ATTN: Luke..... Powdercoating wheels....Yes or No?
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Angry Dan
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ATTN: Luke..... Powdercoating wheels....Yes or No?
I had to have one of my '04 STi BBS wheels repaired. Now I need to get it repainted. Is powdercoating safe for wheels?
I've been told that "the high temps of the powdercoating baking process, can mess up the temper/strength of a wheel".
http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums...&threadid=5368
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Here's a thread that shows a wheel failure, from a powdercoated wheel.
I've been told that "the high temps of the powdercoating baking process, can mess up the temper/strength of a wheel".
http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums...&threadid=5368
^
l
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Here's a thread that shows a wheel failure, from a powdercoated wheel.
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AFAIK, many many wheels are powdercoated from the factory. I am pretty sure that the BBS's are PCed too.
The PC process does not get the wheels all that hot.
The PC process does not get the wheels all that hot.
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To cure the powder it only needs to be heated to I think 400 degrees thats not that much. A guy I worked with before used to do powder coating part time I had him do some motorcycle wheels they will be fine...They probably get that hot on track days maybe even more with the heat coming off the brakes.
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powder coating does weaken wheels and makes them rather brittle .... it's a process known as "annealing" where reasonably low temps are used to heat metal making it more formable ( custom motor cycle gas tanks and fenders are made using this method, and yes Jesse James is pretty good at it ). It also has a detrimental effect on the heat treating process the wheel originally went through for added strength. The powder coating process uses about 300 - 400 degree ovens to bake the finish on and it's just enough to weaken to the molecular structure of the aluminum.
wheels that are manufactured with the plan ofpowder coating them before use go through a different strengthening process than normal painted wheels
wheels that are manufactured with the plan ofpowder coating them before use go through a different strengthening process than normal painted wheels
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Angry Dan
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Originally Posted by Luke@tirerack
powder coating does weaken wheels and makes them rather brittle .... it's a process known as "annealing" where reasonably low temps are used to heat metal making it more formable ( custom motor cycle gas tanks and fenders are made using this method, and yes Jesse James is pretty good at it ). It also has a detrimental effect on the heat treating process the wheel originally went through for added strength. The powder coating process uses about 300 - 400 degree ovens to bake the finish on and it's just enough to weaken to the molecular structure of the aluminum.
wheels that are manufactured with the plan of powder coating them before use go through a different strengthening process than normal painted wheels
wheels that are manufactured with the plan of powder coating them before use go through a different strengthening process than normal painted wheels
Thanks, is there a refinishing technique you recommend?
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If the BBS wheels can't handle that kind of temp then they are not as good as they claim to be 300-400 is not that hot compared to the temp they can be exposed to during a serious track or some mountain driving I still think they would be fine not that the guys at TireRack don't know what they are talking about but I would ask around to some people that actually do powder coating before you go making a decision. My motorcycle wheels were powder coated about three years and the bike is still on the street with the same wheels...
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So what kind of paint is going to hold up to the heat, brake dust and a tire changing machine??? As long as Subaru dosen't paint them they might be fine..
Originally Posted by silver satin
If the BBS wheels can't handle that kind of temp then they are not as good as they claim to be 300-400 is not that hot compared to the temp they can be exposed to during a serious track or some mountain driving I still think they would be fine not that the guys at TireRack don't know what they are talking about but I would ask around to some people that actually do powder coating before you go making a decision. My motorcycle wheels were powder coated about three years and the bike is still on the street with the same wheels...
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BBS Wheel Paint: http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?fo...action=product
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Many wheel companies use powdercoating on the base coat and "wet" paint for the color and the clear. There are clear powderpaints used on many wheels as well. When it comes to "REPAINTING" wheels at a local shop, the process is not as controlled as it was on the original painting. Sometimes the stripping process can also use heat and if the wheel does not come out right the first time, it could be stripped again and subjected to more baking time. There is no way to monitor or control the process once it is outside of the wheel producer's facility. High tech wheels can certainly handle brake temps and most high-end wheels are heat treated. The heat treatment process is well controlled and subjecting the COMPLETE wheels to additional baking is not good for high tech wheels. There are PLENTY of overkill cast wheels out in the market that can survive chrome plating or powder coating, the level of engineering and technology in those wheels is typically very LOW. Many wheel manufacturers use the same mold to cast wheels for a wide range of loads, the light cars get heavy wheels... Chrome plating is another problem for high tech products and some "Wheel Repair" shops fix wheels that should be scrap.
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I'm looking to find some gold or silver STi wheels and change the color to black. Do the factory STi wheels come powdercoated (specially treated) or not? Also, when prepping is sandblasing the best method to strip them? Wouldn't that weaken the wheel as well? They are only aluminum. I hope I'm not beating a dead horse.
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