Affordable Winter Wheels Setup: Ram 2363

[OnceYouGoJack]

My 2012 Dodge TPMS senders had dead batteries. I replaced with new. One wheel complete. 3 to go. I'm too cheap to buy new center caps so I painted the ones that came with the wheels. I now call the truck a Rivian GOAT. Still have not decided on tires.

Did the OEM RAM TPMS sensors work natively? Or had to reprogram once you changed the battery? And how did you know the battery was dead?

I've got rims/RAM TPMS without tires sitting in my shed, waiting for my paint to arrive. Not sure how to test the TPMS setup though.

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[Jakelake]

I took one out and had a tire store test it. they told me it was not transmitting. It took about an hour to get it out because they are not easily removed and I was trying to be carful to not damage it. You have to pull them out and it was not easy. I may have damage it when I removed it but since it did not work I assumed all would be bad after removal. The other 3 were just sort of ripped out using a pair of vice grips. I had to remove them all to do a proper job of preparing the wheel for paint. I think the senders were $26 each so I paid the price to get them.

 

[Jakelake]

Did the OEM RAM TPMS sensors work natively? Or had to reprogram once you changed the battery? And how did you know the battery was dead?

I've got rims/RAM TPMS without tires sitting in my shed, waiting for my paint to arrive. Not sure how to test the TPMS setup though.

What paint are you using? I sprayed the one wheel with Dupli-color wheel paint. The spray tip was really bad. Failed after about 1/2 a can. The spray job does not look great. I ordered Rust-Oleum wheel paint from Amazon. Should be here next week. I could not find it locally. It was listed as the number 2 choice behind the Dupli-color. But there are many reviews for wheel paint. Rust oleum and Dupli show up in most of them so I figured either would work fine.

 

[OnceYouGoJack]

I took one out and had a tire store test it. they told me it was not transmitting. It took about an hour to get it out because they are not easily removed and I was trying to be carful to not damage it. You have to pull them out and it was not easy. I may have damage it when I removed it but since it did not work I assumed all would be bad after removal. The other 3 were just sort of ripped out using a pair of vice grips. I had to remove them all to do a proper job of preparing the wheel for paint. I think the senders were $26 each so I paid the price to get them.

Got it, so might as well order a set. Good to know.

Lol I ordered duplicolor bronze...

So far I've power washed the rims and sprayed/scrubbed with wheel cleaner. Next I'll scuff them with either a scuff pad or sand paper and use simple green to really degrease and clean them. Then cross my fingers and paint.

Like you, I saw only good things about dupli-color and their bronze looked darker, which is what I wanted. Will post pics once they're done.

Now to source center cap vinyls. I wanna do black vinyl on the bronze caps

 

[Jakelake]

If my Ram caps don't work I will buy new caps. There is a link in the first post on this thread. $24 on Amazon. I cleaned all the wheels with simple green and a red scotch brite pad. Then I wire brushed them using an angle grinder and wire wheel. I had lots of areas, under the bead and anywhere a clip on balance weight was attached, that had corrosion forming above and under the OEM powder coat. All that had to be cleaned off to bare aluminum. They put lots of salt on the roads in Utah so this's sort of normal wear and tear on cars in this area. Then I washed again with just dishwashing soap and water, then sanded with 400 wet paper, let it dry and scoffed all surfaces with red scotch brite pad, then cleaned about 3 times with lacquer thinner. I kind of go overboard with the prep but it usually pays off in longevity. I had to prime the bare aluminum areas before painting. Lots of work but I'm almost finished with the prep on all the wheels. the Dupli color paint is a satin black and the rustoleum is flat so I will have to scuff the new paint and spray the rust oleum on top of the already black wheel. Right when I finished spraying the last coat on the wheel the wind picked up and lots of dust and dirt was deposited on the fresh paint so scuffing and painting a finish coat on that wheel probably needs to be done anyway. Plus the wind knocked my center cap off the stand where I painted it and it took a long trip down my driveway into the road and it got covered in dirt. Lesson here is spray in the morning before the wind picks up.

 

[OnceYouGoJack]

...

Wow haha way more prep than I was gonna do haha. My goal isn't perfect since these are just my Winter wheels. Sounds like you fully prepped the inside of the wheel too? Beyond power washing I wasn't going to do any prep there or paint it -- just focusing on the outer surface. Not sure if that's a mistake??

I could always take a wire drill brush to it or angle grinder, but if it's never gonna be seen, I don't super care

 

[Riviot]

My 2012 Dodge TPMS senders had dead batteries. I replaced with new senders. One wheel complete. 3 to go. I'm too cheap to buy new center caps so I painted the ones that came with the wheels. I now call the truck a Rivian GOAT. Still have not decided on tires.

GOATs unite! ???(Ram is technically a sheep ?, but I like goats)

 

[Jakelake]

Ram is technically a sheep

I know but most people are confused on that fact and I did not like the label "Rivian Ram"

 

[Riviot]

I know but most people are confused on that fact and I did not like the label "Rivian Ram"

Upside: telling people Ram makes the Rivian is more believable and makes for less "Who makes the Rivian? Yeah but who makes it?" conversations with strangers.

 

[Kpecks]

Pretty easy decision to run some ram wheels. Found a set of brand new scorpion 275/60-20 tires for $500 and fabbed up some black matte rivian center cap stickers. Happy w the results.

 

[Riviot]

Pretty easy decision to run some ram wheels. Found a set of brand new scorpion 275/60-20 tires for $500 and fabbed up some black matte rivian center cap stickers. Happy w the results.

Can you share the file for those stickers?

 

[Kpecks]

Can you share the file for those stickers?

I had my local sign shop grab a png off the internet and they vectorized it and printed it at 1.75" width.

 

[909phillyman]

Pretty easy decision to run some ram wheels. Found a set of brand new scorpion 275/60-20 tires for $500 and fabbed up some black matte rivian center cap stickers. Happy w the results.

WOW!!! Now THAT looks fantastic! Those wheels look so good on your truck!

 

[Jakelake]

Were did you buy the tires?

 

[CardiacR1S]

Just picked up a set of Ram rims on FB marketplace here in VA. Paid $200 and debating leaving as is or painting. Will mount snow tires on them and turn my R1S into Snow Rex.
Thanks @Riviot for all your research.

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