Fresh “Like New” Rims
I wanted to get a second set of wheels for my car, strictly for the summer. But I didn’t want to spend too much $$ on a car that is not paid in full. If you are lucky to drive in Ontario, with our winters? You likely will have a second set of winter tires.
OR
1. Drive an AWD vehicle with good tread all-season is usually fine in the southern parts of Canada
2. Have a set of winter rubber that is changed out every season at ~ $25 per tire. Some places include free nitrogen top ups which help maintain consistent air pressure
3. Have a set of winter wheels that you swap in garage, driveway or parking lot (safely of course)
Changing seasons means changing road conditions and tires keep you in control. A bonus is a reduction on your monthly insurance, talk to your insurance broker if you didn’t already know
The point of this post is I wanted to get a set of summer wheels for my ride. I picked up a set on Kijiji for the price of one tire. It’s from a prior year model so it has some road rash and the rubber is about 60% worn. I watched a few videos on YouTube and here are my points if you do DIY upgrade at home!
BEFORE:
Material:
- PPE (Respirator, gloves, goggles, coverall)
- Sandpaper (400 grit)
- Wash rims with a degreased (Water + Dish soap and a brush)
- Keep fingers, sweat any body fluids off (the oils will interfere with the adhesion)
- Prime x2
- Paint 3x coats at different angles
- Sealer x2
- Top coat x2
- Speech index cards 1 pack is enough for 4x 18 rims. Did 2x tires at a time and reused
Time: 4 – 6 hours
Steps:
So I sanded down the set of four that had visual discolouration from surface stains and physical impressions. I lightly sanded one pairs full surface and partially on the other pair (my test to see if sanding made a difference over time)
- Setup the pair side by side
- Allow enough room around it to get all angles
- Place the index cards (needs a location with no wind or gusts)
- Prime the pair
- First coat is light
- wait 20mins
- second is wet
- Wait 20mins
- Repeat steps 4-8 with paint, sealer and top coat
All products were picked up from Canadian Tire. In total this project cost me under 200 bucks and after 5 months I can say that this DIY project was a total success, even some left over paint for touch ups if necessary!
AFTER: