Hey guys, I just got new wheels from tirerack.com for my winter ride since 2 of the stock wheels were bent and I needed new tires for it too.

So I wanted to powder coat them, but I was wondering..do I need to strip the paint off the new wheels first (either sandblasting or with aircraft stripper) before I powder coat them? Or could I just powder coat them the way they are?

 

Sandblast then powdercoat

 

Most any shop you take them to will sandblast them before powdercoating them. This is what I had done to my stock AP2v2 wheels.

 

And make sure they have done wheels before. If they use too much heat you will soften the wheels.

 

My "Mag Blue" about 3 years ago.

 

after sandblasting my powdercoater de-gassed the rim before powdering them, helps to ensure good adhesion in the future.