When a car travels on muddy or wet roads, the wheels of the car get dirty the most. For this reason, many people use various methods to increase the life span of car wheels, one of which is powder coating.
Today we will discuss the use of powder coating on car wheels.
How much does it cost to Powder coat wheels?
Applying powder coat to your car wheels is not that much expensive. Generally, it takes around $400 to $700 to powder coat a set of four wheels. The cost can be higher for larger wheels. Also, many people use gloss or clear coats on top of the powder coat but the cost can go up a bit.
Table of Contents
The rims of your car can get easily dirty if driven continuously on muddy or wet roads. Most car owners use different types of coatings on the rims as a part of protection and maintenance.
It also enhances the appearance of your wheels and extends the life span of the rims. Powder coat is considered one of the most popular coatings that are a dry coat of plastic applied using electrostatic and heat.
The powder coat can be applied on different types of wheels. Below is a brief description of the cost of applying powder coat on different types of car wheels:
Powder coated wheels black:
The average cost of powder coating your wheels in black color will be $105 for each wheel, a total of $420 for the set of four wheels. The maintenance cost of powder-coated wheels is quite cheap.
Powder coat ATV wheels:
The ATV wheels get dirty very easily due to driving on muddy roads. That is why powder coating the wheels can be a good option.
The average cost of applying powder coat on ATV wheels is around $250 to $300. This price includes the masking, stripping, cleaning, and coating.
Powder coat alloy wheels:
Considering the durability and environmental impact, powder coating the alloy wheels will provide a high-quality finish and enhanced color. The average cost of powder coating alloy wheels is between $200 to $270 for each wheel.
Powder coat motorcycle wheels:
It depends on you whether you want to coat the entire wheel or just the outer portion of the motorcycle wheel. The average cost of powder coating the motorcycle wheel is about $300 to $600.
Powder coat steel wheels:
Generally, it takes about $400 to $550 to powder coat steel rims. In some cases, the cost may go up to $700 as well.
Powder coated aluminum wheels:
Depending on the size, texture, and materials used to build the wheels, it may cost about 400 to $500 a set to powder coat wheels.
Is powder coating good for wheels? How long does powder coating last?
Powder coating can be a good option to maintain the wheel rims. Your wheels can get old in a very short time due to regular use.
Therefore, to retain its novelty, something should be used which maintains quality even in long-term use. There is no alternative to powder coating for this.
This will protect the rim from any external harmful elements as a dry lining on your rim and increase longevity.
Powder coating has higher longevity. Depending on use, a powder coating finish can last up to 20 years.
But if the powder-coated surface gets exposed to UV light and outdoor environment consistently, the coating may start to damage. In addition to that, the lifespan of powder coating depends on the right type of materials.
Coatings that have fluoropolymers and urethanes will last longer on wheels.
How to determine powder coating cost? How much does it cost to powder coat per vehicle?
Depending on vehicle area, the cost to powder coats a vehicle may vary. if a large portion of the surface needs to be coated, the cost may go higher.
Generally, when applying a powder coat to a car, it should cost around $2000 because a large area of the car will be coated using the powder coat. But coating a rim won’t take more than $400 to $700.
When you consider applying powder coats on the wheels, you need to determine the coating cost. Sometimes the coating cost can be a little bit difficult and confusing to calculate.
That is why there are some values that you need to keep in mind. You should calculate the specific gravity of powder, cost per pound, dry film thickness, and transfer efficiency. Below is a brief discussion on how to determine powder coating cost:
Cost of the powder:
Generally, the powder that is commonly used to coat is around $5 per pound. So, a large will require multiple coats. As a result, the cost per pound will increase.
Transfer efficiency:
It means how much powder the operator is using. The standard transfer efficiency when applying powder coat should be 25% to 30% and can reach up to 70%.
Dry Film thickness:
It is the thickness of the specific surface where you will apply the powder coat. However, a certain amount of powder that will be used on the surface should be noted.
Keeping these values in consideration will help you to determine the approximate cost of powder coating the wheels of your car.
How much does it cost to maintain powder-coated wheels?
It is not that expensive to maintain powder-coated wheels. Powder-coated wheels can cost an average of $40 per year to maintain. Although the powder-coated wheels have a longer life span than ordinary paint.
But sometimes the powder coat can be damaged due to exposure to direct sunlight and adverse environment. The UV ray in the sunlight can cause serious damage to the powder coat.
You can regularly clean the wheels at your home using mild soap to save expenses from taking your car to the garage every day. Below is a brief description of how to maintain the powder-coated wheels and how much does it cost:
Normal cleaning:
This part is very simple, cheap and you can pull off it at your home. Use a phosphate-free mild soap along with hot water to clean any residue or dirt from the powder-coated surface. This is quite convenient part of cleaning the wheels.
Professional cleaning:
To keep the powder-coated wheels shining nicely and look new, you can use orange-based cleaners and WD-40 to keep them dirt and grime free.
Since the area is required to clean the wheels is small, you do not have to spend more than $40 to clean the wheels.
Apply sealer spray:
Applying sealer spray is important to keep the powder-coated wheels waterproof. This will eventually extend the life span of the wheels and make your car rims look shinier.
When you use sealer spray on your wheels, make sure to use that suits the powder coating.
How long does it take to powder coat wheels?
Although the powder coating is considered a great option to extend the life span of wheels, the application procedure of powder coat is time-consuming compared to paint.
Applying procedure of powder coat takes sandblasting and applying the base layer on the rims before applying the powder coat on it. Usually, it takes around one to two hours to apply a powder coat on each wheel of a car.
If you are willing to apply multiple coats on your car wheels, it may even take a whole day. But in general, it should not take more than a day to powder coat all four wheels of a car even if the mechanic is working on one wheel at a time.
But it is recommended to give some time for the powder coat to sit on the surface of the wheel properly.
How do you powder coat wheels?
Powder coating is a time-consuming job and needs a lot of patience. You need to maintain safety when applying powder coats to your wheels.
Because the process is done by electrostatic and heat. Below is a brief discussion on how to Powder coat the wheels:
Sand the surface well:
Before applying the powder coat, you need to clean the surface of the rims. For that, you can simply send the surface well.
Apply the powder coat:
Once you’re done sanding the surface, clean the accumulated dirt and start applying the powder coat. Use a powder coating machine carefully to apply the powder coat evenly.
Cure it properly:
Simply place the will in an oven. Make sure to preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit before putting the wheel in it. Cure for 18 to 20 minutes and let it cool.
Final thoughts
The average cost of applying powder coating to the rim of your car is around $100. So. So applying powder coat to four wheels of a car will cost about $400, larger wheels can even cost up to $700. You can also apply gloss or clear paint on top of the powder coat. But this will increase the cost.