Powdercoating your rims (Must read especially for trackies

[C32b]

Ever bought a set of 2nd hand aluminium alloy rims and decided you want them a different colour? One popular solution (besides painting) would be to powdercoat the rims to the finish you are looking for.

 

However, this solution may be more risky than you think. Possible wheel failure (please see pics attached) is a risk you may face due to reasons such as:

1. sandblasting or glass-bead blasting of aluminium penetrating the surface of the material to begin crack initiation.

2. Heating aluminum alloys above 275

[Heartbreakid]

Thank you very much for the information. Very useful indeed. Something which not many would aware off.

[Fullmetalalchemist]

This is very informative! Thank you. Time to check my rims liao. Anyone have any idea how to check whether the paintwork is sprayed on or powder-coated?

[Roberttan]

This is very informative! Thank you. Time to check my rims liao. Anyone have any idea how to check whether the paintwork is sprayed on or powder-coated?

brother hard to come by any powder coating rim.

is costly and NON of the rim maker usese this process.

in after maket heard about people did that,they think they are smart .

actually in Engineering point of view that is always some contraint when come to Safety issue.

So next time dont do your own way of thinking , do listen to the professional and shop,not every businessman are con man.

GOODNIGHT

[Fullmetalalchemist]

brother hard to come by any powder coating rim.

is costly and NON of the rim maker usese this process.

in after maket heard about people did that,they think they are smart .

actually in Engineering point of view that is always some contraint when come to Safety issue.

So next time dont do your own way of thinking , do listen to the professional and shop,not every businessman are con man.

GOODNIGHT

 

Hey bro..what do u mean by my own way of thinking? I was asking how to check whether my rims are powdercoated or sprayed? My question is still not answered. If my rims happened to be powdercoated then I'll get it changed for safety issue. I bought a second hand car and the rims are either sprayed or powerdercoated. I just want to know how to check for it? And yes GOODNIGHT to you too.

[Melvyn]

I've 2 sets of rims, 1st set is my daily drive rims which have been powdercoated while the other are track rims. Have tracked with my daily drive sets for no less than 10 times cuz lazy to change/wanna wear out the rubbers and thankfully yet to experience such catastrophic failure as seen in the TS's pictures.

Personally, I believe that the powdercoating process will have certain detrimental effects on the metal's integrity but more importantly, I feel that it would be the prepping process that would determine if the rims will bail when stressed, not unlike why one will strip old paint/rust before painting over as opposed to juz slapping on a layer of paint.

Some more powdercoating offers tons more advantages over juz painting over the rims with the most important one being the powdercoat is way way way mpre lasting and scratch resistant than paint so to me it's more value for money.. Plus being a car owner sure wanna personalise the car the way I want so if my rims' black color edition costs another 400 USD more excl shipping what to do except coat/paint it..

Anyways, still wanna thank TS on the info.. At least will be more vigilant on swapping the rims prior to track now

Edited September 1, 2010 by Melvyn

[Melvyn]

This is very informative! Thank you. Time to check my rims liao. Anyone have any idea how to check whether the paintwork is sprayed on or powder-coated?

 

Next time go for servicing drive it to somewhere with more well-known paint workshops and let them see? E.g service at a certain workshop at AMK Autopoint then while servicing drop by ask one of the two more well-known paint shop ppl there to see see look look your rims?

[C32b]

There are many who cited their experiences of not having wheel failure on track even while running powdercoated rims. What is evidently true is that the chances of wheel failure are higher and if it does occur, the result is catastrophic.

[Strudel-]

Hasnt that occur to you that those photos shown are cheap rims or maybe not done the right way? This looks like an ignorant thing to me tbh

[Krado]

I wonder which trackie doesn't change rims once a year?

[C32b]

Hasnt that occur to you that those photos shown are cheap rims or maybe not done the right way? This looks like an ignorant thing to me tbh

 

Perhaps u should look carefully at those rims in the pics. They are not taiwan or phillipine made cheap rims. They are enkei and work emotions japanese rims which are not cheap compared to your 150 per pc taiwan rims.

 

If you say that the way things are done are ignorant, perhaps you will be surprised to find that things are done in exactly the same way or worse in shops locally.

 

This is a piece to simply remind users to be more careful when they choose to subject their rims to powdercoating...

 

[C32b]

I wonder which trackie doesn't change rims once a year?

 

the poor trackies who can't afford it like myself