This invention teaches a method of coating a vehicle wheel to increase wear resistance which, in its preferred embodiment, includes the steps of providing a vehicle wheel and applying a wear resistant coating between/intermediate a primer and a topcoat. The wear resistant coating is applied to at least the tire bead flange of the vehicle wheel but may be applied to any area of the wheel. It is advantageously comprised of a MIL-P-53022B Type II lead and chromate free, corrosion inhibiting epoxy primer with an addition of 3% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and is formulated in such a manner so as to allow “wet on wet” application over a cured MIL-P-53084 primer. This application method improves adhesion through surface to surface covalent reaction between the polymerization of polyurethane top coat and the polymerization of intermediate epoxy polyamide wear resistant coating. The wear resistant coating is of particular use with vehicle wheels made from cast or forged aluminum, but may also be used by itself over steel wheels that have been pretreated to TT-C-490. It may also be used over anodized, electrocoated, or DOD-P-15328 wash primed aluminum as a standalone non CARC wear resistant coating.