Powder Coat vs. Painted Wheels??
- Thread starter Cossie
- Start date
udrive2slow
Member
- :
- in need of a ms protege
cost is a huge factor in the fight of paint vs. powder coating... and the fact is tht its soo hard to find some where to get them powder coated... but it lasts soo much longer and looks soo much better
I painted mine with a acid etching primer and Northstar polyurethane satin black paint. i used this paint everyday at work so I know it is pretty damn close to powdercoating when it comes to looks and durability. You just have to know how to do everything the right way. They have been painted for 6 months driving fast on back roads that are not always the cleanest and on gravel roads no chips or scratches.
I just talked to a paint specialist about this the other day acutaully. he said to paint them it would be more expensive because of prep and layers. Powdercoating is more durable overall but if you chip it, it will keep peeling off. Where as a regular painted wheel would chip in one spot and not spread. I am getting mine powdercoated sometime this winter.
from what i have gathered, and from what i have also heard discussed (i have engineers for friends), during the powdercoating process, the heat used in the powdercoating process causes the realignment of the crystal structures from a more cross pattern to a linear pattern, which results in a more brittle structure.
that said, there are plenty of powdercoated wheels out there that have no problems at all. but 2 guys in the local vw club that have had fracture issues with their powdercoated wheels.
i'm not saying that all powdercoated wheels are doomed to fracture; however, just something that i think no one ever considers before deciding.
i can find out more, if more details are needed.
Last edited:
well know that by heating metal that has already gone through the hardening process will weakin to some degree, about the same as drilling a hole into it changing the integrity but i didn't think the powder coating process got that hot, how hot are the powder coat ovens.
GETxERxDONE
Member
the ovens are about 400 degrees for about 10 mins, which really should do nothing to the integrity of the rim..
$85 for a decent powdercoating gun
$30 for starter supplies (tape, plugs, prep materials)
$100 for a used electric oven in local classifieds)
...and you're powdercoating your own stuff, your friends parts and occasionally someone pays me. The equipment has paid for itself several times over.
As for brittle issues, theoretically its correct...but the few rims I've seen broken (online, not in person) were cheap aftermarket products. Mediocre metal quality is probably more to blame. I've done several sets of rims and none have broken yet. *knock on wood*
$30 for starter supplies (tape, plugs, prep materials)
$100 for a used electric oven in local classifieds)
...and you're powdercoating your own stuff, your friends parts and occasionally someone pays me. The equipment has paid for itself several times over.
As for brittle issues, theoretically its correct...but the few rims I've seen broken (online, not in person) were cheap aftermarket products. Mediocre metal quality is probably more to blame. I've done several sets of rims and none have broken yet. *knock on wood*
mazdaspeedster3
Member
- :
- Mazdaspeed3. 2008
Find out how expensive powder is... It isnt cheap and varies by color. The PC process does hurt aluminum. Known fact. Painting is cheaper because most do it themselves in their own garage. You will have a hard time finding a paint shop to paint your rims becuase they dont want you coming back complaining of scratches after having your wheels mounted.
Find a chemical stripper company in your area. It will run you about $12 a wheel to get the factory coating off your rims. Then find a powder coater. Most of the cost in powder coating is sand blasting your factory coating off the wheel. They have to be bare metal to be PC'ed.
Find a chemical stripper company in your area. It will run you about $12 a wheel to get the factory coating off your rims. Then find a powder coater. Most of the cost in powder coating is sand blasting your factory coating off the wheel. They have to be bare metal to be PC'ed.
I think $7-10/lb. is pretty reasonable...there are some fancy textures or metallics that might run a little more. And a lb. goes a long way. I recently did a whole set of Miata rims with less than a lb.
mazdaspeed32007
Member
- :
- Mazdaspeed3
i dont see how any structure of the rim would be changed at all because i think aluminum's melting point is something like 1300 F. Im pretty sure 10 mins at 400 would do nothing to a rim, just cure the powdercoating. im no expert....just logical thinking. i could be wrong.
