From: Barry Lovelock
Date: 23 Aug 2002
Time: 05:50:43
Remote Name: 213.122.41.84
I have had about 20 wheels powder-coated - 20 mistakes!!
It took me that long to find out that they are ending up too big on the diameter, making tyres very hard to fit; obviously, the coating was thick and varies according to supplier.
Secondly, the coating made them big on the ID as well, such that they either had to be scraped with a hand scraper, or filed, to fit on the rear hubs. There is a, relatively unknown, positive lock here between the wheel and the hub and powder coating makes them so tight they won't go on, or if they do, they won't come off! The car will shake off the jack before they do.
Lastly, the spokes can never be adjusted. This is in addition to any other comments made, not that I have experienced those particular ones.
Even more lastly, they were never done like this originally - hand painting with an aerosol ain't at all bad, but most powder-coaters will cellulose them if you ask. One of those I used, one painted first and powder-coated afterwards, which was good for longevity, but hardly helped the thickness problem.
PC looks good and that's all in this application - oh how I hate concourse or so-called 100% cars. I thrash all mine within an inch of their lives, let them get dirty and let my cat sleep on the tonneau (he scratches the bonnet too)! I did take exception, when next-door's jumped straight through the hood of the tourer though..... Barry. P.S. In my very damp garage, even the powdered wheels rusted!