Painting v/s powdercoating wheels.. opinions, ideas, advice?
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Check out my pics. I had mine powdercoated "black chrome". Some like it some don't. I still have an affinity for the "lighter" colored wheels. I would say, however, that powdercoating is the way to go. Adds virtually no weight (probably net 0) and is inexpensive and is very easy to change if you want to. Good luck!lahori said:
KCD
Powerdercoating will add weight, if you are getting them professionally painted, the weight increase will probably be the same for powdercoating vs. painting (layers, clearcoat, adds weight). Personally, I think powdercoating is the way to go. Looks miles better in finish imo
I really like that M5 that was linked to, with the stock rims with the inner gunmetal and the outer lip silver... looks great :applause:
I really like that M5 that was linked to, with the stock rims with the inner gunmetal and the outer lip silver... looks great :applause:
The camera doesn't capture light the same as our eyes. Not to mention that we have 2 eyes vs just one for the camera and it plays a big pard in hyper reflective colors like shadow chrome.
The inner piece will not see as much wear as the outside, so painting might be ok. But the wheel bolt holes will see some action and it will end up chipping some. Sometimes a bigger chip than you might want can release. Powder is more durable and bonds better than paint. I recently picked up some OE rears & had the full set powder coated & like it. I'll post some pics, maybe tomorrow afternoon. One thing to remember with powder coating if you go that route.....have them mask the hub mating surface (metal to metal by design) and also about a half an inch into the bore hole (from the back). You'd also probably want to have the perimeter masked (behind all the bolts), so you'll have even metal to metal contact. There's about 5 different glosses (flat - high gloss) you can pick for the top coat of powder...which I think is a plus.
Also (for powder) be sure to discuss how the piece will be supported during baking. I ran into the problem of the piece being supported and powder melting/running down & cooling so there was a powder coat "bridge" between the supporting hook and the part. When it was time to take the part off of the support...there was inevitably a little chipped area. I also had to get a re-do because the powder didn't get good coverage between some of the tight areas of the spokes. You may not have this problem since your spokes are a little more evenly spaced. It turned out having the wheel hanging face down worked best for applying the powder, something to do with the electrical attraction/gravity/force of the powder coming out of the gun.
Cheers,
E
Also (for powder) be sure to discuss how the piece will be supported during baking. I ran into the problem of the piece being supported and powder melting/running down & cooling so there was a powder coat "bridge" between the supporting hook and the part. When it was time to take the part off of the support...there was inevitably a little chipped area. I also had to get a re-do because the powder didn't get good coverage between some of the tight areas of the spokes. You may not have this problem since your spokes are a little more evenly spaced. It turned out having the wheel hanging face down worked best for applying the powder, something to do with the electrical attraction/gravity/force of the powder coming out of the gun.
Cheers,
E
Here's mine in a gray...powdered....the close up pic is a little washed out (camera phone pic). The first pic is more representative of the shade & they have an 80% clear coat (most metallics require the clear coat to let the fleck show and maintain chemical resistance).
~E
~E
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Powder coating for sure is the way to go. It's a bit more expensive and requires more skill in the shop. If you're doing it to the stock wheels or wheels with as many nooks and crannies - make sure they know what they're doing because it's easy to get an accumulation of the powder coating in areas that are hard to reach. The result is not only an uneven surface - but also a darker color. Powder coating is a true trade skill in my humble opinion and my two cents here is to see what kind of similar work the shop has done before you pony up your precious bucks.
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