Check Out my OEM Repainted Wheels

[Rick Anderson]

This is what my OEM Wheels USED to Look Like:

Before I put on the new tires, I sanded them down and I got some:

Duplicolor Wheel Paint, in Silver and Clear Coat. But the wheels are too big to use it to coat all of the wheel ($5 a can and it took 2 cans each to do just the face of 5 wheels, color and clear coat), so I did the back and sides with Rustoleum Professional Semi-Flat Black and Primer.

This is how it turned out:

The picture does not bring out the metallic sparkle of the Duplicolor Silver Paint. It does seem like a thick tough coat, but even after a week to allow it to cure, the mounting and balancing still left chips in the paint. I sprayed a little left over into a bottle and used a paint brush to touch up the chips.

Oh, and yes, I have the tires stacked in the Dinning Room while finishing up the Jeep. My wife is not exactly thrilled, she keeps making references to me being, "My Name is Earl". What ever that means.

 

[dizzymac]

Nothing wrong with wheels in the dining room, use them as tables. In my family room and kitchen I have: New OEM right spindle no ABS, 10' of 2AWG red/blk cable, 4ea 4.0 oil flt. adapt. kits ("O" rings), 2 Shocks, 4 shock boots, rear sway bar links and bushings,25' 3/16" brake line, Snap-On flaring tool, 2 Snap-On MT2500 Diagnostic Scanners, 10ea 12" 3/16" brakelines, 10ea 60" 3/16" brake lines, 7pc body tool kit, xj fuel pump w/strainer, set of ceramic XJ pads, 4 drlled or slotted rotors, Jimmy(94) grille, 98 Chev 1500 grille and headlight assy. and no its not laying all over the place, its neatly stacked in closets....of course my wife would like the use of these closets, she thinks I should put the stuff in the barn/shop....what if the mice get it!
Tell your wife shes lucky, you only have 4 tires/wheel......lol

 

[Hypoid]

I have the tires stacked in the Dinning Room while finishing up the Jeep. My wife is not exactly thrilled, she keeps making references to me being, "My Name is Earl". What ever that means.

So rebuilding transmissions in the bathtub is out of the question???:farmer:

That does look nice. I bought same brand wheel paint, read the can, painted a few different things. The stuff really does hang in there.

 

[RichP]

Awwww, look at them cute little 215's

How did you clean the wheels off, sanding, blasting, dipping ? My 5 spokes are starting to show their age a tad and while I have a brand new set of those 5 hole outlaws ready to go I want to clean these up but I want to paint them to match my XJ... Dark green or maybe sand, not sure yet...

I've pretty well stuck with rustoleum my self, it's given me good results on my skids and on R&R'ng the tomken rear bumper after whatever they put on there peeled off.

 

[Rick Anderson]

I used just plain sand paper and sand paper coated foam blocks, the foam really help fit into the tight rolls, like the lip of the rim.

It took some time, I was really wishing for a sand blaster while doing the job. That would probably be the fastest and most effective.

Have an old Screw Driver and small hammer with you, there is lots of little welding splatter on the backside of the rim, it will mess up the sandpaper, but almost all of it will knock off easily with an old screwdriver (or Narrow Chisel, if you must use all your tools properly) and small hammer.

This is going to be a Cheap/Reliable Street Rig, so I went with a well rated cheap OEM sized tire. Take a closer look at my pictures on the thread about brake pads digging into the pad mounting ledges thread. What can you figure out about my front axle.

 

[RichP]

I have a brand new full sized spare with GY GSA on it, same size. If you are up this way it's free for the taking. Never been used. Just sitting in the shed, it was my factory inside spare before I went to LT235's.

 

[Rick Anderson]

Thanks Rich, I've got a an old Firestone mounted on the spare. I do get up to Philadelphia once a month for Reserves, but I don't think your that close thats it worth the time for just a spare, even if its a new tire. Thanks anyway.

 

[Ponytail]

Nice Job Rich! I did something similar to my old Ranger many years ago. HUGE difference with a little effort.

On the spare tire that was offered you, if you want it, send the info to me at [email protected] and I'll pick it up for ya on my next trip up there. I was just there this weekend. I'll be moving up there permanently in july, but am starting work up there in May and traveling back here on the weekends to finish up the house.

