Powdercoating wheels

[91Bear]

I have been thinking about powdercoating my old steel wheels white. Is this a bad idea? I've heard that powdercoating can lead to rust issues, unlike properly applied paint.

[70 ranger]

powder coating is tough as nails! A buddy of mine has his harley frame coated in it. he stands on the frame to kick start his motor, has for years. His boots never leave a mark! Paint just isn't that tough. I have been painting cars for almost 30 years and have seen some great paints, but never anything that good. Wether its paint or powder it has to be applied correctly. Ask around for a reputable shop in your area.

[72BahamaBlue]

My experience with powdercoating is that it's really brittle, any nick in the coating may lead to rust developing. The rust seems to migrate under the coating, usually the size of a quarter before it becomes noticeable, by then the corrosion is pretty deep.
For spray can painting, Rusoleum Appliance epoxy, it goes on really well; smooth and thick, doesn't tend to run or sag. Urethane paint is good if you have the equipment but pricey. I've even had good luck with Hammerite.
My next wheel painting will be the original (?) Corinthian White in urethane.
Please share photos, I'd like to see the results!

[basketcase0302]

Somewhere in this album you'll find the pictures of the rims when they were freshly powdercoated, (that has been about 4-5 years now):
http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/ff13 ... can003.jpg
I still have the wheels-they have my "snow tires" on them.

You get what you pay for when it comes to powdercoating, I'll say that much having powdercoated almost my entire airboat. My dually rims were not prepped as good as they should have been, therefore rust started about one month after I got tires on them. All evidence of rust has to be gone before they are coated. I had my powdercoater do the sandblasting for me-so i got what I got...
The finish will be there four times longer than any epoxy paint could ever dream of lasting though, so in the end...it's well worth the price.

[Whateverman]

the company i work for has a powdercoating division and i end up handling powdercoated stuff all the time

if the powdercoating is done PROPERLY you won't have any issues with flaking or rust - it will also be pretty bloody hard to nick or scratch - if the prep work isn't up to scratch or the bake time and heat are wrong - THEN you'll have issues ( trust me )
if corrosion is a real concern you can get a zinc rich primer coat under the finished color coat as well

because its really hard to make sure that what prep you are paying for is what you are actually gonna get,i'd try to find previous clients of whichever powdercoat company you choose (if possible) to see examples of the company's workmanship