DIY How-To: Painting Beadlock Wheel Beauty Ring From Silver to Black (on Badlands Sasquatch)

[Msemmes]

I always thought the black beauty rings on the Wildtrack and FE looked better than the silver that I was forced to buy with the Badlands Sasquatch package. I decided my first project would be to paint them black, despite having no experience with paint and not being particularly handy, because of the following:

* The only beauty rings I've found from Ford accessories were red
* If I really messed it up I could replace them or eventually be able to buy the manufacturer black ones from Ford direct.
* I think matching the trim ring with the wheel color has a more utility less refined look that I dig.
* To us Bronco6g nerds, I will be the only 2021 Badlands Sasquatch Area 51 with black bead lock trim rings for the time being - differences being black ring with a carbonized grey grill, badlands badge, black door handles and matching gloss black wheel color. The Wildtracks have the black grill and color match door handles as far as I can tell?

1. bought scotch brite srubber to scuff up the silver rims: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Scotch-Brite-Stainless-Steel-Scrubbing-Pad-3-Pack-214C-CC/202511523

2. Behr black Paint + Primer

3. T45 Torx bit. (unbelievably despite having a variety of torx bit sizes in the Bronco toolkit it doesn't include this size): https://www.autozone.com/screwdrivers/driver-bit/p/duralast-3-8in-drive-t-45-torx-bit/864636_0_0

Here are the before and after. Super happy with the look.

AFTER:

I’m with you! Love the black. I’m not particularly handy but someone suggested using plasti dip and if I didn’t like it I could peel it off. I’m hoping I can do this without removing the beauty ring. Any experience with this?

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[VelocityBrew]

I just pulled all 5 of my rings to drop off for powdercoating, and noticed that all 12 T45 bolts per wheel have some level of thread lock on them. I’m assuming it’s comparable to thread lock blue, since they are removable. I plan on reinstalling them with more thread lock . have others done this as well?

What is the torque value? I'm not big on using thread lockers

Also I shyed away from powder coating because when they do get scuffed some rattle can paint and Bondo will make them right again.

 

[luptanpitman]

I’m with you! Love the black. I’m not particularly handy but someone suggested using plasti dip and if I didn’t like it I could peel it off. I’m hoping I can do this without removing the beauty ring. Any experience with this?

I’ve seen some people do this on the horse logo on back. Haven’t seen it for the ring. Given how easy it is to pull the rings off I would do that first either way so you save the work of peeling. You really can’t mess up the removal of the rings.

 

[Msemmes]

I’ve seen some people do this on the horse logo on back. Haven’t seen it for the ring. Given how easy it is to pull the rings off I would do that first either way so you save the work of peeling. You really can’t mess up the removal of the rings.

Do I need to buy a specific tool to remove them? Sorry I told you I wasn’t handy lol

 

[Freebird32]

3. T45 Torx bit. (unbelievably despite having a variety of torx bit sizes in the Bronco toolkit it doesn't include this size):

There are both Torx and Torx Plus bolts on the Bronco. You can strip head if you don't have correct bit.

 

[BigDaddySquatch]

You got it. Peels off clean at the body line. If I tape better there wouldn’t have been overspray but it just rubbed off.

Anybody done this to the Ford emblem on back? I think it would look really good all black too

 

[akturbo]

Used a drill driver to get them mostly in and hand tightened with a 3/8 ratchet. Checked them all after a drive and seemed fine. I’ll double check in a few days. Really happy with how it turned out. I was torn between black and carbonized but I think the gray captures the look of the optional badlands wheel without losing the design of the wheel to an all black appearance. I figured worst case I could always redo them black if I didn’t like gray but it’s staying as-is for sure.

Sorry if I missed it, but what paint did you use? I'll do this after I get my new tires installed next week.

 

[bytheway]

Sorry if I missed it, but what paint did you use? I'll do this after I get my new tires installed next week.

Our paint shop sprayed it single stage M7 Ford carbonized gray. Axalta paint.

 

[broncosor]

@luptanpitman thanks for this post.
Pardon my ignorance but I have a few questions:

- how is the paint holding up? Would you mind sharing a close up picture of how it looks as of today?
- assuming no scratch can I expect the paint to last a couple years or should I plan on re-painting a couple times a year? (Taking into account dirt snow and rain…)
- if money is no object, would you recommend I powder coat instead or not?
- why scratch the ring before painting? How long and how much pressure do you apply to scratch?

Thank you.

 

[71to21-2DR]

Came out great I might be in the minority but I like the silver better

I want to make mine the same gray as the Badlands rings.
If I keep them and not get Icons

 

[604Bronco]

I want to make mine the same gray as the Badlands rings.
If I keep them and not get Icons

Just to confirm: the Badlands (with Sasquatch) rings are a dark grey and other trims are a lighter silver?

 

[VelocityBrew]

Just to confirm: the Badlands (with Sasquatch) rings are a dark grey and other trims are a lighter silver?

No, these are the optional non-Sasquatch wheels that you can get in 17x8 +55

 

[71to21-2DR]

Just to confirm: the Badlands (with Sasquatch) rings are a dark grey and other trims are a lighter silver?

Im talking about the
Added “upgraded” Badlands rims, not the Sas on a Badlands.
or the standard Badlands. They are the same as all The Sas, except the WT/FE which are Sas with Black tings
Make Sense?

 

[71to21-2DR]

This is what I want… the B&P pic
So…
Nittos 315-70’s more blocky-and wider tread (the wranglers have a narrow 9.5 tread)
-paint the silver rings the same as Badlands, and hopefully look more like the Computer picture.
More Fat-and -Stupid! Less Balloonish!

 

[VelocityBrew]

This is what I want… the B&P pic
So…
Nittos 315-70’s more blocky-and wider tread (the wranglers have a narrow 9.5 tread)
-paint the silver rings the same as Badlands, and hopefully look more like the Computer picture.
More Fat-and -Stupid! Less Balloonish!

I'm so confused. The left photo is an actual 315/70 Goodyear, the middle photo is a CGI 315/70 Goodyear and the Right is a 285/70 BF Goodrich. Am I missing something?

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