powdercoating strength -not repost

[szw]

Anyone have any sites or proof that powdercoating wheels will not make them weaker?


Thanks

[4wheeldrift]

Unless the powder coating material itself is something that would attack the metal of the wheel, I can't see why it would make it weaker. The wheels aren't being exposed to extreme heat or anything like that.

[Horatio]

I asked a guy that does powdercoating professionally about this and apparently on some types of alloy wheels, the heat from baking the powder can cause a change in the strength of the material. I don't remember why or which metals specifically but there is a special lower-heat powder that the coatering companies can use so there isn't a risk of weakening parts from the process.

Greg

[bigboom]

if you want to call the guys at Bearcoat...they walked me through it step by step. and they only take it up to 400 degrees farenheit...im not sure what the casting process is for rims but im sure it is somewhere around there?

[FarmBoy]

If your wheels are cast, it should not make them weaker as long as the heat is well below the melting point of the wheel (ie. the wheel does not physically deform from the heat).

Forged wheels, however, may get weaker as the heating process relieves some of the "cold" work of the metal.

What is "cold work" ...well, take a piece of copper tubing, bend it, then try to bend it back straight. The force required to bend it back straight will be greater than the force required to bend it the first time. This is because the grain structure of the metal has been changed physically. That is why forged wheels are lighter than cast as they need less material for the same amount of strength.

Then again, what does this Farmboy know