Paint or powder coat the rims?

Powder coated wheels have been known to chip around the lugs also.
I prefer paint and often trim inside the recess and put a small amount of vaseline before putting the lug nut on. Someone posted about putting a bit of tissue before tightening; never tried that.
 
I had a set powder powder coated and another set I painted myself. I think the powder coat used on the first set was possibly not done correct or was bad material. The painted wheels I did myself and I am happier with them. I used TCP Global urethane.
 
In reality, there is no difference between the paints. When folks start talking about one chips more than the other, you tend to find the one with a higher mil thickness is the one that is chipping. Also, most powder paints are not of the same quality of what sprayed paints are, so the cheaper product will always have inferior pigments and not do well in UV holdout.
 
Just yesterday looked at a set of Powder coated from Les Swab Tires. Less than $40.00 per wheel and look great. Rattle can and sandblasting would cost me more. Not for the show cars I'm sure, but sure looked nice on the car. (That took place in Livermore, CA.)
 
I paint mine , mostly red enamel with hardener . I keep mine inside when not in use . My september 29 stripdown that I got in 1960 now sports aloonium 15 inch wheels that don't need paint .
 
A member of our club had his wheel powder coated only to find that there were rust stains apopearing around the ends of the spokes. The powder didn't penetrate the small gap at the end of the spokes and allowed the rust to get going. After his experience, I use a sealer that wicks into gaps and cracks to make sure rust won't get in there.
Paint or powder is a bit like which oil do you use. Learn the pros nd cons and make your own decision. You will be looking at the wheels more than anybody else.
 
Ask the powder coat shop if it can apply special primer that can withstand the 450 degrees (+/-) used to bake. Also, some p.c. colors may not be easy to touch up. We used to use acrylic enamel with hardener though perhaps getting scarce in some regions. Both require all rust to be removed and can take a mild wax when fully cured. We find sometimes the (black) powder coat shows scratches when removing dust dry.
 
My powder coat wiped off on the rag when I tried removing road tar. That's why I painted mine with urethane after I primed with epoxy primer after I had them sandblasted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top