Jeep Cherokee Forum

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1999-2004: How to Plasti-Dip Rims

Yes, you can spend a ton of money trying to get your wheels to look good, but unless you know what you are doing, it's a hard job and, most of the time, they just won't look good. Plasti-Dip will make your wheels look great. Learn how to modify your rims here.

By Peter Sessler - August 28, 2015
Contributors: GiggityGiggity

This article applies to the Grand Cherokee WJ (1999-2004).

Plasti-Dip is a rubberized dip protective coating which allows the user to coat and protect all sorts of items. It was developed in 1972 and since then, it found its way to the automotive field. Within the last ten years or so, enthusiasts started to paint their wheels with Plasti-Dip. Available in a wide array of colors, Plasti-Dip provides satisfactory results. Plasti-Dip comes in aerosol spray cans, but there is a big difference between this product and other paint products. Plasti-Dip is 100% reversible. To remove Plasti-Dip, you can simply peel the paint to remove it, but otherwise, you'll find that it has enough strength to stay put on the wheels for years. What it means is you can remove the old Plasti-Dip and apply a new color whenever you want. Besides wheels, Plasti-Dip is now used on automobile emblems, grilles, and can even be used on entire bodies to bring life to your car. Keep reading to learn how to apply it to your Jeep's wheels. You'll find that a charcoal or black are popular colors, but you can use any color you want, of course!

Materials Needed

  • Four cans of Plasti-Dip paint
  • Masking tape
  • Bucket of soap and water and/or hose
  • Washing mitt
  • Towel or microfiber drying cloth
  • Sandpaper (optional)

Step 1 – Wash wheels

There's no need to remove your wheels for this job. Simply wash your wheels with soap and water, utilizing a washing mitt. Once your wheels are clean, dry them with a towel or microfiber cloth.

Figure 1. Wash the wheels thoroughly.

Step 2 – Paint wheels

After they have dried, your are ready to paint. As with other aerosol paints, you should paint the wheels in a well-ventilated area. Make sure to mask the area behind the wheels. If you want to, you can sand and prime the areas that are corroded as well.As long as the paint surface is clean and dry, you can spray the surface easily. And, of course, you can always remove the Plasti-Dip and start again.

Figure 2. After a few coats, the wheels are done.

Step 3 – Finishing up

You can paint or remove any paint that offers a good contrast to the lugs, for example. Remove the masking tape and any excess Plasti-Dip as you wish. Now all that's left to do is wait for the paint to dry for 3-4 hours before driving your Jeep. In the meantime, you can sit back and admire your handy work.

Figure 3. End result.

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