Anodizing or powder coat

Discussion in 'PSI Superchargers Tech Questions' started by SpeedDemon, Dec 17, 2017.

  1. SpeedDemon

    SpeedDemon New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2017
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    3
    Hey guys I recently ordered my wheels for my pro mod build and wanted to have them anodized gold. My chassis builder prefers powder coating them, stating that the anodizing can fade and discolor. My thoughts were that this is a race car not exposed to road salts and weathering, and the powder coating will eventually chip when changing tires with spoons so often. I like the old school methods of doing things, and anodizing is very old school. They are 16x16 liner wheels. Any thoughts, input or experience is much appreciated, Thanks.
     
    #1
  2. rb0804

    rb0804 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2010
    Messages:
    671
    Likes Received:
    38
    Don’t have any experience with wheels but I can give you some information on both. The powder coating will probably last longer but it has its down sides as well. The primary thing being it can chip and the other being if you put a clear on it to protect it there is a possibilty that it can change the color to something less than what you were desiring. Anodizing is actually a surface conversion and not a coating so it can’t chip, but if you were to hit the surface with a grinding wheel it will throw sparks. I personally prefer the finish of the anodizing but it will fade over time. There is also a hard anodize option that is basically a deeper surface conversion which is accomplished by a longer time in the solution. The downside of hard anodizing is that it can cause the part to grow causing fitmit issues if you didn’t account for the extra tolerance in the machining process (generally speaking, again not specific for wheels). Hope this helps.
     
    #2
  3. Fuel Cars

    Fuel Cars AA/AM

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2003
    Messages:
    306
    Likes Received:
    8
    Anodizing is a process that both penetrates and also builds up on the base material. Anodize can scratch and can fade. Hard anodize does the same with the surface only more thickness and increases the hardness.

    Hardcoat started out to protect salt-water equipment such as torpedoes so it does a great job of protection but the thicker the hardcoat, the more "granulated" it looks.

    Non-hardcoat thickness is usually around .0001 to .0005 thick where hardcoat can go from .0001 to .015 so if either anodize thickness is .0005, .00025 builds up on the outside and it penetrates .00025 as well.
     
    #3
  4. nitrowannabe

    nitrowannabe Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2006
    Messages:
    414
    Likes Received:
    20
    Been looking at my polished wheels and I'm thinking of trying a wrap to change the look. Don't like peel off. Hopefully someone with wrap experience will respond.
     
    #4
  5. MaineAlkyFan

    MaineAlkyFan Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2006
    Messages:
    364
    Likes Received:
    53
    Maybe I'm being ridiculously picky, but a wheel is rotating weight, & powder coat would be heavier. Gold anodize is less apt to fade than some other colors (like blue & red) and should be fine especially since the car will likely not see extended exposure to the sun. If you go with anodize, get sample tags from the plater beforehand if you can. Color saturation is subjective & can vary a lot and still be 'right'.

    Another advantage to anodize is if you hate it some elbow grease and EZ-Bake Oven Cleaner will remove it easily, not so much with powder coat.

    Chris Saulnier - Team Tigges
    Mechanic Falls, Maine
     
    #5
  6. SpeedDemon

    SpeedDemon New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2017
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    3
    Thanks for the responses and input. I like to hear pros and cons. Another question was tapped on that I had come up with and that's how hard is it to strip anodizing and how hard is it to strip powder coating? Will Easy off strip the anodizing clean right off? Is one easier than the other to recoat? I keep leaning towards anodizing for it's finished appearance. Whether it's got a few thousandths of anodizing or a few hundredths of powder coating shouldn't matter on the wheels too much. Weight is an interesting thought but not a big concern in this application. Wraps and hydrographics are a cool idea, but again, not for what I'm building. Really don't care about the exact color of gold I get. Just want that nostalgic Don Schumacher Stardust look, but not if it's a pain in the ass to keep looking good. Durability being a main priority.
    Thanks again for any more input or experience guys
     
    #6
  7. MaineAlkyFan

    MaineAlkyFan Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2006
    Messages:
    364
    Likes Received:
    53
    The EZ-Off methad is an old BMX trick. We would buy components in unpopular colors, then strip & polish them. Spray it on, let it sit 5-10 minutes, wash it off with water. Repeat for tough spots or Scotchbrite during the water removal. Pretty easy. I know of no easy method for removing powder coat. I'm told blasting with soft abrasive media will work.

    Chris Saulnier - Team Tigges
    Mechanic Falls, Maine
     
    #7
  8. Soldierboy0098

    Soldierboy0098 Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2006
    Messages:
    1,416
    Likes Received:
    16
    With Non beadlocks Weld will not anodize the shells because for some reason the rolled lip doesn't like the anodizing. Powdercoating was what I was going to do until I decided polished looks nicer with my paint scheme. I have a few new parts here where the anodizing has discoloring in weird spots or is a very different shade from one part to the next.

    Best wishes,
    Trev
     
    #8

Share This Page