There’s no doubt that a car with a set of nice-looking wheels stands out, earning the driver respect and admiration. If you want to spruce up the look of your wheels, you might be wondering, can lug nuts be painted?
The short answer is they can. You can paint your alloy wheel nuts/locking wheel nuts/lug nuts any color you want. Of course, you can’t use a standard paint for this purpose, but a recommended one.
Contents
What Paint Is Recommended for Lug Nuts?
We recommended using a rubber coating with special characteristics. The paint should be non-slip, insulating, flexible, peelable, and durable rubber.
But most importantly, it should be able to protect the nuts against abrasion, corrosion, as well as slipping/skidding. On top of that, it should be able to promote a comfortable and controlled grip and withstand extreme weather conditions.
Many standard coatings would crack or become brittle under such weather conditions because they are not as strong and durable.
Speaking of which, Plasti Dip is a good coating brand for lug nuts. Available in almost every color, the spray paints are air-dry and rubber-based.
This allows them to perfectly meet the above requirements. Plus, they are easily removable off of many surfaces, meaning that you can easily remove your lug nut coatings any time you wish provided you used this brand.
Apart from Plasti Dip, many other paint brands can also be perfect for this purpose. All you have to do is look in the right place or ask your trusted mechanic for a few recommendations.
How To Paint Lug Nuts?
Assuming you’ve bought the recommended lug nut paint, here are the steps to follow in painting your lug nuts;
- Remove the lug nuts from the wheels, cleaning them well.
- Scuff them using a paint thinner or sandpaper(if they are painted), making sure they are clean and free from old paint.
- Spray them with your new paint, making sure they are well-painted.
- Let them dry, giving them at least 48 hours to do so. This is extremely important because, if you put them back into the wheels without first letting the paint dry, it will definitely come off.
Conclusion
You can paint your lug nuts to spruce up the look of your wheels and car in general. This will make your car stand out, earning you respect and admiration from fellow motorists.
But most importantly, it will also help protect your nuts from moisture, corrosion, and other damaging factors.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the paint dull?
It could be that it features a protective coating that protects it from abrasion and scratches. Usually, this coating is made of a satin finish, which sometimes reduces the intensity of the paint color under high humidity conditions.
You can fix this by adding 5-10% naphtha. All you need to do is repaint your nuts with the same paint, finishing them with the naphtha compound.
What color should I paint my lug nuts?
Generally, you can paint them almost any color as the paints are available in nearly every color. However, we do recommend choosing a color that matches your nuts. Because that way, if the coating peels off, the affected area will not be easily visible.
Why is the coating dripping or sagging?
Unfortunately, sagging and dripping can be caused by various environmental factors including direct sunlight, high temperatures, high humidity, and windy conditions.
To avoid these problems, be sure to paint your nuts under ideal conditions e.g away from direct sunlight, high temperatures, high humidity, and windy conditions.
Should I add a primer(a substance used for preparing a surface for paint)?
Not necessarily, if you have good quality paint because the paint will shrink around your nuts as it dries. However, the substance may be necessary under extreme conditions as mentioned above. In that case, be sure to use a high-quality primer that is compatible with your paint.
Are lug nut coatings completely safe?
Most recommended lug nut coatings are generally safe and harmless because they contain no heavy metals. However, that does not mean that they can be safely taken into the body. Meaning you should avoid using them on items that may be inserted into the mouth.
