Painting truck wheels

[Sberry]

I was sitting here trying to come up with some way to paint big truck wheels. The tires are on and I guess rig up something to roll them along so I can rotate them. I am sure Big Rig has a way to do it,, any ideas?

[Dave Haak]

Are you referring to masking the tires? If tires are on wheels but not mounted to truck why not lay wheel/tire flat?

[david_r]

S,
I have a couple friends that rebuild/restore old coach cars (Pierce Arrows, Hispanos, etc.) and they use a home built rotisserie for the wheels. Couple pillow bearings, a gear reduction motor and paint away.
The paint (lacquer) is put on real thick and the rotisserie keeps it from running.

[Franz]

Skatewheel conveyor S, or a couple conveyor rollers set up like one of the giant reel unwinders.

[Sberry]

I had a bud come and roll them, but a skateboard upside down laying on the floor might work. I do only a few or I would build something,, I might stop at Kmart and see if they have a skateboard though.

[big rig guy]

there aint no easy way of doing it, remove the rim from the truck and sandblast, then clean the rim and surrounding tire, and mask off with 3/4 tape and paper. Clean the rubber portion of the tire with laquer thinner first, this will help with adhesion of the tape.

Then lay the tire up against a wall so it is balanced there, make sure that there is nothing close that you don t want overspray on it.

Apply your primer, I suggest Dupont DTM, let kick off, then your topcoat, suggest Imron 5000. Let sit overnite before you handle or accerlate the paint with 389.

You can cover the hole tire with paper, and then cut out the rim portion where you want to paint, that is a little easier.

Here is a pic of my painter doing the primer aspect.

Make sure you wear at least a dust mask while painting, re overspray.

[big rig guy]

the final product after primer, you can note from the pic how the masking is done.

another pic for after paint is coming

[big rig guy]

the final product

note the lugnuts match the frame color.

It s always nice to have some detail in your work, sets you apart from the other guys.

I wanted to go with a white pinstripe with black outlining on the lugnuts, but my guys starting to bitch.

[big rig guy]

I thought I had some pics of rims in the blast bay after blasting, but don't, here is a pic of the frame of the tanker after paint.

Clean looking, mask off nicely so that there is limited overspray.

Proper amount of primer and paint for full coverage.

It's the little things that take the time, and the last 20 % of the job decides how the overall look turns out, and the last 20% is the most aggravating.

[big rig guy]

oh yeah forgot one thing, dont just do the one side of the rim, blast inside and outside of the rim and mask prime and paint both sides. Notice the inside wheel is painted as well.!!!!!!!!!!!

That ought to keep you busy for awhile. Post some pics before during and after

[big rig guy]

as for a rotessier, never seen one in any truck shop that I have been in, sounds like a good idea though, I do on average 48 to 96 rims per month, just been doing it the same way as shown here.

I like to get 120.00 per rim done this way, to replace the rim is close to 100.00 plus mount dismount charges.

Problem with lifting the tire up on a rotesier, as the tires with rims are heavy, you know they got like over 100 pounds of air in em.

Maybe if I let the air out, what do you think Franz???????????//

[Franz]

Big, I got a half a notion that lettin the air out ain't gonna help much on eht weight. I been settin 1000-20 rims & tires in the back of pickups for weight here for a number of years, better winter traction, and usin a vacuum pump on em to remove the air. Then we hook em to a supply hose and fill the tire with DiHydrogenOxide. That'll put about 800# of weight in the back of the truck.

As far as the rotisseratin goes, if you have a way to hang the wheel & tire, there is a device used for moving cable reels with a crane that drops thru the center hole that could be modified to hold a wheel.
Skatewheel conveyor has always worked well for removing a set of duals, and is much cheaper than those fancy wheel jacks.
Big would never go with a rotisserator, cause he couldn't paint the center hole, so I'm thinkin a pair of rollers for each tire to sit on.

S I think the best way to do the job would just be to send them wheels over to Big and let his show you how it's done.

[Sberry]

Hey Big,, I was wondering how much you got for doing them. Good to know. This isnt my first job,, I have done dozens too. I do like the contrast for the lug nuts. I did blast both sides spotless and they are primed. Waiting for it to kick,,, I am going to wait till morn to color though as I did the inside where the spray angle was poor with brush and they are still a little tender to color. I did make a rotator while I was waiting from a skateboard,, works pretty fair. When I get a cam here I will give you a pic. I would say after doing 7 all at once the price seems about right. I like to know $ so its easy to quote. I did use pressure pot instead of cup gun as being able to turn the gun made it easier.

[Franz]

S you gotta remember Big is quoting Canadian Dollars.

Now I know why I saved that set of skateboard wheels & axels.