i want my wheels black, or something dark
Jul 21, 2004, 10:33 AM
#16
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Originally Posted by sophis
I sent my 5zigen rims to get powdercoated last week. I was going to use these rims as my daily driver and at the track several times this year including Buttonwillow and Willow Springs coming August 7-8. Looking at that picture has gotten me freaked out now. Has there been a lot of cases of powdercoated cast aluminum wheels snapping/cracking like that?!? Just imagining the rims cracking at over 100+mph at a turn is not something I want to ever experience. The place I took to get powdercoated said that powdercoating aluminum wheels would be fine and will not crack.
Of course, prevention is better.
Jul 22, 2004, 01:27 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by TheGVR4kid
The curing process for powdercoating is typically between 350-450F. This extra heat cycle is extremely detrimental to the integrity of most cast aluminum alloys. They get brittle, crack, and snap when under heavy load, like what a wheel experiences. Most powdercoating shops do not have the $100k equipment needed for controlled temperature increases and decreases and this is extremely stressful on the metal. A mass produced wheel will have it's original coating done and cured by such a machine, if it is even powdercoated at all.
Mar 17, 2005, 01:51 AM
#19
OK fella's I gotta question... I work at Frigidaire home products in Iowa and I want to send my rims through our system to powdercoat them white... my evo is white, and I know at work our powdercoat system is a multi million dollar system with 4 stage ovens and 350 degree temp... should I be concerned or does anyone know...
Mar 17, 2005, 09:00 AM
#20
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i did research on this before cooking mine at ~390 and the info I found said they're ok as long as 400 isn't breached.
i also totalled my evo afterward (nothing to do with the wheels) and one of them hit a tree pretty hard and didn't break.
i would say that as long as you keep it under 400 and done use race slicks, you should be fine.
i also totalled my evo afterward (nothing to do with the wheels) and one of them hit a tree pretty hard and didn't break.
i would say that as long as you keep it under 400 and done use race slicks, you should be fine.
Mar 17, 2005, 12:36 PM
#21
Originally Posted by feautoevo
OK fella's I gotta question... I work at Frigidaire home products in Iowa and I want to send my rims through our system to powdercoat them white... my evo is white, and I know at work our powdercoat system is a multi million dollar system with 4 stage ovens and 350 degree temp... should I be concerned or does anyone know...
So how does heating my wheel to 350F for a while affect the strength of it? The more time you heat the aluminum over its transition temperature, the more you undo the heat treatment and weaken the wheel. There are tables that summarize this (none handy, but Mil. volume 5 comes to mind), but you have to know what Al you are heating. To be safe, I'd suggest coating with an epoxy resin that softens (goes from powder to the smooth coating) at ~275F; definitely below 350F.
Mar 17, 2005, 06:37 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by lacartus
It really depends on the material you are powder coating. I believe most wheels use 6061-T6 aluminum, which is solution heat treated (elevate to a temperature, which is over 350F, and quench (cool quickly)) and artificially aged (elevate above room temperature, but below the previous solution temperature and let it sit there for a while) to strengthen the aluminum. Huh? So how does heating my wheel to 350F for a while affect the strength of it? The more time you heat the aluminum over its transition temperature, the more you undo the heat treatment and weaken the wheel. There are tables that summarize this (none handy, but Mil. volume 5 comes to mind), but you have to know what Al you are heating. To be safe, I'd suggest coating with an epoxy resin that softens (goes from powder to the smooth coating) at ~275F; definitely below 350F.
So how does heating my wheel to 350F for a while affect the strength of it? The more time you heat the aluminum over its transition temperature, the more you undo the heat treatment and weaken the wheel. There are tables that summarize this (none handy, but Mil. volume 5 comes to mind), but you have to know what Al you are heating. To be safe, I'd suggest coating with an epoxy resin that softens (goes from powder to the smooth coating) at ~275F; definitely below 350F.
Mar 19, 2005, 03:28 PM
#23
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I know my bodyshop guy said he'd do mine $50/wheel... and that's using some special wheel paint, not powder coat... black is easy to do, as is gunmetal... if that's a special price to me, i couldn't tell you... he did my 3-stage kandy apple red celica at cost of materials as it was a show piece of advertising for him...
Jul 18, 2005, 03:14 PM
#26
Originally Posted by Turbocake
Someone feed this guy some wheaties and get him posting more often. 60 posts are not enough for this board. GO FORTH, wise one, and speak the truth!
Aug 19, 2009, 12:01 PM
#27
LOL all the cars he named were domestics. Crap i think i just sparked something 
and I know all wheels are made with the same materials.
and I know all wheels are made with the same materials. I've seen it happen to a good variety of wheels, both OE and aftermarket. For one reason or another I've seen and heard about a large number of Ford R58, R50, and D178 Cobra R's failing after powdercoating. This may have something to do with the alloy, or just because there are such a large number of these wheels being used and being used hard. The photo if anyone wanted to know is a C5 Vette wheel.
If you use your wheels at the track another reason not to powdercoat them is for inspection. Wheels do fatigue, crack, and break during track conditions, that's a fact. You should inspect your wheels after events when you clean them and such. Look for stress fractures and such. A lot of race teams will strip down their wheels every few events to check for problems, and then just repaint them. With a powdercoat this isnt possible, and it is thick enough to hide problems in the wheel below.
I had powdercoated wheels before, and did not have a problem. But knowing the things I know now, I just wouldn't chance it. Like you said, the thought of a wheel failure at speed ain't my idea of a picnic.
If you use your wheels at the track another reason not to powdercoat them is for inspection. Wheels do fatigue, crack, and break during track conditions, that's a fact. You should inspect your wheels after events when you clean them and such. Look for stress fractures and such. A lot of race teams will strip down their wheels every few events to check for problems, and then just repaint them. With a powdercoat this isnt possible, and it is thick enough to hide problems in the wheel below.
I had powdercoated wheels before, and did not have a problem. But knowing the things I know now, I just wouldn't chance it. Like you said, the thought of a wheel failure at speed ain't my idea of a picnic.
Aug 19, 2009, 12:37 PM
#28
Some people say the same thing about forged wheels..yet I have yet to see a damn problem. Casting is molten metal poured into shape, so how does it get brittle if you heat it back up? I would think it gets softer if anything. In anycase, powdercoating has come along way, and can be done at lower temps now.
Aug 19, 2009, 03:29 PM
#29
What your actually doing is changing the temper of the metal by annealing it. Depending on the alloy and its chemical makeup, it could make it hard, soft, brittle... Many variables fall into place there. I don't think its fair to say "if you powder coat your wheels your going to die", its not that simple.
Aug 20, 2009, 12:19 PM
#30
Is there a paint that will hold up better to wheel heat? I have had a few friends that puff canned their dsm rims and some would chip really bad and one had his paint melt off and run,(looked like poop!)
I have a buddy that works at a body shop and has access to the paint booth and can spray up there too. I am getting a set or two of evo rims for my 2g and want them black. what should I do if powder coating is not an opton then how should I go about doing this and make it look really good?
thanks
I have a buddy that works at a body shop and has access to the paint booth and can spray up there too. I am getting a set or two of evo rims for my 2g and want them black. what should I do if powder coating is not an opton then how should I go about doing this and make it look really good?
thanks