|
|
These Rally wheels were caked with disc-brake dust, road grime and the wrong silver paint color. Luckily, they showed no signs of rust so a good clean-up and new paint will do the trick. If rust or pitting is present, begin by media blasting the wheel to bare metal.
|
The tire breaker bar is used to break the tire's bead around the wheel surface. It will also lift the rubber from the wheel but tends to scrape the top of the wheel's surface.
|
Products used for this at-home Rally wheel restoration include a couple cans of Eastwood semi-gloss black, Eastwood Rally Wheel Silver, some steel-wool soap pads and a couple of Scotch-Brite pads.
|
Begin by soaking the rim with Simple Green. Then vigorously
clean with soap pads to remove heavy dirt and grime from both sides.
Hose off the dirt, clean again with a Scotch-Brite pad, then thoroughly
cleanse the surface.
|
Allow the wheels to dry thoroughly, then insert a piece of thin
cardboard into the space between the tire and the wheel lip. Several
passes around the wheel yield a nicely painted surface with no overspray
on the tire.
|
The same technique is used to spray the silver. Light overspray
from the metallic paint might settle on the rubber, but it can be easily
wiped off with a Scotch-Brite pad when the painting is done.
|
Several light coats produce a better end result. Mask off the
valve stem with masking tape prior to painting.
|
Wait for the paint to dry before removing the valve stem tape.
Place a piece of paper or cardboard under the wheel while spraying.
Always paint the black back side first and allow the silver to overspray
onto the black.
|
The restored rim with the beauty ring and center cap in place:
Even if the tires aren't replaced, this simple resto gives great rewards with
minimal financial investment.
|