Just wondering what your thoughts are on powdercoating your track wheels vs painting them? I plan on purchasing a forged set of wheels which have been powdercoated previously and was wondering if anyone on here as any first hand experience of powdercoated wheels having problems cracking etc while exposed to high temps that track cars see?

 

I didn't/don't have issues with cracking, but I do have an issue with the brake dust embedding into the powdercoat finish.

I'd go paint personally, unless you're doing black, then it really doesn't matter IMO.

 

one of my previous sets of wheels was powdercoated by a previous owner - they got stained by the heat & brake dust after a single track day

 

I wouldn't. Metal gains its strength through the heat treating process. If the powder coating is not well controlled, you mess with the strengthening process of the metal via heat treatments. Improper heating will lead to metal fatigue and possibly make the wheel brittle and more prone to cracking.

see thread below.

My link

Powder coating straight from the manufacturer is fine, since that's part of their manufacturing process and is well control for specific QC standards and to meet at bare minimum the JWL wheel standard.

Aftermarket powder coating doesn't care about any of that.

If it's a street wheel, go ahead and powder coat. If you're tracking on it, i wouldn't trust it - stick to plastidip or paint.

that's my 2 cents.

 

I had three Volk CE28N's fail on track. Wheels were purchased used and I suspect they had been powder coated by the previous owner. Wheel failures can turn out really bad - I wouldn't risk it.

 

This has been covered a bunch of times:
Some people have powdercoated their wheels and not had them fail, and consequently assert that it's safe. On the other hand, it seems like a disproportionate number of wheel failures that we've seen have been on powdercoated wheels. What you do with that information is up to you.

 

Looks like im going to pass on them then, thanks everyone.

 

I'd go with whatever makes the lowest lap times. I'm sure black wheels do that.

-- Chuck

 

I'd avoid paint too on a track wheel. Not for safety, but because track heat levels embedded brake dust in the paint and I had to strip and refinish the wheels to get rid of it. If you care how they look and want them to stay that way, only use wheels in a finish they came from the factory as.

 

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