Quick and easy steel rims refresh?

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I just bought some 2 year old tires with 9/32nds for a bargain and that comes at a consequence that the steel rims aren't looking good aesthetically.
Since they will be going through winter + salt anyways, I want to get some advice on some quick and easy method to get them back into relatively good black colours that'll last like 2 years or so?
Trying to keep the work under 1.5-2 hours in total. Are they salvageable?

Quick sanding/wirebrush and spray with the following?

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/stops-rust/rusty-metal-primer-spray/
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/painters-touch-2x-ultra-cover/semi-gloss/

or Chris Fix's way
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...;linkId=1307bf6adbc09f44bfa7619317440bdc
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...;linkId=fdb67cba9eda72b20f7a81c89971cca8

Here is how the rims look right now.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
 
I was going to suggest a wire wheel followed by a coating of Rustoleum... But I would probably just slap some wheel covers on them and be done with it.
 
My worst snowies are about in that condition, but the inside of your wheel is awful! I was thinking about wire wheel disk/cup brush on a 4 1/2 in grinder + small wire brush cups on a drill for details. Then acid to try to kill the rust, then repeat wire brush/acid until your get all the rust/converted rust out of the pits, etc. That will do a decent job but those wheels are at the point where a wire wheeling won't do much that that pitting on the inside. Then prime and paint. They are probably not salvageable in 1.5-2 hours, those need to be blasted.

I think I have those exact wheels:
EDIT: Yours are a little different in the center.


20181029_123037[1].jpg
 
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Hit them with a wire brush to knock off the big stuff, wash and dry them well, spray with rust converter primer and follow up with black spray paint.

Easy.
 
Yah, I'm not trying to restore them back to brand new.
Just want them to look decent for 2 years or so.
I guess I'll just quickly hit them with wire brush, rust converter primer and then paint.

Are semi gloss paint going to last longer or flat/matte will be ok too?
 
Wire wheel attachment on an angle grinder and a light touch will have those down to bare metal in no time. Wear a mask and goggles, and gloves. Stay clear of the bead unless you unmount the tires first which i would recommend anyway before a job like this.
 
I like semi gloss on the idea that water beads off easier. I bet that's way off, but I like the feeling.

Used a wire wheel on a 4.5 inch grinder and that black rustoleum you brush on, so as to not get overspray on my tires. Probably would have come out even better in the hot summer vs the 45-ish degree weather I did this under.

You're gonna want to wear eye, ear, and dust mask protection-- the stuff really forms its own loud little tornado inside the rim and there's the off chance of asbestos being in the mix as well.

Another benefit is if you have the inside of the wheel smooth and shiny it's less likely to have snow and ice clump up in there, throwing off the balance.

rimDSC_0009.JPG


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rimDSC_0012.JPG


rimDSC_0010.JPG


rimDSC_0013.JPG
 
Originally Posted by eljefino
I like semi gloss on the idea that water beads off easier. I bet that's way off, but I like the feeling.

Used a wire wheel on a 4.5 inch grinder and that black rustoleum you brush on, so as to not get overspray on my tires. Probably would have come out even better in the hot summer vs the 45-ish degree weather I did this under.

You're gonna want to wear eye, ear, and dust mask protection-- the stuff really forms its own loud little tornado inside the rim and there's the off chance of asbestos being in the mix as well.

Another benefit is if you have the inside of the wheel smooth and shiny it's less likely to have snow and ice clump up in there, throwing off the balance.
You won't get two years out of that here, it will probably start to rust through the paint once it warms up in the spring. There's still tons of red on there!
 
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Is there some good rust converter primer?
I see some rust converter that supposedly turn black or make it easier to paint on.
Is that something that can replace the primer?
 
To wing0: The Rustoleum I refer to in #1 is what you want. And yes, it dries to a primer coat. Good stuff.
Just remember, nothing is magic and washing is a good first step
It's also been my experience that washing rusty metal and letting it dry facilitates wire brushing ALOT.

