Powder coated wheels - safety issue

[Nick M]

adeel_gt said:

Most wheels are powder coated from factory so i'd struggle to see it being unsafe to use them.

They also tend to have the mounting face as bare metal, rather than being left with powder coat or paint on that surface.

[Nick M]

B17NNS said:

AFC1886 said:

Your wheels got so hot it melted the powdercoating!? WTF?

My thoughts too. At what temperature does powdercoat 'melt'?

He did say it was used on track, so brakes would be getting more of a pasting than usual, so more heat to find its way into the hub / wheels.

Apparently (thank you Google ) powdercoat cures at around 200 degrees C, so it's not inconceivable that the hub got hot enough to at least soften the powdercoat, particularly if it was a little bit thicker in some areas.

[bobbo89]

This was something of a concern to me after having a set of Comps powdercoated a couple of years back, mainly the tapered bolt seats rather than the hub face though. I'd heard horror stories etc but they were always from a mate of a mate who knew a dog who's owners grandad once had it happen to him so I shrugged it off as a rumour.

I never had any issues but then I doubt temperatures got anywhere near high enough to cause a problem.

[ash reynolds]

jeremyc said:

e don't allow naming and shaming - it's against the rules you signed up to when you joined.

Besides, the specific trader wasn't the point of your post, was it.

OK, thanks. I wasn't challenging just looking for clarity. The trader was also kind of the point as it seems that some have different guidelines and standards for refurb. Rules are rules though so thanks for the explanation.

[ash reynolds]

richwig83 said:

Pirelli Edition?

It is, well observed.

[Monty Python]

Isn't the simple solution just to simply re-torque the bolts after a short period of use?

[mwstewart]

Mave said:

How does a smooth conical surface score off the material? Where does this material end up going?

Above and below the mating surface. Try it on a set and see. I have first hand experience of this coating error.

[J4CKO]

Just get a fast fit tyre place to do the bolts and they will never come off again.

[Matt_N]

J4CKO said:

Just get a fast fit tyre place to do the bolts and they will never come off again.

Ah yes, the wang them on with the windy gun, then use the torque wrench set to 110nm to check them, funnily enough the wrench always pings straight away!

[GreigM]

adeel_gt said:

Most wheels are powder coated from factory so i'd struggle to see it being unsafe to use them.

Are they? I was under the impression most are painted as in mass production its cheaper, quicker and gives a tougher finish. Certainly all porsche/ferrari wheels are painted from factory.

[rigga]

Monty Python said:

Isn't the simple solution just to simply re-torque the bolts after a short period of use?

Which is the normal advice when a wheel is removed for any reason ...

[haddock82]

I had a very similar situation with powder coated wheels,

Fresh from being coated they were put on the car

About 2 weeks later one of the rear wheels fell off! luckily i was going very slowly.

I was young and this was my first foray into classic car ownership and indeed only my second ever car, so i had very little spannering experience back then

The garage looked into it and the only conclusion was some of the powder coating had lifted behind the wheel stud leaving just a tiny enough gap to eventually loosen the wheel nut off.

Wheel was put back on correctly torqued and never had a problem again.

Obviously should have checked wheel nut torque after the wheels had been re-fitted but we live and learn and i was just a young nipper back then.

[Harry Flashman]

a) this sounds like complete balls; and

b) what sort of fool doesn't check their wheel nut tensions every so often whilst out on track?

[Output Flange]

Harry Flashman said:

a) this sounds like complete balls

I've had wheels powder coated at a few different places, and all have told me to check the nuts after 50 miles for exactly the reason the OP posted. It surprises me more that he wasn't told when he picked them up from [insert company name here]

Harry Flashman said:

b) what sort of fool doesn't check their wheel nut tensions every so often whilst out on track?

Well, quite.

[ash reynolds]

Output Flange said:

Harry Flashman said:

a) this sounds like complete balls

I've had wheels powder coated at a few different places, and all have told me to check the nuts after 50 miles for exactly the reason the OP posted. It surprises me more that he wasn't told when he picked them up from [insert company name here]

Harry Flashman said:

b) what sort of fool doesn't check their wheel nut tensions every so often whilst out on track?

Well, quite.

I haven't said I didn't check the wheel bolts. This is specifically with respect to what has happened to the powder coating. I'm not publishing all of the detail here, just enough for somebody to make an informed decision or not.

It's up to the individual whether they credit the advice I've received as being accurate or useful. In the meantime please don't imply foolishness on my account. I put myself in their hands and followed their advice and took what I believed to be sensible precautions after the event.

I'm pleased if this thread is of use to somebody, equally I'm not interested if it isn't. Make of it what you will but please keep derogatory comments to yourself.

[Output Flange]

I'm not sure why you're quoting me before your whinge.

As I said, it surprises me that you weren't told by the powdercoater to check the nuts after 50 miles. If you weren't then that's their failing.

[spikey78]

I've had this happen on a racing car that had had the wheels refurbed and painted, so yes, it does happen.. The wheels were torqued before the session but still came loose/broke some bolts whilst in a half hour trackday session..

[Rovinghawk]

I've also had similar experience to the OP with powder coated wheels on track.

Be careful, folks.

[pherlopolus]

I have had this on a road car, powder coated steel wheels, bolts loose after 8 miles.

Was on my way to local DVLA office for inspection too so was quite exciting having wheels nearly fall off.

[405dogvan]

Even if the coating being missing allowed a tiny amount of movement, the time it would take to loosen ALL the nuts is considerable.

It's also unlikely that they'd get anything like 'all the way off' before you noticed the vibration - and it's inconceivable that you'd continue to drive as the nuts fell off.

The actual WHEEL coming off is a bit like letting a small crack in the wall become 'your house falling down' - you'd notice something...