Need Your Opinion. Boss 302S Wheels. Power Coat?

[Boss949]

I really like the Boss 302S wheel for my PW Base. As much as I like Machined Wheels (I have them on my truck), I really think that a Matte Black wheel looks really nice on the PW Boss.

Forgestars, RTR's etc look great. However, what do think of Powder Coating the 302S with Matte Black?

 

[CrazyHorse1847]

I think they would look great on a PW Boss. Go for it!

A buddy of mine recently had the wheels on his Rubicon powder coated. They look very nice and he hasn't had any issues with them.

 

[Justin]

I think that would be cool. def would set you apart from the rest of the crowd.

 

[Sesshomurai]

Agree. Would be cool. Matte black/powder coat finishes are just awesome.

 

[VoodooBoss]

While I agree matte black wheels would look nice on your car I'm not sure those are the ones. The machined/black 302S wheels look fantastic on the PW cars so I'd leave good enough alone. If you want matte black wheels order up some matte black Forgestar CF5"s. 8)

 

[Boss949]

Good point. I'd hate to be the first one to mess up a great wheel... Maybe they show up more "shiny" in the pics?

 

[Justin]

I would go with what you want. In the end its your car. I personally dont like the 302S wheels because of the machined face of the wheel. But that doesnt matter again its what you want.

 

[bkaser90]

I have the 302s rims on my car now if you would like to see how it looks. of course I have a hard time posting a pic though, so need help with that.

 

[Boss949]

I have the 302s rims on my car now if you would like to see how it looks. of course I have a hard time posting a pic though, so need help with that.

Thanks for the offer. Of course I would like to see, however, I'm not the guy to help with posting pics (I'm from the Hot Rod generation).

I do know you can go to photobucket.com and upload pics, then give out the address in a PM.

Whatever works, and thanks again.

 

[Grant 302]

It would look good, but for the added cost of the powder coating, I'd rather get a set of lighter forged rims.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it to an old or curbed set.

 

[Boss_302]

I really like the Boss 302S wheel for my PW Base. As much as I like Machined Wheels (I have them on my truck), I really think that a Matte Black wheel looks really nice on the PW Boss.

Forgestars, RTR's etc look great. However, what do think of Powder Coating the 302S with Matte Black?

I’m no engineer, but I’m interested in stuff like this.

And this is an engineering question on whether or not to refinish a wheel via powder coating.

The guy that owns a powder coating shop might say, Yeah we do them all time, bring them down.

I know companies like HRE who manufacture wheels powder coat their wheels but that’s done at the point of origin by the manufacturer who have engineers on staff.

Just as there are different types of aluminum wheels; one-piece cast (Gravity or Low Pressure), Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming, Forged, Multi-Piece there are also many types of aluminum used with different hardness.

When you heat aluminum it goes through a process called annealing (a heat treatment that alters the microstructure of a material causing changes in properties such as strength and hardness and ductility) if you heat aluminum and don’t know what you doing you can weaken the part.

If you can’t test the brinell and rockwell hardness after the powder coating process I would just paint the wheels.

Short answer make a call to the manufacturer of the wheel in question and ask them, not the guy who is going to powder coat the wheel……………

I whould sure suck if your powder coated wheel was to fail.............

 

[bkaser90]

here is one pic w/ the 302s rims, I'll try to get a better pic w/ no shadows tomm.

 

[wrongway]

those wheels look great the way they are. I'd leave them alone. very cool.

 

[CaliMR]

You could use this stuff on one, to see how it looks. Then just peal it off. I know a few people who just use it instead of paint and it has held up well, too.

http://www.plastidip.com/

 

[Grant 302]

I really like the Boss 302S wheel for my PW Base. As much as I like Machined Wheels (I have them on my truck), I really think that a Matte Black wheel looks really nice on the PW Boss.

Forgestars, RTR's etc look great. However, what do think of Powder Coating the 302S with Matte Black?

I’m no engineer, but I’m interested in stuff like this.

And this is an engineering question on whether or not to refinish a wheel via powder coating.

The guy that owns a powder coating shop might say, Yeah we do them all time, bring them down.

I know companies like HRE who manufacture wheels powder coat their wheels but that’s done at the point of origin by the manufacturer who have engineers on staff.

Just as there are different types of aluminum wheels; one-piece cast (Gravity or Low Pressure), Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming, Forged, Multi-Piece there are also many types of aluminum used with different hardness.

