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Ok, so I have been planning for a few weeks now and I am going to be Plasti Dipping my wheels (later on) and my grill (maybe today) depending on if the local parts stores have it. However, before I even purchase anything I have a question. So my wheels and grill are already painted so do I have to rough them up so the Plasti Dip will stick or can I just spray over what has already been painted? I would figure that you would need to really clean the area first. Thanks!

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No. Plasti-dip is rubber, so even though you spray it on like paint, it will bond to any clean surface.

Make sure you layer the wheels very good. Six or seven coats will suffice. The grilles, I'd do four to five coats.

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Any idea on how many coats I could get per can? I would figure maybe for my grill one can would be enough seeing the grills are not very big.

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Ok, so I have been planning for a few weeks now and I am going to be Plasti Dipping my wheels (later on) and my grill (maybe today) depending on if the local parts stores have it. However, before I even purchase anything I have a question. So my wheels and grill are already painted so do I have to rough them up so the Plasti Dip will stick or can I just spray over what has already been painted? I would figure that you would need to really clean the area first. Thanks!

Its been my experience that you should thoroughly clear your wheels first. Remove all silicon, wax, and grease. You should clean your wheels several times with a good wax and grease remover. Pay special attention to the nonks and crannies. I would recommend scuffing the wheels with a Scotch-Brite pad (red or green) or a fine grit sandpaper (1200 or higher). This will give the paint "tooth". The fine scratches will give the paint better adhesion but should be easily covered by the paint itself. I do that to all metal, plastic, and wood surfaces that I paint or airbrush.

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Its been my experience that you should thoroughly clear your wheels first. Remove all silicon, wax, and grease. You should clean your wheels several times with a good wax and grease remover. Pay special attention to the nonks and crannies. I would recommend scuffing the wheels with a Scotch-Brite pad (red or green) or a fine grit sandpaper (1200 or higher). This will give the paint "tooth". The fine scratches will give the paint better adhesion but should be easily covered by the paint itself. I do that to all metal, plastic, and wood surfaces that I paint or airbrush.

That's true with paint. Plasti-dip is not paint. ;)

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OK assuming that is true, since I have not used this material before, how does it adhere to smooth metal? At some level, obviously there is some sort of chemical adhesion going on, I get that part.

When you add tooth for paint purposes, it is the scratches that help give a physical anchor to the primer or paint to adhere to in addition to the chemical adhesion. I am wondering if the combination of relative smoothness of finished/polished metal and chemical adhesion alone is sufficient for long term use, especially given the road rash and weather abuse wheels are put through.

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Plasti-dip is rubber. I've used it on many things, wheels, mirrors, body panels, trim, as long as the surface is clean, it adheres perfectly.

Some things just need thicker coats to be durable (like wheels) any if you're not happy with it anymore, it just peels off!

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That answers my question then. The tinsel strength of this stuff is clearly not as strong as paint/clear coat if you can peel it off...and as you said, this stuff is not paint. Therefore it does not to be as durable. I got it.

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Maybe so, but you just need to layer it. A friend of mine plasti-dipped his Dakota wheels, he's lifted with 33" tires, sees a good amount of four wheeling. He did this two years ago, he did eight coats a wheel. It's gotten chipped once in awhile...but that's the beauty of plasti-dip, just touch it up!

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Plasti-dip is far from being permanent and if you clean it too hard it comes off. its more for fun IMO.

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' timestamp='1332984556' post='69392']

Really? I did the Galant's mirrors way back in September, and after dealing with the cold, highway miles, multiple washes, they still look fantastic.

Well you're just too cool for us Chris.

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Reviving this topic because I have them done and on the car, Mark and I put about 4-5 coats per wheel and they look really good, but we ran out of time and I will be going up there soon where we apply a few more coats. I went with white and seeing I did that, I have a question. Does anyone have a good cleaning technique for these? Seeing they are white they will get dirty VERY easily.

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If I understand everything I have seen on youtube you have to be gentle cleaning it. If you use a power washer you'll blow off the Plasti Dip. I think you have to use regular car was soap and a rag but don't be too ruff with the scrubbing. I dont think I would of gone with white Plasti Dip on a rim just cuz of the cleaning. I would of used real paint cuz white rims need more care.

good luck. :)

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I agree with Joe. Even if it is easy to layer on and replace, I wouldn't want to do that every time it got dirty or I scraped a bit off cleaning

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I agree with Joe. Even if it is easy to layer on and replace, I wouldn't want to do that every time it got dirty or I scraped a bit off cleaning

Paint and clear coat perhaps?

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Actually I figured I would risk washing them, and I used the car washes nozzle on a high pressure setting, and nothing peeled off and the dirt I did see came right off, I would probably hand clean them anyway lol

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