Powdercoat maintenance

G

glen e

Retired Geezer
Okay so now I'm confused…


I just talked to the manufacturer that's making my new wheels and the wheels are clear powder coated. I mentioned that I would probably use a sealant like cquk on them and the sales tech got visibly upset and said "no ! powder coat needs nothing just soap and water!"


I understand that that's probably their legal point of view , but is there any reason you can't use Sealants or coatings?

or is it true that" powdercoat needs nothing"??
 
All OEM painted wheels are Powder Coated. There's no problem with waxing, sealing and/or coating them regardless if they are factory or A/M.
 
Maybe he is confused with what you are doing? I have used some pretty heavy wheel cleaners on mine and I'll have to say it has caused the powdercoat to somewhat "crack" in some places.
 
If the wheels are clear coated as the last step, you can put whatever type of protection on them you like. If they are "textured" power coat like I have seen on off road wheels I would leave them alone. Those have like a rubbery feel to them and I just don't like to rub them too much. Just rinse well, clean with a soft BH brush and plenty of soap. Have seen this type of A/M wheel in a lot Raptors in my neighborhood.
 
It may not "need" anything, but adding a coating will make them easier to clean and look a bit nicer. Depending in what you use to clean the wheels - you may want to skip a regular coating and go with Permanon every couple of washes.

Over time, high pH wheels cleaners (most APC type) will degrade almost any coating. Reapplication is a PIA - because you have to remove the wheels. With Permanon, you just spray it on the clean wheels when the beading subsides after X number of cleanings. You can get the barrels as well with the spray. It also adds a nice gloss to the wheel.

Just to clarify, there is no issue of a coating damaging the wheel finish, if that is what you are worried about. Powder coating is tougher than paint (assuming it was applied correctly ) and can be treated like paint as far as protection goes.

Using a coating will only make the wheels look better, easier to clean, and possibly make the finish last longer. The only downside is the cost of the products and the time invested to apply.
 
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