Morris Minor Owners Club

Does anyone have any idea how long I should leave my freshly painted wheels before fitting tyres to them. As I dont want the paint removing from the edge of rims by tyrefitters.

fitters are capable of taking the paint off a whel thats been painted for 10 years

i would say a week possibly
were they stove enamalled

Depends what type of paint Ian ! Let's see some pictures - I assume this the modified wide wheels ? If enamel paint - I would say a good week in a warm/well ventilated place. But the fact is - fitting the tyres is likely to cause some paint removal no matter how careful, so be prepared for touching up once the tyres are on. In theorey tyres can be fitted with NO levers - just a rubber mallet and lots of Swarfega - so stand over them when doing the job - or, do it yourself!

Well I had the 2 that I have finished shotblasted and primed . Today I have given them a coat of primer/filler .Because with turning the rims round the inside of the wheel is now the outside, and it was a bit pitted Will probably paint with spraycans. Mind you I still have about 1/2 litre of Teckaloid enamel so may use that.

When they fit tyres do they put them on from the back of the wheel, if you know what I mean. I can't remember.

Normally yes from the back - but your's being wrong way round, will need to be fitted from the front! Perhaps best to point that out to them - although it should be obvious.

I thought it was the way they clamped the wheel in the fitting machine that governed it?

I've found fitting with a rubber mallet can actually cause more damage as the beads need to be lubricated and much hitting with hammer equals much hitting of rim too! Ok, a rubber hammer shouldn't be as bad as a metal one but will still leave marks.
Most modern tyre fitting machines are very good these days, I had some tyres fitted to some refurbed alloys on one of my other cars and they didn't leave a single mark anywhere. I have got the levers to fit tyres myself to steel wheels but even using strips of rubber when the levers are touching the rims doesn't make it a great deal better.

I spray the "wells" with aerosol body paint as I find that hardens the fastest for DIY. I use what ever is lying around on the shelves and is a full can (not metallics)
Then tyres are fitted and I spray the outer to the final colour.
OK it means the hassle of masking the tyre but at least you aren't risking having fresh outer paint chipped by tyre fitter.
Only thing to remember if you do it my way is not to get wheels balanced when tyres fitted and before outer coat of paint

Paul Humphries

Any decent tyre fitting center will have a machine for doing alloy wheel tyre fitting. These do not contact the wheel so will not damage the paint.

Ian - the tyre goes on so it is nicely in the well of the rim - you will notice one side of that well is sloped and the other more vertical. You are right though - if done on machine they will need to go on wrong way round - and the machine has to grip the wheel somehow to squeeze the tyre on. In theory - they can be put on just by hand - on rare occasions I have managed that - but usually a rubber mallet is needed.

Paul, I like that idea. Do you use masking tape or something like a piece of card cut to shape.

wanderinstar wrote:Paul, I like that idea. Do you use masking tape or something like a piece of card cut to shape.

I tend to fold a large sheet of newspaper into 4 and then cut a 1/4 circle so it's roughly a full circle when opened and attach to tyre with masking tape. If you clean off the tyre first with meths then ordinary cheap masking tape will do but I'll be honest and admit I've use gaffer and parcel tape in the past when masking tape wouldn't stick

Paul Humphries

Im having my wheels powder coated, id be amazed if they manage to scrape that stuff up!

The old tip (Willie's, IIRC) is to paint the tyre with washing up liquid - overspray and the WUL will then wash off

Don't be so sure about the powder coating YG - that's all it is - a powder coat! And very susceptible to 'chipping'.

Darn, agreeing for the second time in a day WHS^^