It's not a problem.

[email protected]

 

[tkjeeper]

I tried the same to my oem's last year with poor success, rust came in from the back within six months, and I sanded them down to the metal too! The real fundamental problem I have with the steelies is the "trough" just on the inside of the spokes that travels around the entire circumference of the wheel, in our winters that trough fills with snow and then with brake and wheel heat melts but stays as a liquid in the trough until you park for the day or night then refreezes to throw the wheels off. I think I will paint them dupli black and use them for the other three seasons. My other two sets are the alum type, anyone have a quicker way than by hand to buff these up, they're a little rough now.

 

[Rick Anderson]

Yea, if you look close, the "trough" you speak of, I could NOT get paint in there, its still rather messy. Not enough to change the appearance of the wheels, but I'm thinking the rust can start there again and work its way out.

After I completed painting them, it did dawn on me. I still have all that Paintable Auto-Body sealant left over from welding the patches into the floor pan. To seal the edges of the patches, obviously. I should have used that Sealant to fill the "trough" where two wheel sections meet. It would paint over and not be visible, but more important, it would be sealed from moisture and weather and possibly NOT rust again.

Well, if I had it to do over again. If they rust out again, that will be my approach.

 

[dizzymac]

I see nothing wrong with rebuilding a tranny in the bath tub, it acts as a containment vessel and gives the rubber ducky something to play with.
All is right in my reality.....lol

 

[br1anstorm]

My wife is not exactly thrilled, she keeps making references to me being, "My Name is Earl". What ever that means.

Rick, I hope - for your sake - that your wife is quoting Sammy Kershaw rather than the Dixie Chicks!

br1anstorm

 

[forcecop]

I did the same thing. My tires look much better now too.

 

[xjtrailrider]

I've got the same wheels on my 96', they were white and they came off of a 85' Cherokee Chief.

 

[sjx40250]

For some crazy reason, I really like those wheels! I run my snow tires on them and I have the chrome hubs. Repainted them myself as well. Since they are only used a couple of times every 5 years, they don't see much abuse.

 

[xjtrailrider]

For some crazy reason, I really like those wheels! I run my snow tires on them and I have the chrome hubs. Repainted them myself as well. Since they are only used a couple of times every 5 years, they don't see much abuse.

I like them as well but I'm gonna need less back spacing soon, gotta go bigger!

Ford has a similar wheel for the Ranger/Exploder that has less BS and will accept the Jeep center cap, I'm lookin' for them.

 

[Rick Anderson]

Rick, I hope - for your sake - that your wife is quoting Sammy Kershaw rather than the Dixie Chicks!

LOL

No I was speaking about the Television Program My Name Is Earl.

My wife loves the show, if you haven't seen it, the comedy is all in the vain of the "You Just Might be a Redneck" shtick of Jeff Foxworthy. To be fair to the show, it always has a touching premise that Earl achieves by the end of each episode, so it NOT like its just a "Bash Poor People for a Laugh" type show.

The Dixie Chicks have become Taboo in our household.

 

[kevin s]

"Randy" is doing a DIY electrical segment for JP magazine. Randy's a cool dude.

 

[br1anstorm]

LOL

No I was speaking about the Television Program My Name Is Earl.
...
My wife loves the show, if you haven't seen it, the comedy is all in the vain of the "You Just Might be a Redneck" shtick of Jeff Foxworthy. To be fair to the show, it always has a touching premise that Earl achieves by the end of each episode, so it NOT like its just a "Bash Poor People for a Laugh" type show.

The Dixie Chicks have become Taboo in our household.

Rick... I guess on this side of the Atlantic we're culturally deprived - I haven't seen the TV show.

Shan't mention the Dixie Chicks again (though I thought they'd been rehabilitated after the recent Grammys?).

Sammy Kershaw's song referred to his wife running off with
"... some stranger on a park bench
....he rebuilds engines and his name is Earl
He's the Charlie Daniels of the torque wrench"

What more can I say?

br1anstorm

 

[Chancer]

Rick... I guess on this side of the Atlantic we're culturally deprived - I haven't seen the TV show.
br1anstorm

Wasn't it on Channel 4 last year? I don't think it was on Sky, but it's certainly been aired. Well worth seeing, although expect to lose some bladder control...