painting steel wheels. few Q's

hey guys. just got a new (to me) xj. It's got 15x8 black steel wheels on it.

I really want to paint them hammered gray. but I dont know how well it will hold up.

IF i sand them up good. prime. paint. and put on more than a few cotes of clear.

how well will they last.

thanks.

I sprayed some 8 lug steel wheels I had on my 71 grey hammer tite(sp?). I only ran them for a couple of months, but they didn't chip at all. The paint even held up well when I mounted the tires. They sat outside for a year or so and didn't fade at all.

IIRC I bought two cans, gave each wheel (5 of them) two thinish coats and had a little left over.

Check out my "How to paint wheels" thread a couple down. That's if you want to ENSURE a good, lasting finish. If you want cheap, quick results, just sand them with some 220, blast them clean with brake cleaner/alcohol/degreaser/whatever you have around, and hit it with some hammered paint. I too have been amazed at how well it holds up to abuse.

yeah I saw your thread. really good info.

if I'm gonna do it I want to do it RIGHT.

I just didn't know if the steps were the same for steel .vs. alum

THANKS.

Yup, just the same. All comes down to prep. Sand well, be thorough, use good primer, and you should be golden. Good luck, and snap some pics when you start the project!