thoughts on powder coating wheels and beadlocks

[jeeping1974]

I'm getting ready to weld on the DIY beadlock kit that I got and am wondering what you guys and gals think of powder coating the wheels and the rings? Is it worth the extra money to do both or should I only powder coat the rings?

I am up in the air about which way to go. The wheels are 16.5"x9.75" and are going to be black and the rings are going to be a fire engine red shade.

[misfittom138]

I would do it all. They charge by the piece? It would look nice.

[mafos4471]

Powdercoating places will charge an arm and leg. I worked with a guy that wanted it done to a set of 17's and they place wanted like $300+. That was sandblasting and powdercoat...

[rjgilliam]

I do alot of business with our local powdercoating (not FSJ related), and if your local shop is anything like mine, they have one big powder booth and one oven. Most of their charge comes from having to switch colors, which requires cleaning the booth and gun, etc. Then, if you only have a few parts (ie- 4 wheels) their cost/ materials/ time comes into play. The more you can powder in one shot, the more economical it is for you (the customer). If you can think of other stuff you need powdered (the same color) it's actually a better deal. If you two-color your wheels, it will probably be more than $300 because of the hassle of said above. :eek:
To answer your question, though. I think (my opinion) that powdercoating is DEFINITELY worth it. It is so much more durable than paint. I, personally, have my shop spray my motorcycle kits with a satin mild texture black. It's a great subdued color and hides imperfections well.
For cost effectiveness, I would go for a one-color shoot, maybe the black.
You can also save money by sandblasting yourself. You can pick up an entry level blaster for about $100 (which is probably about the same as having them done), plus you'll always have it for whatever.
Heck, I stopped giving my kids baths. . . when they get filty dirty, they get blasted. Works great! :thumbsup: JK.
my $.02
Good Luck!
rob g.

[billyrb]

i agree, pc'ing is well worth the cost for wear, durability, longevity of color, etc. Also, one color WILL be cheaper.

[rjgilliam]

I am up in the air about which way to go. The wheels are 16.5"x9.75" and are going to be black and the rings are going to be a fire engine red shade.

Just an idea,
since your rims are going to be mostly concealed by the rings, you could get away with spray painting the rims and powdering the rings. This way, you can have the 2-color look you want. If you are not very good at painting, you can always pick up the "hammered" spray which ads a texture to help hide imperfections (or "handywork").
Also, I'm not sure if the outer rings are already painted, but if not (or if they are bare metal), there is no need for sandblasting. They just need to be clean. Most powdercoaters clean prior to pc'ing anyway with a degreasing and/or etching solution. If they are just primed, then a bench grinder with wire wheel (or other paint removing method that doesn't cause deep scratches) should be suffice. If you were planning on a textured finish, then throwing them across the gravel driveway several times would work too! :thumbsup:
rob g.

[Dmntxn77]

If you NEED rock rings, then I expect that your rig will see some rocks... If thats the case, I dont see how the powder coat would hold up..

If you are just adding the rings for some bling, then I say go for it.. It will look real nice! Personally, I think doing the wheels AND rings will look the best...

[jeeping1974]

Here is a link to exactly what I got for beadlocks - http://www.kore4x4customs.com/asccustompages/products.asp?fpage=1&categoryID=16&productID=67&cartID=758766455

Here in the northeast there is a variaty of trails, mud, rocks, dirt, stumps, water crossings, etc.. Its not like I can just go play in a rock garden and see nothing else, plus the fact that there really isn't anything like that around here unless a club makes one. I got the beadlocks to allow me to air down my tires for better traction across all the terrian, not to add some bling. I'm not a "bing" type of guy.

I've got a message into the guy that can do the powder coating for me to see how much it'll cost. That will have a huge affect on what gets coating and what gets painted.

Happy easter!

[rjgilliam]

If you are just adding the rings for some bling, then I say go for it.. It will look real nice! Personally, I think doing the wheels AND rings will look the best...

Same color or black/red combo?

[poolmike]

Powder coating is worth it only if it is prepped and coated properly. Do your research and find out who does the best work locally. A poor prep job will lead to immediate chipping/flaking.

www.boneheadperformance.com (http://www.boneheadperformance.com) is a company local to me. The owner's name is Chuck. His work is top quality. He has done everything for me from bicycle frames, classic tractor parts, engine parts, ceramic coatings...etc. His attention to detail from prep to finish is the best I have seen. If you check out his sample pics, you will see before/after pics of my 6.5 diesel oil pan, valve covers, timing cover in olive green.

[orangecherokee]

I wouldn't waste the money. Maybe the wheels but not the rings. The wheels are protected and won't see much harm. The rings will however. I welded mine on and I've already shaved the edges down on some of them with the limited trips I've been on. The rings I have are 1/4" and to see them shaved off makes you think. I personally think you're wasting money if you go with powdercoating. I can see it if you wanted a different color wheel because it would hold up and last but my broken record says no to the rings.

[malodin]

you will have a hard time getting 2 different color powder coats on the welded side of the rings, that and you will not be able to get the powder coat on the back side of the ring, think of wherever a spray gun can reach is the only places where powder coat will get, in essence you may wind up with every 6" around the ring not covered by the powder coat(or you may end up with all of it coated like you want)

[rjgilliam]

you will have a hard time getting 2 different color powder coats on the welded side of the rings, that and you will not be able to get the powder coat on the back side of the ring, think of wherever a spray gun can reach is the only places where powder coat will get, in essence you may wind up with every 6" around the ring not covered by the powder coat(or you may end up with all of it coated like you want)

I think (not positive, though) he is wanting to powder the outer "bolt-on tire pincher" rings a different color, which should be no problem, just costly due to the powder shop having to switch colors. You're right about getting the color (no matter what color it is) on the inside of the welded rings, unless they have something like a model-type touch up gun, if that even exists.
rob g.

[Big-wagon87]

powder coated my wheels and locks they were worth it:thumbsup: $200 for all four.

[malodin]

powder coated my wheels and locks they were worth it:thumbsup: $200 for all four.

pictures please?

[lasinvegas]

I agree with not doing the rings. Once you start knocking the powdercoat off on rocks it will just start to go to crap. Do the rims and paint the rings.