What type of paint (not so much brand) is best for wheels? Help please.

If anyone has working knowledge of what type of paints (not so much brand) works best for wheels...Polyurethane, Oil, Acrylic Enamel, etc. please share. This includes adhesion, durability and resistance to fading.

Ok so I'm painting some '03 TRD wheels I got for cheap. In addition to picking the color I'm also going through the challenge of figuring out the correct primer/paint combo. More importantly the type of paint. I'll share with you my experience to this point.

Option 1: (see pic below)
VHT Graphite wheel paint (Rustoluem Bonding Primer as base)

Paint type: Polyurethane

Finish: Nice smooth finish and texture.

Spray and Coverage: Has great coverage and nice spray nozzle. Very little if any issue with clumpy spots.

Color: Nice, but not 100% sold on the color paired with Lunar Mist Taco. Also has a lot of metallic to it.



Option 2: (see pic below)
Rustoleum Universal Paint + Primer Black Stainless Steel (Rustoluem Bonding Primer as base)

Paint type: Oil Based

Finish: Somewhat tacky even after 12+ hours of dry time. Fingers almost stick and do not glide smoothly across the surface. Seems it would collect dirt may require a clear coat? But was looking to avoid a clear for quick touch ups. Guessing "oil" is to blame?

Spray and Coverage: Sprays more heavily than VHT. Probably used double the paint. Have to start spray away from surface to prevent initial clumps of paint (30% of the time). Also, after spraying a while will begin to sputter a little. Requires more effort vs. VHT.

Color: I actually prefer the color over the VHT Graphite on the Lunar Mist Taco. Has more gloss with a bit less metallic flake. It is not pure black...but close. Most other black paints I've seen are just gloss/satin black...I like this due to the metallic flake. It adds dimension.



Option 1 vs. Option 2 thoughts:
Leaning towards Option 2 due to looks, but have real concerns about the quality and the oil based structure. I'm not sure if its best for wheels. Also 200 degree max vs. 250 with VHT.

Not tested yet, but on the table as possible solutions...

Option 3: (see video below)
Rustoleum Custom Black Stainless Steel

Paint type: Lacquer

Finish: I hope its like the other VHT.
EDIT: Just got some. It looks to be the same amount of metallic as the VHT. Not dry yet...update later

Spray and Coverage: I hope its like the other VHT.
EDIT: Sprays way better than the UNIVERSAL. Almost as good as the VHT.

Color: From the video it appears to be lighter than the other Black Stainless from Rustoleum and has less metal flake that the VHT wheel paint.
EDIT: Its in between the VHT Graphite and the Universal Black Stainless. Dark gray...not Black. A couple shades darker than VHT and tone is a little cooler.

I'll be picking some up to test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=momwDJG8OTQ


Option 4:
Duplicolor Graphite or Silver....dunno

Paint type: Acrylic Enamel

Finish: I hope its like the VHT wheel.

Spray and Coverage: I hope its like the VHT wheel.

Color: Unsure

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Is powder coating an option? Over the years, paint has never stood the test of the road and has always chipped.

 

I used Duplicolor Wheel Paint on top of Rustoleum self etching primer. I’m not too worried about longevity because I’m going to drag the wheels across rocks. A year in and no problem except trail rash.

 

Your best paint path is to use an automotive quality 2K Urethane paint system, primer/color/clear.

Seek out a Sherwin-Williams Automotive store. Go visit them.

 

isn't etching primer for bare metal...did you strip it completely down? Did you wet sand them after the primer?

 

Don't want to spend that much $. At that point I'd buy new rims.

 

TacoGlenn's De-Chromitization "De-Build" | Tacoma World

 

They were 4Runner aluminum wheels. Wire wheeled them down. Light sanding before the final top coat. No clear coat.

 

This looks good. About to do this on some DC-2 wheels I have that are in pretty rough shape.

 

^What he said.

I've used Duplicolor wheel paint before and had really good results, way more durable than I expected (although this was a street car, not an off-road vehicle). I haven't used any of those other options you mentioned so can't comment on those.

 

I’ve had decent luck with the Duplicolor wheel spray paint. I sprayed the rusted factory steel wheels on my Cobalt and they held up for a season of Vt wintertime. I also sprayed some new replacement wheels and the paint didn’t peel when one was destroyed in a wreck.

I wouldn’t use lacquer on anything automotive as it’s old tech and not as durable as enamel. It dries quick and is easy to polish out but it’s also easy to scratch or scuff.

 

LOL...on the Lacquer can it reads "50% more durable* - compared to other Rust-Oleum general purpose enamel paints"

 

I have a set of the same rims as @Knute, and am looking for an option that looks similar, but going the 2K route with primer and clear coat looks like it would cost close to the price of powder coating. Was this done with cans or a compressor/sprayer?