How to Repaint Pitted Wheels

Pitted wheels look old and worn even if they are fairly new. Pitts come in many different shapes, sizes and degrees, ranging from a few small areas to completely covering the wheels. Pitting occurs when salt or moisture gets underneath the finish of the wheel and reaches the metal surface. Painting the wheels makes them look better, but if you don't first remove the pits, they'll just look like pitted wheels with new paint.

Instructions

1

Remove the wheels from the vehicle and lay them on a drop cloth on the ground or on something that won't be harmed by paint overspray. You can leave the wheels on the vehicle, but some angles will be difficult to reach.

2

Soak the 1000-grit sandpaper in water, and sand all parts of the wheels you want to paint. Concentrate on the pitted area of the wheels. Wet the sandpaper as needed to keep the surface of the wheels wet. This keeps the buildup from getting thick so it doesn't dig into the surface.

3

Rinse the wheels and look at the pits to make sure they are gone. Sand the wheels again using 1500-grit sandpaper and water to remove remaining pits. Rinse the wheels to check your progress.

4

Sand the wheels one last time using 2000-grit sandpaper and water. Smooth the wheels and remove all small scratches left by the previous sandpaper. Rinse the wheels frequently to check your progress. Make sure the wheels look smooth with no pits or visible scratches on the surface.

5

Rinse the wheels with water to clean off the sanding debris. Dry them with a chamois cloth and let them sit until they are completely dry.

6

Place masking tape along the edge of the rim to cover the tires. Cover any emblems on the wheels with masking tape so they don't get covered in paint. Use a small piece of tape to cover the air valve stem so it doesn't get painted shut.

7

Hold the spray can 8 inches from the surface of the wheels. Spray in level, even strokes left and right over the wheel. Work from one side of the rim to the other. Let the first coat dry for 10 minutes. Spray a second coat, and let it dry for 10 minutes. Spray the last coat, and let it dry for 3 hours before handling the wheel.