Powder Coating, of the wheel variety
Discussion
Assuming your username means what I think it does, you should find that KM Powdercoatings in Pontefract pretty handy. There on 01977 799040, did my wife's Impreza wheels for £130 all in, including tyres off/on. Excellent work and I'm comparing them to my ZXR750 wheels which were done by Triple S in Bingley who seem to get the nod as market leaders in all the bike mags.
I've used TWS in Garforth three times personally (and had several friends and realtives use them) all with fantastic results. They're dearer than the £170 the previous poster quoted (never seen decent coating that cheap).
Drop car off in morning, pick up in evening. Right next to Garforth Train station.
http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/File/Leeds_det...
Mines the teal SL on the testimonials page.
Drop car off in morning, pick up in evening. Right next to Garforth Train station.
http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/File/Leeds_det...
Mines the teal SL on the testimonials page.
Got to admit I'm not sure how KM do it for the price but the quality of work is absolutely spot on. The wife's wheels were a very sad looking set I got from ebay with flaking paint, lots of corrosion, parking dents, gouges and nicks. When I picked them up they were indistinguishable from new, the rim edges having been built back up and then trued. The finish was(still is) flawless
Dropped mine off on a Thurday lunchtime and they were ready Tuesday Morning.
Dropped mine off on a Thurday lunchtime and they were ready Tuesday Morning.
My wheels are not looking so s
t hot after just one year since powder-coating...
I'd argue that it's actually a st way to cover wheels, and proper OEM style wet painting is the best way to go, for durability and looks.
They never look really glossy and flat smooth, and the clear coat is often a bit flaky/thin in hard to reach areas which means brake dust gets in there, isn't easily cleaned out, and they stain up badly in those pitted depressions where the clear coat is thin.
Also, I've had horrible clear coat splitting from road chips, while my other wheels with a similar exposure to such things, on their original 7yr old clear-coat, look immeasurably nicer. Polish up and look super shiny, and no stains or marks that were not easily removed with AG super resin polish.
Depends what you want from your wheels, but I'd avoid (despite what anyone says) powder-coating like the plague if your getting wheels done on a car you want to keep. It's cheap for a reason, because it's cheap!
I wish, for all the hassle, that I'd just bought new OEM wheels for a few hundred quid more, and enjoyed OEM quality finish and durability!
Dave
t hot after just one year since powder-coating...I'd argue that it's actually a s
t way to cover wheels, and proper OEM style wet painting is the best way to go, for durability and looks.They never look really glossy and flat smooth, and the clear coat is often a bit flaky/thin in hard to reach areas which means brake dust gets in there, isn't easily cleaned out, and they stain up badly in those pitted depressions where the clear coat is thin.
Also, I've had horrible clear coat splitting from road chips, while my other wheels with a similar exposure to such things, on their original 7yr old clear-coat, look immeasurably nicer. Polish up and look super shiny, and no stains or marks that were not easily removed with AG super resin polish.
Depends what you want from your wheels, but I'd avoid (despite what anyone says) powder-coating like the plague if your getting wheels done on a car you want to keep. It's cheap for a reason, because it's cheap!
I wish, for all the hassle, that I'd just bought new OEM wheels for a few hundred quid more, and enjoyed OEM quality finish and durability!
Dave
Edited by Mr Whippy on Monday 13th June 14:46
Mr Whippy
Whatever you've had done to your wheels it wasn't powdercoating, it wouldn't have been clearcoated. The powdercoat itself is the final finish which is tougher than paint or lacquer.
If done right
Whatever you've had done to your wheels it wasn't powdercoating, it wouldn't have been clearcoated. The powdercoat itself is the final finish which is tougher than paint or lacquer.
If done right
Edited by Husaberk on Monday 13th June 16:07
Edited by Husaberk on Monday 13th June 16:08
Steameh said:
Thinking of having this done to mine, problem is what to do with the car whilst they get coated? My drive is sloped so I am unsure about popping it up on axle stands while the wheels are off. Any other suggestions?
