How-to : Paint your Mazda emblems on your center caps *With lotsa pics*

[tripleskate]

This is our mostly useless How-to for painting your center caps. This came out of pure boredom as a friend and I thought what else we could do to my car that’s basically free. We settled on painting my stockerz black but that is a more time intensive process so we settled on the Mazda badge inside of the center caps. Just a li’l bit of flair, right? This is for people looking to put a li’l bit of color onto their wheels.

Items Required
Jack / jack stands
A partner-in-crime
Consistent heat source
Spray Primer
Colored Paint


Step 1:
Jack up the car. This is pretty self explanatory.


Step 2:
Take off wheel


Step 3:
Pop center caps out (look from the inside of the wheel and just pop it out, I used my finger)



Step 4:
Look on the inside of the center cap, and pop off the 4 little tab/prongs. This should dislocate the Mazda badge from the center cap.



Step 5:
Use Krylon Fusion spray-paint
Buff the Mazda badge until it’s clean. Then lay your primer over it


(It was 20*F, dark, and snowy so we used a small space heater to quicken the drying process.) It is very important to let primer set, so take your time with this.

-^* After about 10 minutes *^-
Spray your freshly primered badge with your colored spray.

After this, proper heating/drying technique will give the paint smoothness. We used an
oven and then got kicked outta the house so we used an open grille as a heater. Lol. GIVE YOUR BADGES PLENTY OF TIME TO DRY!


Step 6:
Pop your super awesome badges back into the center caps. Put your center caps back into your rims and then reverse order your ass until your rims are back on the car and the jacks are safely stowed away. Here are some finished products.





Make sure to torque those bolts down!



Enjoy.

[danielj]

Interesting way to torque down your lugs!

[Badgerspeed]

They do look good... and yes, spend the $60 and buy a torque wrench!!!

[tripleskate]

I have a torque wrench but it's not the right size. We got lulz from doing that. Especially the first time when he fell off the wrench! LMFAO.

[TEKWATCH]

What year is your Mazda, when I had my center caps off my 04 the badge did not seperate like yours it was all one pice molded into the cap. I had to dremel mine out for a custom project.

[fiji mazda3]

I wouldn't put the jackstands underneath the side skirts like that either.

[tripleskate]

[quote author=Fiji Mazda3 link=topic=134695.msg2896652#msg2896652 date=1233181602]
I wouldn't put the jackstands underneath the side skirts like that either.
[/quote]
Why? I used the proper mounting points. On each side of the car there are two spots under the car provided for jack placement. Near each wheel.

[jimp]

his profile says an 08, the car looks black, so why paint the center logo what looks like a bright blue, and one lug nut as well?? what's up with that??

[TEKWATCH]

[quote author=jimp link=topic=134695.msg2954406#msg2954406 date=1235351136]
his profile says an 08, the car looks black, so why paint the center logo what looks like a bright blue, and one lug nut as well?? what's up with that??
[/quote]

Upon closer inspection the blue lug looks to be a lock lug, different from the rest.

As for the color choice I have no clue.

[tongman]

wow...that is too much torque for the lug nuts...you should not have to torque them down with all your weight as that will shred the threads...