Rim painting and powder coating are the two ways to change the colour of your wheels or give them a tougher finish. Wet paint is sprayed and cured like car body paint; powder coat is a dry powder applied with an electric charge and baked on in an oven. Each has its place. This page compares the two, covers popular colours and finishes, explains the masking and curing that make the difference between a good and a bad job, and looks at 4x4 and steel rims.
Powder coating or wet paint?
Powder coating is usually tougher and more chip resistant than wet paint, and it goes on thicker in one layer. It suits 4x4s, bakkies, gravel roads and anyone who wants a solid colour that lasts. Wet paint is better for matching factory silvers and metallic greys, for two-tone looks and for small repairs, because a single area can be repainted. Some shops powder coat a base colour and add a clear lacquer on top. If you are unsure, ask each shop which they would recommend for your car and how you use it.
Colours and finishes people choose
- Gloss black: the most common colour change, but it shows brake dust and swirl marks.
- Satin or matt black: popular on 4x4s and double cabs, hides dust better, needs gentler cleaning.
- Gunmetal and anthracite: a dark grey that hides dirt well.
- Bronze: popular on overlanders and classic looks.
- Silver or white: for a factory look or a retro car.
Ask for a sample panel in the colour before the whole set is done. For a bright two-tone, see diamond cut.
Masking and curing: where quality shows
Coating must not build up where the wheel meets the car or the tyre. A good shop masks or cleans the hub face, the wheel nut seats and the bead seats, and keeps coating out of the centre bore and valve hole. Coating on the nut seats can let wheel nuts loosen as it compresses. Curing matters too: alloy wheels should not be baked hotter or longer than needed. Ask each shop what temperature and cure time they use for alloys and how they prepare the metal, usually by stripping or blasting first, as in a full refurbishment.
4x4 and steel rims
Steel rims on bakkies, 4x4s and trailers are a natural fit for powder coat. They are blasted to remove rust, coated in black, white or a colour, and come out with a finish that takes gravel and stone chips far better than spray paint from a can. Check that load rated 4x4 rims are not bent or cracked before coating, since a fresh colour can hide damage. Coat the spare too so it matches.
What to put in your request
- How many wheels, alloy or steel, and size
- Powder coat or wet paint
- Colour and finish: gloss, satin, matt
- Any damage that needs repair first
- Whether the spare should match
Powder Coating and Rim Painting for drivers, fleets and workshops
- Private car owners: a colour change to gloss black or gunmetal for a fresh look
- Enthusiasts, 4x4 and performance drivers: bronze or satin black wheels on an overlander or modified car
- Company and rental fleets: steel wheels on vans and bakkies powder coated for a durable finish
- Dealers, panel shops and insurers: faded wheels on used stock refinished in a neutral colour
- Tyre shops and wheel workshops: refurbishment shops sending wheels to a powder coater with an oven
- Truck, bus and taxi operators: truck and bus steel rims coated against rust and road grime
- Farms: bakkie, trailer and implement rims blasted and coated against rust
- Mines and construction sites: site vehicle steel rims coated tough against dust and stone chips
Frequently asked questions
How long does powder coating rims take?
Can I powder coat my wheels with the tyres on?
Can powder coated wheels be repaired later?
Do you paint or coat wheels yourselves?
Powder Coating and Rim Painting by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg