Painted rims - how long before fitting?

[GRDPuck]

I've just had a set of rims painted - Gotta love Birthdays & Fathers Day.
They currently have no tyres on them.
I have heard that paint can be "soft" for a while and it may be wise to leave them alone for a while so the tyre fitting and/or road use, doesn't damage/scratch/chip the new fresh paint.
Does anyone know how long should I wait before fitting tyres and fitting them to the car?

[Len]

The time you should wait will depend on the type of paint and the temperature. Most urethane products are fully hardened in about a week at 70 degrees or warmer. However, even when fully hardened, it's very easy to chip the paint when mounting tires. Next time mount the tires but don't pop the bead into place so that you can paint then inflate the tire after the painting and unmasking.

[tgreen]

I learned this from Len as well. (Thanks Len)

Photo of one of my truck wheels painted
with a new tire already mounted, but deflated.
I used a large garbage bag cut open into one
big sheet, then cut out a circle to stretch it
it over the rim, pulled the plastic over the other
side of the wheel, cut the other hole, and taped
up the plastic around the tire.
Worked great!

[GRDPuck]

I'll have to ask them what products they used etc.
Good idea about fitting the tyres first - only problem is I didn't have them yet and couldn't afford them until afterwards.
Luckily for me, the place that had the wheels stripped & painted are also the tyre/wheel place that will fit the new tyres.

[Len]

I'll have to ask them what products they used etc.
Good idea about fitting the tyres first - only problem is I didn't have them yet and couldn't afford them until afterwards.
Luckily for me, the place that had the wheels stripped & painted are also the tyre/wheel place that will fit the new tyres.

If the tires are painted a solid, single stage color they can be easily touch up so that they will be almost perfect. If they used metallic and/or base-clear then the repairing a scratch or chip is more difficult or it stands out.

[jefftso]

I've just had a set of rims painted - Gotta love Birthdays & Fathers Day.
They currently have no tyres on them.
I have heard that paint can be "soft" for a while and it may be wise to leave them alone for a while so the tyre fitting and/or road use, doesn't damage/scratch/chip the new fresh paint.
Does anyone know how long should I wait before fitting tyres and fitting them to the car?




try to use your nail to scratch the paint on area where can not be seen
if it leave a mark then wait for another day or so
that wud b my way to see if its hard.
but even its fully cured, careless fitting would still scratch the paint
try not to take the tyres out completely, next time just pop it half way off
this way you can just pump the air in and pop the tyre back afterward.

[Wayne]

I learned this from Len as well. (Thanks Len)

Photo of one of my truck wheels painted
with a new tire already mounted, but deflated.
I used a large garbage bag cut open into one
big sheet, then cut out a circle to stretch it
it over the rim, pulled the plastic over the other
side of the wheel, cut the other hole, and taped
up the plastic around the tire.
Worked great!

How do you prevent the lug nuts from damaging the paint when you run them up tight?