dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 26, 2014 What's the consensus? A metalogist friend says it does the wheels no good as the pores open up due to the 200deg+ baking temp. The wheel refurb guys say they've never had any problems, with road or track car wheels. Any opinions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,646 Posted February 26, 2014 No issues here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nick205 12 5 Cars Posted February 26, 2014 Had a set powder coated and ran them on my kit car for 3 years with no issues whatsoever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Fenton 1,536 Posted February 26, 2014 The wheels probably see more than 200 deg from brake heat in use, so I can't see it being a problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slo 283 1 Cars Posted February 26, 2014 I think you need some new friends 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stu8v 68 1 Cars Posted February 26, 2014 I've seen threads on the net before about wheels breaking. Loads if piccies floating about. I guess there must be some truth in it, well to some degree. Bare in mind most items have a mechanical life, most teams life items such as wheels suspension parts if used hard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daviewonder 533 3 Cars Posted February 26, 2014 It seems that wheels with really skinny spokes suffer from it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 I've sent a query to SL, hopefully get a response. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 I spoke to a guy at SL. Although a bit uncommital he doesn't see any problem with coating the wheels, as long as the wheels are in goog condition/no underlying fractures etc etc, and that the hub facia is kept bare ALU. However, if it was his wheels he would opt for wet paint every time, as it's a better finish, and less layers are required. I've been hunting for a few days to try find someone local who will acid dip, sand blast if required, and paint my wheels, but none of the places will do them without PC'ing them. I can get 4 wheels fully refurb'd and PC'd for £150 The local painter wants £200 just to etch primer/paint them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,646 Posted February 27, 2014 less layers? PC is a single layer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) less layers? PC is a single layer PC wheel refurb involves, primer, PC, wet spray to correct colour, PC lacquer. Try puting a bolt through a hole on a piece of metal that has been PC'd, versus a hole that has been painted. Edited February 27, 2014 by dobboy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,646 Posted February 27, 2014 Yes, i have worked in a powdercoating plant... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allanallen 528 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 Dobboy, are you surgie???? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 Dobboy, are you surgie???? Surgie? eh? is there a punchline lol? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 email response from SL. Hello, thanks for getting in touch. Good call on asking about powder coating as it can, in some instances, affect the strength of the wheel. The problem relates to heat cycling. The wheels, during production, go through a number of carefully managed heat cycles ( including heat treatment processes ) that combines to make sure the wheel has the right material properties once finished. Powder coating, post wheel production, introduces additional heat cycles to the wheel and in some circumstances can lead to a loss of strength in the wheel. I should add that this is not always the case, but represents enough of a risk for us to recommend against it. Consequently we do not recommend powder coating our wheels during a refurbishment. Additionally, any process that can result in very high temperatures to the wheel (shot blasting for example ) should be avoided. We recommend that the wheel is treated in much the same way as car bodywork. Existing paint removed via a soft media process or flatted back in preparation for painting. Hope that helps. Kind regards David David Williams SL Corse Ltd Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allanallen 528 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 There you go then folks, speedline covering their arse....... Why don't you now ask him what effects a 600 degrees c + discs has on the wheel? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 There you go then folks, speedline covering their arse....... Why don't you now ask him what effects a 600 degrees c + discs has on the wheel? Allan, Peugeot must have designed the wheel, hence SMR's versions etc, and the wheel would have been manufactured to Pugs spec "fit for purpose" (with a bit of bunce)for a standard GTI road car...25+yrs ago You can't expect to put a road car alloy wheel on an F1 race car and expect it not to melt, can you? I asked the guy for advice, he gave me it, and i'm happy with that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,646 Posted February 27, 2014 you know they throw F1 wheels away after a season right ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 you know they throw F1 wheels away after a season right ? I didn't,..... but i can guess why. How many yards do you think you'd get out of a 1.9 SL on an F1? Point being, they aren't designed for F1. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mac Crash 78 1 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 don't know much at all about powder coating but I guess if the wheel is in decent condition to begin with then I'd go for painting.... if the wheels are not so great then I'd go for PC which might sound contradictive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ams 23 1 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 I've had a few powder coated wheels, subjected to heavy track and fast road use, with zero issues. As long as the PC firm is experienced in wheel powder coating and your wheels are in decent condition it'll be fine. No alloy wheel manufacturer will go on record saying "there's absolutely no problem with powder coating" due to possible legal implications, but the email you received does state: Powder coating...in some circumstances can lead to a loss of strength in the wheel. I should add that this is not always the case, In other words, as long as the procedure is carried out properly then there's a very low probability of the wheels being compromised. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
allanallen 528 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 Allan, Peugeot must have designed the wheel, hence SMR's versions etc, and the wheel would have been manufactured to Pugs spec "fit for purpose" (with a bit of bunce)for a standard GTI road car...25+yrs ago You can't expect to put a road car alloy wheel on an F1 race car and expect it not to melt, can you? I asked the guy for advice, he gave me it, and i'm happy with that. Dobby, who mentioned f1? Glad you've got your answer anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ams 23 1 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) It seems that wheels with really skinny spokes suffer from it. I'm pretty sure that materials selection for a wheel is dictated by its design (reflected in price) since ultimately the manufacturer (provided they are legitimate) have to comply with certain standards in regards to strength. For example my last cars wheels in the pic below had what would qualify as skinny spokes, but the design had been through JWL standard testing (wheels were Rota 9.5x17 ET12). I had absolutely no issues after powder coating them. They are a popular Nissan aftermarket wheel and a great many have been powder coated on respective Nissan forums, no one ever had a failure with this wheel after PC'ing even on heavyweight R32, R33 and R34 GTRs despite having skinny spokes: If however you had unbranded "replica" alloys then you would have cause for concern irrespective of design, with or without powder coating, as they are made with no real safety testing in mind. Edited February 27, 2014 by Ams 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malc 45 Posted February 27, 2014 I painted and laquered 5 of mine for around £50, and a bit of elbow grease, they look superb!! Honestly you spend too much time thinking about things!! when's this engine ready to go in more importantly? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobboy 231 2 Cars Posted February 27, 2014 I painted and laquered 5 of mine for around £50, and a bit of elbow grease, they look superb!! Honestly you spend too much time thinking about things!! when's this engine ready to go in more importantly? Front and back? Still a list of things to do yet....but hopefully the next drop will be the last of the hokey kokey. What about yours? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites