Anybody have any experience powder coating their wheels? Pros? Cons? Will it last?

2015 Stingray Z51 Shark Gray with the silver wheels...

 

So far so good. I didn't go out too much last summer so I did not put many miles on them. I have read that the heat from baking them isn't good, but so far they haven't fallen apart. One track day too.

 

yeah you have to be careful to find a shop that only goes to about 400 F, else issues occur. the main problem is that all the places who you'd want to do your wheels, only do the wheels they themselves produce. id stay away from the regional or national chains and just do your homework on local/semi local places that do a good job and are at least reasonably able to get the color/shade you want. i recently had mine done when a dealership screwed up my aftermarket rims and so far id rate the the whole thing an "OK" heh.. /sigh

 

I had mine powder coated with just over 1k on the clock and the fine GM paint was peeling because of the brake dust. 5 years later the powder coats still looks new. Do it!

 

As long as the prep is good powder coating is a very durable finish. The selection of colors is endless. Most curing temps are 375-400 degrees. The temperature that aluminum softens is around 650-700 degrees. Many people have powder coated wheels without issue.

 

When we lived in South Bend the Tire Rack facility wouldn't even mount on powder coated wheels. Although I've had many wheels powder coated that did give me pause.

From the Tire Rack website:
"Restrictions:We cannot service repaired, powder coated, wire, split, or wheels w/innertubes. Our facility cannot accommodate campers, trailers, RVs/motorhomes, extremely tall vehicles, H1-Hummers, Sprinter vans. Bolt-on Spacers require inspection and may not be serviceable."

 

I had mine done late last year, and I would not hesitate to do it again. I found a shop with years of experience, and literally hundreds and hundreds of great reviews. They have a lifetime warrantee on the powder coating. From what I've read, the finish is many times harder and tougher than paint. The shop did all mounting and balancing after the coating. Drives and rides perfectly. Good Luck!

 

I had mine done in Carbon Flash, to match the rest of the car's trim. No problems so far.


As others said, make sure you deal with a shop that knows what they're doing.

 

Oh what the hell!

 

If done correctly you won’t have any problems and I think it’s more durable than paint.

 

Mine were sand blasted. I am not sure what temp he baked them at .

 

Typical price to powder coat?

Dave K.

 

I had my wheels powder coated a year ago. No problems !!! A dumped the Rock Throwing Michelin Pilot Sport tires for A/S 3+ ZP Tires.

 

Those look fantastic. Who’d you have do them?

 

It varies a bit from place-to-place, but somewhere around $150/wheel is typical.

 

I just had my factory Z51 black wheels refinished. They had lots of pits from brake dust and a little curb rash from the previous owner. I got a local powder coat price of $650 for all four wheels if I used one of their stock colors. It was an additional $25 per wheel for all other colors. I wanted something a little different so I contacted Wheel Craft about having a PVD finish done. They have 4 finishes Bright Ice (Chrome), Black Ice (dark chrome), Midnight Ice (looks like a very glossy black) and black matte. After some research it appears that the PVD finish is somewhat more durable than powder coating. Wheel Craft warranties their finishes for 5 years. They told me that they cure the wheels at 400F which is safe for alloy wheels. These guys know what they are doing because they do the Black Ice finish for one of the large forged wheel manufacturers. Their price was $799 plus shipping. They made the shipping super simple by sending boxes and labels. Total cost was under $1k. Their website is Wheel Craft where you can see the different finishes on their Gallery page. They had the best customer service I have ever experienced. PM me if you want and additional details or contact info for the guy I worked with.




Removed the cover for pictures but haven't taken it out of storage yet. They should look much better in the sun.

 

Happy the way mine turned out.

 

George_L, Those look amazing! Is that the Black Ice or Midnight Ice? Very unique finish .

 

Wheel Craft developed a special finish for me that falls between Black Ice and Midnight Ice. They even put the finish on a wheel they had and shipped it to me with a return label so I could see it in person before I ordered. I like black wheels but I felt the detail of the wheel was lost from a distance so this finish is perfect for me. If you are interested PM me and I can give you contact information for the person I worked with and the finish name.

 

I'm in Tinley Park as well and am considering powder coating my wheels - which shop did you use to have yours done? They look great.