Easy Tips for Unique, Personalized Looks
Tire Lettering
White-lettered tires are a classic look and will really make your rubber pop. We tried painting the letters with a brush as well as coloring them with paint pens, and got better results with the pens. The pen-paint was more opaque, and the pen’s firm felt tip reduced coloring-outside-the-lines goofs. Your mileage may vary, of course—if you prefer a brush, then that’s the best way to do it. If you goof up or decide you don’t like a color, a soak in Simple Green will loosen the paint for easy clean-off with a toothbrush. Be advised, tire lettering will quickly crack with tire flex and scrape away in off-road conditions. If you want your hard work to last, you may want to save your lettered tires for display use or at least take lots of pictures.
White-lettered tires, always a winner.
Choose a fine-tip paint pen for maximum painting precision. We got good results with both these brands.
To avoid streaks, apply the paint in very short strokes or “dot” it onto the tire. A second coat may be necessary.
For other colors, paint the letters white first and allow them to dry thoroughly. Then apply color.
Highlight Nut and Bolt Detailing with a Chrome Pen
"Chrome” paint is very impressive stuff—it really does look like a plated finish. In pen form, it makes adding realistic, simulated hardware simple. Just color over whatever you want to be “chrome,” and it will look terrific. The pens are a bit pricey at about ten dollars, but the results are worth it.
You can find “chrome” pens in hobby and craft stores. A 1 mm tip is best for wheel detailing.
The paint is very thin, and flows easily into the simulated beadlock hardware of this TRX-4 Sport wheel (8180).
That’s a pretty significant style upgrade, and it only took a minute.
If your truck has black axle nuts, you can replace them with plated nuts (3647) for an extra pop of chrome.
There are only a few bolt heads to “chrome” on the Mercedes-Benz® G 63 wheels, but it adds quite a bit to the look.
Detail with Real Hardware
How about adding real hardware to your wheels? Check the RC airplane section of your favorite hobby store for 2 mm socket-head screws, which can be easily added to some wheels as a durable styling upgrade. All you need to do is drill a 1/16″ hole and thread the screw in. Choose stainless screws for a rust-proof, high-contrast look on black wheels
These 2x8 mm screws are longer than required, you only need 2 mm of thread. They’re easy to cut down to size using wire cutters or a rotary tool.
This TRX-4 Sport wheel’s molded-in hardware detailing serves as a guide to drill 1/16″ holes to accept the screws. Drill slowly, you only need to go 2 mm deep.
Here’s the final look.
Nothing looks more like real hardware than real hardware.Detailing for Method 105 Beadlocks
Method 105 beadlock wheels are an excellent upgrade for any TRX trail truck. There’s no glue required, so the rims can be reused easily, and the sold-separately rings let you choose any color you like. You can also get Method 105s with rings and tires installed, in 1.9″ and 2.2″ sizes. They look great as-is, but you can dress them up for even more style by adding stainless-steel screws and flipping the rings. The ring-flip may reduce tire-holding in extreme crawling situations, but if you’re not trying to win a comp, give it a try.
The 8176X stainless-steel screw kit includes all the fasteners you need to replace the black-oxide hardware in four Method 105 1.9″ or 2.2″ wheels.
Black in back, stainless in front. The stainless screws won’t rust, and they contrast nicely with the beadlock rings.
The beadlock rings are available in red, orange, green, blue, satin and black, so you’ve got plenty of options to customize and personalize your truck. Summit owners, your truck’s beadlock-simulating sidewall protectors are also offered in colors.You may lose some tire-holding power, but flipping the Method rims’ rings to show off the reliefs is an easy way to change up your wheel game.
Flip the beadlock rings over for a new look.
We like the extra relief in the reversed rings.
Got an extra two minutes? You can fill in the slots with paint for even more pop.
Paint-Over-Chrome Effects
No one does chrome rims like Traxxas, and the brightly mirrored wheels are real sparklers when they spin in the sun. They also present some fun detailing opportunities. You can turn the shine down with flat-clear paint to create more of a satin or “raw aluminum” look. Or, paint over the chrome with a transparent color for an anodized- or gunmetal-like finish, depending on the color you choose.
The wheel on the left is mirror chrome, as it comes from the factory. On the right, the center of the wheel has been sprayed flat clear for a satin-aluminum look.
For a colored-chrome effect, mask the tire and spray the rim a transparent color.
Candy colors will preserve maximum shine, pearl paints will give a more muted look.
De-Chromed Designs
Most Traxxas chrome wheels are black beneath the bright finish, and with the help of Super Clean degreaser, the chrome can be stripped to reveal the glossy black wheel. If you’re stripping a rim with a mounted tire, you’ll find any chrome that is beneath tire glue will be protected from the solvent, leaving a pin stripe of chrome where the wheel meets the tire.
Super Clean will de-chrome a wheel in an hour or two. It may irritate your skin, so gloves are recommended.
You can see “before” on the right. That’s quite a transformation!
Here’s a Blazer wheel and hub cover stripped to black (right). For the wheel on the left, we used a chrome pen to “re-plate” the outer rim and highlight the molded-in hardware. Super-Clean soaking doesn’t remove the decals that simulate the locking hubs.
Let’s See Those Wheels!
We want to see how you’re doing up your wheels and tires, so be sure to tag Traxxas when you show off your custom creations. And remember to follow Traxxas on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for the latest updates on new projects and products—we’ve always got something cookin’ here in Texas!