When you heat aluminum it goes through a process called annealing (a heat treatment that alters the microstructure of a material causing changes in properties such as strength and hardness and ductility) if you heat aluminum and don’t know what you doing you can weaken the part.

If you can’t test the brinell and rockwell hardness after the powder coating process I would just paint the wheels.

Short answer make a call to the manufacturer of the wheel in question and ask them, not the guy who is going to powder coat the wheel……………

I whould sure suck if your powder coated wheel was to fail.............

Aluminum anneals near 800 degrees for most alloys. Powder coating cures near 400 degrees. Most powder coats would start to fail at aluminum's annealing temp. So I wouldn't worry about it.


Back to the OP...those rims always look good on the PW cars.

 

[Boss949]

Grant,

Thanks for important info.

Since the car has no chrome on it (except for lip of the wheel/exhaust tips) I was trying to go for all Black Matte accents, etc.

I can get the FRPP at a discount, that's why I was thinking about changing the 302S Wheels.

I really like those wheels and actually have Black with Machine finish wheels on my truck.

So, when I pull trigger; it will be great deal on 302S and not powder coat OR just by wheels that come with Matte finish, like RTR, Forgestar, etc.

 

[PTRocks]

The matte black 302R wheels look really nice.

 

[dean_acheson]

Those wheels are to die for PTR.

 

[bkaser90]

couple better pics w/ those rims. I think they look great they way they are w/ the machined surfaces.
the white fox convert. in the background is for sale btw.

 

[Boss_302]

I really like the Boss 302S wheel for my PW Base. As much as I like Machined Wheels (I have them on my truck), I really think that a Matte Black wheel looks really nice on the PW Boss.

Forgestars, RTR's etc look great. However, what do think of Powder Coating the 302S with Matte Black?

I’m no engineer, but I’m interested in stuff like this.

And this is an engineering question on whether or not to refinish a wheel via powder coating.

The guy that owns a powder coating shop might say, Yeah we do them all time, bring them down.

I know companies like HRE who manufacture wheels powder coat their wheels but that’s done at the point of origin by the manufacturer who have engineers on staff.

Just as there are different types of aluminum wheels; one-piece cast (Gravity or Low Pressure), Spun-Rim, Flow-Forming, Forged, Multi-Piece there are also many types of aluminum used with different hardness.

When you heat aluminum it goes through a process called annealing (a heat treatment that alters the microstructure of a material causing changes in properties such as strength and hardness and ductility) if you heat aluminum and don’t know what you doing you can weaken the part.

If you can’t test the brinell and rockwell hardness after the powder coating process I would just paint the wheels.

Short answer make a call to the manufacturer of the wheel in question and ask them, not the guy who is going to powder coat the wheel……………

I whould sure suck if your powder coated wheel was to fail.............

Aluminum anneals near 800 degrees for most alloys. Powder coating cures near 400 degrees. Most powder coats would start to fail at aluminum's annealing temp. So I wouldn't worry about it.


Back to the OP...those rims always look good on the PW cars.

Like I said I'm not a materials engineer........maybe annealing is the wrong word, overage might fit better........

Some alloys WILL be affected by the PC process. One cannot claim that it won't be affected...If you want to argue that the alloy on a wheel will not be affected, then someone will have to do the research, the chemistry on the wheel to determine the alloy. Heat treatment/annealing etc. info can be found in any ASM handbook. Fact; 350ºF for 5 mins reduced the tensile strength of 3000 series aluminum by 6000 psi. I can't tell you what alloy our wheels are, I have been told that typical wheel alloys are in the 3XXXs, but take it FWIW. Aluminum alloys cover from the 1000s through 8000 series, and they all react differently from heat treatments to material properties.

Fatigue tests run at about $550 a specimen, metallurgy is $175 an hour, average per specimen is $450

There are alloys and tempers of aluminum that would be totally unaffected by powder coating.... but then again there are alloys that would be devastated by the temps seen in powder coating. The question is: are our wheels THAT alloy? We could grab a piece of wheel and stick it in the EDS to get a chemistry on it, that'll give us a rough alloy, if anyone has a piece of broken wheel...

I looked into powder coating.

Ultimately it's your decision, me? I just had my track wheels painted.

Here's a discussion by engineers http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=151053

here's an article for 6061-T6 http://en.allexperts.com/q/Metallurgy-2280/6061-T6-Aluminum-lose.htm