1) I've done this with a wire wheel and Rustoleum Rust Converter followed by paint. It worked well
BUT I threw in a plain washing step to get some of the salt out of the nooks and crannies.

2) My friend found an electrically charged (via battery charger) and common household chemicals and removed piles of rust quite easily.
He followed with some smoothing as the wheels were quite neglected. Primer and paint.
Honestly, filling a barrel with water was the hardest part of the process. TOTALLY SIMPLE though I forget the chemical.
 
Originally Posted by Kira
To wing0: The Rustoleum I refer to in #1 is what you want. And yes, it dries to a primer coat. Good stuff.
Just remember, nothing is magic and washing is a good first step
It's also been my experience that washing rusty metal and letting it dry facilitates wire brushing ALOT.

1) I've done this with a wire wheel and Rustoleum Rust Converter followed by paint. It worked well
BUT I threw in a plain washing step to get some of the salt out of the nooks and crannies.

2) My friend found an electrically charged (via battery charger) and common household chemicals and removed piles of rust quite easily.
He followed with some smoothing as the wheels were quite neglected. Primer and paint.
Honestly, filling a barrel with water was the hardest part of the process. TOTALLY SIMPLE though I forget the chemical.
Washing soda, but you can just use plain water. Electrolysis might work but it takes forever and you're still going to have to wire wheel and prep to paint anyway. It would probably take an entire weekend to do both sides of one of those wheels, that's some pretty heavy scale.
 
Wire brush or sandblast and use por15 paint, top coat with colour of choice as por15 is not uv protected. This will work for several years service. Rustoleum or tremclad are 1 year fix.
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
You won't get two years out of that here, it will probably start to rust through the paint once it warms up in the spring. There's still tons of red on there!


True, but what do new steel rims cost from tire rack, $40? There's an opportunity cost to spending too much time or money on something so easily replaceable. Like I could get another winter beater that needs a clutch or something, and do that on a Saturday.

Having gone down the road of OP, I showed how it ended for me.
 
Originally Posted by eljefino
Originally Posted by maxdustington
You won't get two years out of that here, it will probably start to rust through the paint once it warms up in the spring. There's still tons of red on there!


True, but what do new steel rims cost from tire rack, $40? There's an opportunity cost to spending too much time or money on something so easily replaceable. Like I could get another winter beater that needs a clutch or something, and do that on a Saturday.

Having gone down the road of OP, I showed how it ended for me.
Absolutely, it's also getting a little too chilly to be painting outside. Painting things is therapeutic to me!
 
I am still 50/50 on just snapping wheel covers on vs spending the hours in the garage doing this.
It is around 40s Fahrenheit which probably will make the painting take even longer.
 
Originally Posted by Kira
To wing0: The Rustoleum I refer to in #1 is what you want. And yes, it dries to a primer coat. Good stuff.
Just remember, nothing is magic and washing is a good first step
It's also been my experience that washing rusty metal and letting it dry facilitates wire brushing ALOT.

1) I've done this with a wire wheel and Rustoleum Rust Converter followed by paint. It worked well
BUT I threw in a plain washing step to get some of the salt out of the nooks and crannies.

2) My friend found an electrically charged (via battery charger) and common household chemicals and removed piles of rust quite easily.
He followed with some smoothing as the wheels were quite neglected. Primer and paint.
Honestly, filling a barrel with water was the hardest part of the process. TOTALLY SIMPLE though I forget the chemical.


Sorry, what do you mean in #1?
 
Originally Posted by wing0
I am still 50/50 on just snapping wheel covers on vs spending the hours in the garage doing this.
It is around 40s Fahrenheit which probably will make the painting take even longer.


Wash them, scuff them with a scotchbright pad, wipe with solvent and shoot some paint on them. Will last a couple years for sure.
 
[/quote] Absolutely, it's also getting a little too chilly to be painting outside. Painting things is therapeutic to me!
[/quote]

You mean getting high on paint is therapeutic....lol.
 
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