Powder Coating
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Member
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 10
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From: Santa Monica Ca
Powder Coating
Does anyone know if the stock 5 spoke aluminum rims are powder coated or clear coated. I want to powder coat my rims black and the shop I called said, if they are already powder coated they would have to prep the rims by either sand blasting or a salt bath. Plus the baking process, All that can't be healthy. Any other suggestions, Would Imron be a better solution? Help....
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Rex 99 F150 XLT S/C S/B 4.6, Auto, Solid Black, Dark Graphite. Santa Monica Ca.
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Rex 99 F150 XLT S/C S/B 4.6, Auto, Solid Black, Dark Graphite. Santa Monica Ca.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 2
From: OK
I doubt that there is any colored powdercoating on the rims. There is probably a clear powdercoat over them that will have to be blasted off regardless of paint or powdercoat.
Besides, blasting and baking will NOT harm your wheels unless they are done really wrong. They are only in the oven for a few minutes- just long enough to fuse the polymer. And, driving down the road probably subjects the wheels to as much abuse as blasting. Glass & plastic beads, sand of various sizes, and super-small particle blasting can now be done by just about anyone.
Are you thinking about a color coat? There are some really cool translucent powders out that would look nice on rims. If you do color-coat them, be sure to get a clear powder finish over the top. Despite its "better-than-paint" durability, powdercoating is not impervious to nicks and scratches. And once bare metal is exposed, corrosion will run even more rampant than it would if the wheels were just painted.
Neal
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1997 4x4 Expedition- 4.6L, true dual exhaust w/glass-packs, K&N air filter, SuperChip, airbox mods, Edelbrock shocks, 285/75R16 BFG ATs, Optima "T-Bone" wheels, and Clarion In-dash CD player. Just added Smitty Bilt push bars and nerf bars!!
1993 4x2 F150 Reg. Cab LWB- 5.0L, cat-back dual exhaust w/glass-packs, K&N air filter, Superchip, fresh paint, and Line-X bedliner.
2000"other"
http://members.visualcities.com/NoMo
Besides, blasting and baking will NOT harm your wheels unless they are done really wrong. They are only in the oven for a few minutes- just long enough to fuse the polymer. And, driving down the road probably subjects the wheels to as much abuse as blasting. Glass & plastic beads, sand of various sizes, and super-small particle blasting can now be done by just about anyone.
Are you thinking about a color coat? There are some really cool translucent powders out that would look nice on rims. If you do color-coat them, be sure to get a clear powder finish over the top. Despite its "better-than-paint" durability, powdercoating is not impervious to nicks and scratches. And once bare metal is exposed, corrosion will run even more rampant than it would if the wheels were just painted.
Neal
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1997 4x4 Expedition- 4.6L, true dual exhaust w/glass-packs, K&N air filter, SuperChip, airbox mods, Edelbrock shocks, 285/75R16 BFG ATs, Optima "T-Bone" wheels, and Clarion In-dash CD player. Just added Smitty Bilt push bars and nerf bars!!
1993 4x2 F150 Reg. Cab LWB- 5.0L, cat-back dual exhaust w/glass-packs, K&N air filter, Superchip, fresh paint, and Line-X bedliner.
2000"other"
http://members.visualcities.com/NoMo
Member
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Winsted, CT, US
I have the most fortunate situation of working for a company with a full automated powder coating system. I love it. I even powdercoated the back half of my SST exhaust on my SHO. All paint, clear or otherwise must be removed prior to powercoating, or else the powder won't stick. It is applied with electro-static guns. If painted, the powder doesn't have a strong static attraction to the metal, and you'll get lousy transfer if any. Make sure your sandblaster leaves a smooth surface. I coated nerf bars for a guy that were pretty "grainy", and the finish looked terrible. Powder typically cures at 340 - 420 degrees for 10 - 15 mins part temperature. That won't hurt your rims at all. Powder is certainly the way to go for durablility. You should ask your shop if they pretreat with phosphate. It's usually a component of the wash process. Powder sticks exceptionally better to a phosphated surface. Much better than liquid paint.
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99 XLT Black Ex-cab, Flareside, 5.4, ORP, 3.73, Gibson Supertruck, K&N, Raised front 1", Modified Airbox, new "slap-free" engine @19000 mi.
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99 XLT Black Ex-cab, Flareside, 5.4, ORP, 3.73, Gibson Supertruck, K&N, Raised front 1", Modified Airbox, new "slap-free" engine @19000 mi.