does powder coating rims weaken them?

Ive been thinking about having my ce28s powder coated some sort of black. I was wondering is powder coating can damage or weaken the rim from the heat. I apologize if this is something thats already been discussed. My computer has been acting up lately not letting me search. thanks guys

cantdrive55 said:

Ive been thinking about having my ce28s powder coated some sort of black. I was wondering is powder coating can damage or weaken the rim from the heat. I apologize if this is something thats already been discussed. My computer has been acting up lately not letting me search. thanks guys

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I doubt it... I believe powder coating is just a surface coat and doesn't get into the "structure" of the rim. I could be wrong but sincerely believe that there will be no adverse effects to powder coated rims.

It all depends on the temperature the location uses to bake them. You want a shop familiar with wheels so they use a low temperature process. The lower the temp the less chance of the wheel being weakened.

The place im looking at does rims for customers al the time so im sure they do a good job and dont over heat them. I just wanted to be sure since i occasionally track the car and dont want to run the risk of weakened rims on the tracks. Thanks for the input guys

My powdercoater advised it should not harm modern rims. OEM's powerdcoat their wheels all the time.

Yes.

The amount of basic heat required to powder coat a wheel is enough to pre-maturely "age" and weaken the metal alloy to the point that it is more brittle.

This is exactly why wheel makers like Enkei say that powder coating voids their warranty.

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Removing the old coat often removes a little bit of the aluminium.

I can't see how the heat of a powder coating oven (350 degrees f) could be much hotter than a set of wheels after extended driving with heavy braking.

biscuits said:

I can't see how the heat of a powder coating oven (350 degrees f) could be much hotter than a set of wheels after extended driving with heavy braking.

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It was explained to me that the heat pre-maturely "ages" and weakens the wheels...any heat will do this over time...powder coating just speeds it up.

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It is not so much the powdercoating itself, it is the process... which involves stripping the paint by sandblasting and could lead to thousands of micro-cracks, which can only get bigger. chemical removal of the existing paint is preferred. additionally, many degrease the wheels by baking them in a high temp oven and that in itself can cause damage. the powdercoating occurs at a low enough temp as to not cause substantial aging, but it does in theory age it some.

HBui39 said:

It is not so much the powdercoating itself, it is the process... which involves stripping the paint by sandblasting and could lead to thousands of micro-cracks, which can only get bigger. chemical removal of the existing paint is preferred. additionally, many degrease the wheels by baking them in a high temp oven and that in itself can cause damage. the powdercoating occurs at a low enough temp as to not cause substantial aging, but it does in theory age it some.

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OP this explanation seems to describe the effects of powder coating and associated processes best. If you're planning to use your wheels for a long period of time then maybe it the adverse effects should be a consideration but given most of us will usually get bored and want a change (and this is only relevant if you're planning to keep the car for that long... I know I am).

Its a little bit of a pain for me to choose new rims mainly because i have stoptechs front and back. Is chemical removal of the paint expensive? something i can do myself? I think i am going to powder coat them because im tired of the color(bronze) but not of the rim its self. Im thinking about a dark gunmetal color. Any other suggestions on what everyone thinks looks best on a red/black 93

I believe this car has stoptech front and back. The wheel is advan RS. There is a group but now for the RSII in the vendor section.

Just plasti dip them, powdercoat has the potential to weaken them.

GBL1 said:

Yes.

The amount of basic heat required to powder coat a wheel is enough to pre-maturely "age" and weaken the metal alloy to the point that it is more brittle.

This is exactly why wheel makers like Enkei say that powder coating voids their warranty.

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Wow.....this is good to know. I was considering powder coating my new Enkei wheels.

Dhalsim said:

Wow.....this is good to know. I was considering powder coating my new Enkei wheels.

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Glad to help. DO NOT do it!

We're an exclusive authorized Enkei distributor...and I got that info straight from Enkei.



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GBL1 said:

Glad to help. DO NOT do it!

We're an exclusive authorized Enkei distributor...and I got that info straight from Enkei.



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How about painting?

I believe painting is fine, but I will call & double-check for you first thing in the morning.

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Painting is the standard finish on every wheel pretty much, it doesn't involve heat so it should be fine.

Nero Tenebre said:

Painting is the standard finish on every wheel pretty much, it doesn't involve heat so it should be fine.

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I can if you bake the paint on.

I actually called & asked Enkei again about this...even using Krylon rattle-can paint will void their warranty. It has to do with people in the past powder-coating their wheels, being told they voided their warranty, then changing their story to say they only painted them...in a vain effort to get someone else to pay for something they did.


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Nero Tenebre said:

Painting is the standard finish on every wheel pretty much, it doesn't involve heat so it should be fine.

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GBL1 said:

I can if you bake the paint on.

I actually called & asked Enkei again about this...even using Krylon rattle-can paint will void their warranty. It has to do with people in the past powder-coating their wheels, being told they voided their warranty, then changing their story to say they only painted them...in a vain effort to get someone else to pay for something they did.


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And this is why you never assume.

Thanks for checking on that. Seems extreme but at least I know now.

GBL1 said:

I actually called & asked Enkei again about this...even using Krylon rattle-can paint will void their warranty. It has to do with people in the past powder-coating their wheels, being told they voided their warranty, then changing their story to say they only painted them...in a vain effort to get someone else to pay for something they did. .

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Sounds like Enkei is just giving CYA answers, but I don't blame them. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave the same response if asked about plastidip.

I guess heat damages anything, but sounds to me like people want to know to what degree does powder coating degrade wheel performance/durability. Those in the know (in the wheel industry) surely must have some hard numbers from studies/tests?

Sounds like Enkei is just trying to find a way to void warranty at any plausible chance. It's good to know as I considered getting some Enkeis and repainting them since they only come in silver. I suppose I may have to find a used set and go that route instead of buying completely new ones and wasting my money.

As for the heat from powdercoating, I am not saying that 300-400 degrees can't harm a wheel or change the properties (as I am no expert), but when considering the rotors, pads and calipers emit temps that are even higher than that, I guess a moderate track day or hot summer drive would also "weaken" my rims each and every time? Also how is chrome plating exempt from this discussion?

I also don't buy the sandblasting theory of micro-fractures. Also, this would mean that polishing the wheels to a mirror like finish could perhaps induce micro-fractures. These wheels are usually made of strong aluminum alloy not calcium-based bones...

With plasti dip you could just remove it like it was never there. Painting won't harm the wheels but its not like wheel warranties mean anything anyways. They would likely just blame any structural damage on road conditions which are out of their control and say too bad. Their finish warranty may be useful but seems like they would like to wiggle out of any claims regardless. Some of their wheels it would be cheaper to buy replacements than fix!

Why do people think that every company is out to screw them by dodging a warranty claim?

What are you people, democrats?


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