastic remarks on KZhead, it's easy to take something sincere the wrong way. I was thinking of using a Dremel too. But I'll probably settle for giving the wheels and tires a good cleaning.
I thought you might have picked a less windy day to spray the wheels - the masking paper was flapping about like a ship's sail in a storm !!
Yes it was indeed a bit windier that I wanted. Was in a bit of a rush to get them back on the car... thanks How2everystep.com
Do not sand the primer before painting?.
Hi there. No need to sand the primer unless you get splatter and need to flattern back. The primer will be rough enough to provide a key to the silver coat. Regards how2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStep thanks.
I don't understand why anyone doing extensive wheel refurbishment don't take off the tyres.Taking off the tyres before wire brushing,sanding and spraying the wheels a whole lot better.
I see your point. However, if your wheel beads are in good condition I.e. tyres not losing air then there is no need to refurb the entire wheel. Also keeping the tyres on keeps costs down. Thanks How2everystep.com
So many mils
Yer with these alloy wheels being multispoke, it is probably worst case amount of sanding. Good luck with your alloy wheel refurbishment. Thanks How2everystep.com
Just get some silver dulux gloss paint and slap it on 😂
Ha ha :) thanks How2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStep jokes aside, amazing video - that’s how you do a proper job! You’ve got a new subscriber in me - it’s great to be empowered with this info. I wouldn’t do the job myself, but now i can differentiate between a good job and a bad job when hiring a pro! Keep up the great vids 👍
@@vishy Thanks Vishy. Really good to hear. Thanks How2everystep.com
No substitute for chemically stripping and sand blasting. It is the only way to remove all paint and rust.
Indeed. This is a diy wheel refurbishment method that people can do at home. It really did remove all the corrosion pitting and prep well for painting. Thanks How2everystep.com
@baldrickscunningplan6154 If you want to go down that road it would be best to have them blasted and powder coated, that's around 350£ + 100£ for taking the tyres off and put them back on and rebalance. This is DIY and will only cost the paint and some sandpaper, probably around 75£. The result is absolutely fine, and should they start to corrode in five years time, you do it all over again, only it'l be much easier the next time.
He lost me at 600 grit… I’ll just live with ugly wheels.
Ha ha. These wheels were very corroded so most refurb jobs will be less effort. Thanks How2everystep.com
Your gonna damage edges like this
You're
No
Alternatively. Save yourself days of labour and pay someone to sandblast and powder coat them 👍
Ha ha. Much more satisfaction doing it yourself. For all 4 wheels it took 4 hours labour. I think that's quite good with the wheels being multi spoke...
quitter save your money
yes alternatively throw money at it, the purpose of the video is to SAVE MONEY
Going to have a crack at this, great video. Thanks
This is a brilliant video for anyone wanting to refurbish an old vehicle and flip a few pound notes
So u buy the filler and the laquer and paint and drill attachments then take probably at least a day u can just pay 200 quid and get them all done at the proper place it's a total no brainer
The paint and sandpaper cost £50. Then 1 hour per wheel for prep and painting. Would have been shorter if it wasn't for all the spokes to sand back.
Some people enjoy working their own magic rather than always relying on other people. Knowledge and skill are all you really have in this world. Why not take the time to learn and push yourself. I can relax knowing that I taught my kids everything I could rather than knowing I taught them to get everyone else to do everything for them and become entirely reliant. Awesome video by the way 👍🏼
£200 no chance mate it would cost at least £400 for all 4 tyres minimum
@@SR-sw5ih I paid 260 for the 20 inch ones on my X5 powder coated has a couple of quotes were all similar it was less for smaller wheels
£350 reverb/ DIY would get you all you need plus a quality power tool no brainer
The one and only ticket for a good job is to separate the tires from the rim. Likewise the valve base and the weights. Then apply the paint to an area that is almost dust-free. The grass in your yard is tenthousands of light years away from being dust-free. And for the final clear coat, it's better to use a 2K clear coat and not a cheap rattle can from the hardware store. 2K clear coat is more resistant to impacts from stones and splinters. Everything you have done is a waste of material and time. Take your wheels to a professional. The fee will be higher, but the result will be much better.
This is a DIY wheel refurbishment guide for people who want to learn how to do the job themselves at home. Good shout on 2k lacquer which is meant to set really hard and be resistant to stone chips. Thanks How2everystep.com
Bit harsh really as you’ve said it’s a DIY job. That said, I’m preparing to do this as DIY at home. It’s only £5 a wheel to remove the tyres and as they’re shot anyway, it’s worth removing them. I have a air compressor so all the painting will be with a spray gun. Unfortunately 2k clearcoat is best so it’s so important for anyone doing this that they use an air fed respirator due to the health risks from isocyanate. I’ll be hiring a full face air fed respirator for £25 for a week. Wheel repair first then sit it out until spring for warmer weather.
How can you do that without a clean room or in lack of better a operating room
Brilliant step by step! Any chance you can link your tools and paints? Mine need some serious work and want too rather than paying £350😅
Hi Jay. Thanks - glad you like the wheel refurbishment video! I will try to put links to the tools next week. Thanks How2everystep.com
@@How2EveryStep yes please buddy! I’ll be watching out for it!👊🏽👍🏽