How To: repair curbed OEM silver painted wheels, RX8 & Mz5

We are getting new tires and it was time to fix a few damaged rims that have met the curb a few too many times. OEM RX8 wheels are repaired below, but I also fixed the stock Mz5 silver painted wheels before as well... same procedure and same paint code.

The damaged rims who met too many curbs:





I ended up using my random orbital sander (sorry no picts), with 100 and 200 grit sandpaper around the perimeter of the rims. As you can see, there was extensive damage around all four rims. But here is an example of the process on the face of the rim.

Damaged spot (from a rock or similar)



Sanded with 100/200grit by hand



Painted and finished!



Paint can purchased from O'ReillyAuto (aka Schucks Auto)





Finished products



Close up rim edge that has been sanded & painted



Hopefully this will the the last time...
michael.

red headz said:

We are getting new tires and it was time to fix a few damaged rims that have met the curb a few too many times. OEM RX8 wheels are repaired below, but I also fixed the stock Mz5 silver painted wheels before as well... same procedure and same paint code.

The damaged rims who met too many curbs:

I ended up using my random orbital sander (sorry no picts), with 100 and 200 grit sandpaper around the perimeter of the rims. As you can see, there was extensive damage around all four rims. But here is an example of the process on the face of the rim.

Damaged spot (from a rock or similar)

Sanded with 100/200grit by hand

Painted and finished!

Paint can purchased from O'ReillyAuto (aka Schucks Auto)

Finished products

Close up rim edge that has been sanded & painted

Hopefully this will the the last time...
michael.

Click to expand...

Did you clear them as well?

- So, did you paint only the sanded areas, or the whole wheel?
- Just one coat? Two? Three? How long between coats?
- When you say that you sanded with 100/200 grit... does that mean you sanded with 100 then sanded with 200 or that either 100 or 200 will do?
- Did you need to tape off the sanded areas or does the colour match so well that it's not needed?
- And when you say "Painted and finished"... by "finished" do you mean you did another step? Buffing?
- How long did they take to dry?
- Did you add a clear coat as well? If so, how many coats? And did you sand between them? How long did each coat take to dry?

wow! That's a lot of questions.

I assume with the sanding you start with 100 and work up to 200 otherwise you're going to leave some serious scratches.

OP, great looking results.

Lots of questions because this was probably the worst "How to" ever... he basically told us that he painted and sanded his wheels... great! This should be moved to the "Appearance" section.

You can also find a lot of how-tos on the web with more detail.
Example: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/realwhda.html

Wishmaster said:

Lots of questions because this was probably the worst "How to" ever... he basically told us that he painted and sanded his wheels...

Click to expand...

Wishmaster - Would you like me to tell you how to remove the wheels from the car? This "How To" was basically for people to understand that fixing a curbed/damaged rim isn't that difficult. Color matching took the longest which is why I included the brand and paint code. Thanks for your input.

The answers to your questions are written below in red.

- So, did you paint only the sanded areas, or the whole wheel?
Painted just the sanded areas, curbed or rock chips were sanded, cleaned, and spot painted to my liking.

- Just one coat? Two? Three? How long between coats?
As many coats as it took to cover the sanded area and blended (sorta) with the rest of the wheel. Sometimes up to five coats I'm sure. Less damaged areas took 2 or 3 coats.

- When you say that you sanded with 100/200 grit... does that mean you sanded with 100 then sanded with 200 or that either 100 or 200 will do?
Well, if I started with 800 grit, I would have never finished. I generally started with 200 grit, but if the area was really rough, I had to drop down to 100 grit to really remove some material. Typically finished with a 300 or 400 grit to reduce the visible scratch marks.

- Did you need to tape off the sanded areas or does the colour match so well that it's not needed?
No I did not tape off any areas. The point was to blend into the stock paint. So if I could see where I sprayed, then I would increase the spraying distance to cover more area.

- And when you say "Painted and finished"... by "finished" do you mean you did another step? Buffing?
Nope. Just as it says. I did not clear coat or buff the wheels. Probably could have/should have, but they are just wheels and the curbs are bound to win again...

- How long did they take to dry?
Whatever the paint can suggested. I think 10 minutes between coats and more if you wanted to clear coat.

- Did you add a clear coat as well? If so, how many coats? And did you sand between them? How long did each coat take to dry?
No clear coat. 0 coats. No sanding between 0 coats. Took 0 minutes to dry.

I am very satisfied with the work. (headbang)
Total time working on the wheels was over 2 days. I have kids, a wife, dog, cat, chickens, and had to use the restroom once in a while. If I added it all up, maybe 4-5 hours if blocked together, but then again, you need time for paint to dry.

Thanks for the follow up... now it's a how-to... I suggest you update your original post.

Just an fyi - If it's just a post to let people know that's it's easy, but doesn't give each specific step, then it's not a how-to and shouldn't be posted in the How-To section. I'm fine with it, as I've repaired and painted wheels on other cars, I posted my questions for the many members who have never done anything like this before and would need further instruction and also to let them know that to do this properly and have your wheels look good for more than two weeks, there were a few skipped steps.

No hard feelings Wishmaster. Indeed, your questions were relevant and answered to the best of my ability.

For those who have some curb rash, dings, or other blemishes on factory 'silver' wheels... It's super easy!!
So far so good on longevity lasting over three years using the same process as in the OP.

How do you determine the paint color of your wheels? Did you just eyeball it to match, or is there a paint code like there is for body color?

I never found a paint code for the wheels. The first time I tried, I tested 4 or 5 cans before I found the best match. Once I found it, I've kept a spare can just in case. Paint code pictured above for our silver wheels.
m.

Thanks, Red!