Go somewhere that offers a one day service and leave it with them.Go somewhere (eg. pxwheels in Blackpool) where you go in with your old set and get them swapped with a previously refurbed set (if they have that particular type - see their website).
Husaberk said:
Mr Whippy
Whatever you've had done to your wheels it wasn't powdercoating, it wouldn't have been clearcoated. The powdercoat itself is the final finish which is tougher than paint or lacquer.
If done right
They do a base coat and then a clear coat in powders. My finish is the ubiquitous "high power silver"...Whatever you've had done to your wheels it wasn't powdercoating, it wouldn't have been clearcoated. The powdercoat itself is the final finish which is tougher than paint or lacquer.
If done right
Edited by Husaberk on Monday 13th June 16:07
Edited by Husaberk on Monday 13th June 16:08
I've had them done in the past too. It's like two thick plastic coats that you could, if you wanted, peel off.
I've never seen a good clear coat finish. I've heard of them and seen photos in promotional material that looks great, but never seen a customer with them.
I have however seen exceptionally good wet paint finishes on reconditioned wheels.
Dave
Good cheap powdercoating here:
http://www.midastouchgb.co.uk/
A friend has used them and had good results, for powdercoating.
No point paying a premium for powdercoating as the end result is limited by powdercoat being ste.
Dave
http://www.midastouchgb.co.uk/
A friend has used them and had good results, for powdercoating.
No point paying a premium for powdercoating as the end result is limited by powdercoat being s
te.Dave
Husaberk said:
Assuming your username means what I think it does, you should find that KM Powdercoatings in Pontefract pretty handy. There on 01977 799040, did my wife's Impreza wheels for £130 all in, including tyres off/on. Excellent work and I'm comparing them to my ZXR750 wheels which were done by Triple S in Bingley who seem to get the nod as market leaders in all the bike mags.
That sounds a VERY good price if the results are good. I was all set to use TWS in Garforth later this summer but I have to say that is much cheaper.Do you have any pictures of the quality of finish?
As for OEM quality, I think this varies hugely, the 17's on my MX5 are corroding badly at 4.5years old and they are notorious for this, the wheel on my wife's old X-Type however were still looking good when we sold it earlier this year at 6.5years old. Previously I had a Fiat which had corroded wheels refurbed under warranty at 12months old!
D1bram said:
As for OEM quality, I think this varies hugely, the 17's on my MX5 are corroding badly at 4.5years old and they are notorious for this, the wheel on my wife's old X-Type however were still looking good when we sold it earlier this year at 6.5years old. Previously I had a Fiat which had corroded wheels refurbed under warranty at 12months old!
I had an X plate MR2 Roadster - I had 4 complete sets of wheels under warranty - in the end Toyota just started stonewalling me.Taking a look at Toyota alloys in general I'd say it was an ongoing issue.
I think its to do with the heat part of the process, I think it mainly affects forged wheels. There's threads on CRX and ITR forums with pics but a quick Google found a thread on a Porsche forum where it appears BBS advise against powdercoating their wheels after the initial factory job. I'm no expert but I've seen enough to make my mind up.
The only issue I've heard of with powder coating is where the mounting face is also powder coated instead of being masked off before hand.
When the wheel is mounted and torqued up everything is fine to start with. However if the hub gets hot due to the brakes (especially on track days) the powder coating can soften and the wheel nuts are effectively loosened off. In theory they can then fully undo and the wheel can fall off.
I have only heard of this happening on track days, and never seen it first hand. It does make sense though.
When the wheel is mounted and torqued up everything is fine to start with. However if the hub gets hot due to the brakes (especially on track days) the powder coating can soften and the wheel nuts are effectively loosened off. In theory they can then fully undo and the wheel can fall off.
I have only heard of this happening on track days, and never seen it first hand. It does make sense though.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff