4 Big Mistakes People Make With Wheel Finishing and How YOU Can Avoid Them

Your vehicle’s wheels are a big part of its style statement, and there are many options open to you to make a personal style statement or upgrade that image using wheel finishes. From pigment-rich paints to high gloss and satin finishes, the only limit to the wheel finishes available to you is your imagination. 

But there are some common mistakes that many people make when getting their wheels refinished. At Salt City Wheels, our goal is to help you achieve the wheels of your dreams - while avoiding all the common pitfalls. 

Here are four scarily common mistakes people make when finishing their wheels and how YOU can avoid them:

1 Inadequate Surface Preparation

This might seem obvious, but everyone’s idea of ‘surface preparation’ is different when it comes to finishes. It’s amazing how much stock people put in the label’s claims to ‘prime AND coat’, or ‘no need to use a separate primer’. A wheel by its very nature is the first line of defense between your vehicle’s chassis and rough, often aggressive road conditions. If the wheel paint finish has not been applied to a expertly-prepared and primed surface, you could lose your pristine wheel finish to the first pebble and end up with flaky paint, chips and (worst of all) rust eating away at your wheel.

2 Unsealed Wheels

The same forces that can damage an un-primed painted wheel surface can wreak havoc on even a professionally-primed surface that is left unsealed. It could be argued that primer and sealant are even more important than the color or finish you choose, because the combination will keep your beautifully painted surface securely under wraps and protects it from even the saltiest of salts and the rockiest of rocks. A sealant shouldn’t even be a question when you’re applying wheel paint. And it only makes sense to use the highest quality, most proven sealant to keep your wheels looking their best for longer.

3 Using The Wrong Cleaning Solvents

This may come as a surprise but using the wrong cleaning solvent on your vehicle’s painted wheels can over time cause chemical wear to the surface, gradually stripping the wheels of their protection and even their lustrous finish. Use a professional wheel cleaner and make sure to rinse well or follow the directions to the letter. If you’re not sure which is the best cleaner to use for your unique wheels, our wheel experts will be happy to recommend one.

4 Allowing Surface Damage To Linger

This is kind of a no-brainer but let’s face it, we’re all seriously busy these days and a ding to the paint on your wheels probably fades into irrelevance in the list of Important Issues About Which To Worry. But left to its own devices (and the devices of the elements), a small chip or ding can fast become a serious problem if moisture and salt are allowed to burrow into your poor beleaguered wheel for too long. Getting wheel paint chips repaired and resealed ASAP will save you the hassle and expense of a massive wheel overhaul down the line.

Fortunately, Salt City Wheels are known in the industry and amongst its customers for priming, sealing, repairing and caring for wheels with the highest level of professionalism and skill. If you’ve inadvertently made one of the mistakes above, or if you want to avoid them all and get your wheels finished properly right from the get-go, give our wheel refinishing experts a call today at 801 425 3044.