Dipping rims is an awesome application of Plasti Dip and it can make your wheels stand out. While you can dip your rims yourself, if you want a more complicated pattern or a pro to do it, there are plenty of places to choose. In this article we will discuss where to get a Plasti Dip service, what it costs, how long it lasts, and other frequently asked questions. I will also share my experience with the shops who dip rims near me.
Dip Rims Near Me – Find a Plasti Dip Service for Wheels
If you are looking for “Dip Rims Near Me” or “Plasti Dip Rims Near Me”, the map below your options for local wheel dipping services…
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What is Plasti Dip?
While Plasti Dip sounds like it’s a dippable plastic coating, it is actually a sprayable rubber. Its not plastic and it’s not a dip. It is a rubber spray that starts as a liquid and then turn to a rubber compound when it dries. You can easily peel it off and it leaves no residue to the surface you sprayed it on.
What Makes Plasti Dip Rims So Great?
Plasti Dip is great for vehicle wheels and rims because it comes in a variety of colors, you can create a matte or gloss finish, and you can easily remove it. Not only does it come in a variety of colors, but you can mix and match colors or create gradients. If you decide that you don’t like the way your wheels look, you can just remove the finish without any damage to the rim. There is no better or cheaper way to customize your wheels and add some flavor to your vehicle.
How Do Shops Dip Rims Near Me – The Process
The place that Plasti Dips rims near me, follow a standard process for coating rims. Any professional shop will remove the wheels from the vehicle before starting the process. While you can dip rims while mounted, there is a larger effort in protecting over spray on the calipers, fenders, and other parts. You don’t want to get any Plasti Dip on your brakes and removing the tires helps to ensure that.
Here is the basic process for a professional Plasti Dip Service on wheels:
- Remove the wheels from the vehicle.
- Thoroughly wash the rims with soap and water and then thoroughly dry them.
- Apply drip remover to your tires sidewall. to make any excess overspray easier to remove.
- Tape off any parts of the rim, like a logo, that the customer doesn’t want dipped.
- Warm up the Plasti- Dip cans.
- Set the tires up vertically for spraying (not flat on the ground)
- Apply a dip prep to the wheel to enhance the tackiness and finish
- Spray several coats of Plasti Dip (minimum 6 coats) to achieve your desired color and finish.
- Apply matte or gloss finish.
- Remove excess Plasti Dip from the side wall and any taped off areas.
- Move on and repeat the same process to the next wheel.
- Remount the tires to the vehicle
How Much Does it Cost to Dip Rims Near Me?
The places who dip rims near me, start around $350 for 4 wheels for a one color wheel with a matte or gloss finish. If you were to do this on your own you would probably spend $25 to $75 per tire depending on how many coats you applied.
Factors that impact the price of dipping your wheels are wheel size, wheel design complexity, complexity of color or pattern you want, and how many coats you want applied.
How Long Does it Take a Professional Shop to Dip Wheels?
In my experience it takes about 4-6 hours to properly dip 4 wheels. It is about an hour or so per wheel to apply the spray in layers, add finish, and remount the tires.
How to Dip Rims at Home
You do not need to seek a professional Plasti Dip service, it is a job you can do yourself. DIY rim dipping is very common and can save you about $150+ dollars for a basic job. You can actually even dip your rims right on the vehicle providing you tape and plastic off parts you don’t want to get coating on.
Here are the basic steps of dipping wheels yourself:
- Use plastic to cover your brakes and calipers.
- Thoroughly clean the wheel with soap and water. Dry the wheel really wheel.
- Tape off your tires side wall or apply dip remover.
- Warn the can of Plasti Dip.
- Apply coats of Plastic Dip to the tire following directions on the can for time in between coats.
- Apply finish (matte or glass) to the rim
- Remove all of the tape and plastic from the protected areas
Can You Dip a Rim That Has Road Rash or Damage?
Technically yes, you can, but in my opinion it is best to seek a rim repair first. The rubber spray will stick and coat in a scratched surface, but it may create an uneven look where the damage is. While you could compensate by filling in a scratch thicker with the spray, it is very difficult to get a smooth finish that way. Evening out the surface and cleaning the surface is paramount to a good lucking dip job.
What Kind of Colors of Dip Can You Get?
The range of colors is infinite. All your common colors like black, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet are all options. What makes dip so cool though is that you can use or mix multi colors, create patterns and gradients, and then apply a matte or gloss finish to it.
Is Plasti Dip Durable?
Yes, it is really durable. I have taken my Jeep with dipped wheels off roading where it gets pounded with rocks. The rubber coating holds up really well and is easy to wash dirt off of. In the event the dip takes any damage like a rubber chip or puncture, you can always respray it.
How Long Does Plasti Dip Last on Rims?
If applied properly a Plasti Dipped rim can keep its coating for years. My Jeep rims are on year 3 and my Mercedes rims are on year 4. Both have had some hard driving done on them. My Jeep rims did require a few touch up where I scrapped rocks or they took a hard shot from a rock. My Mercedes allow rims, have required no additional touch ups and have lasted over 50K miles.
Is Plasti-Dip Removable?
Yes, First you wash the wheels with soap and water. Then you use a product like Dip Dissolver, a power washer, and a towel. You spray the Dip Dissolver on, wait 5 minutes, then power wash the tire. For any stubborn areas, you then work them with a towel. You can repeat the process until all the dip is off. In my experience, the thicker you applied your dip, the easier it comes off.
Who Dips Rims Near Me – Find a Local Plasti Dip Service
There are different type of local business that perform rim dipping services.
Here are a list of the types of places that you may want to inquire with:
- Rim repair shops
- Auto restoration companies
- Auto body shops
- Custom paint shops
- Wheel and Rim Shops
- Stereo/Audio Shops that do custom installs
Alternatives
Another popular alternative to Plasti-dip is powder coating. Powder coating rims will provide more protection and you can find it in a variety of colors.
How to Choose a Local Shop to Dip Your Rims?
While you can find different places to perform the service, you will want to make your considerations on various factors. You need to consider price, quality of product, turnaround time, and any guarantees of their work. Here are the steps I would take to find a Plasti Dipping Service for my wheels:
- Read reviews on Google Business and Yelp.
- Look at before and after pics of their work.
- Read customer testimonials.
- Call several shops and ask about: price, turnaround time, and any guarantees or protections they offer.
- Ask about the process such as how many coats they apply, what finishes are available, and if they also do removal.
Dip Rims Near Me Conclusion
Dipping your rims yourself is not that difficult, nut is very time consuming. Finding a pro shop, while more costly will get you a better end result and possibly a guarantee of results for a specified time period. For a simple one color application doing it yourself is really not to bad. For more complicated applications like gradients or multi-colored application a pro shop is the way to go. This is what I have learned from shops who dip rims near me.