Alloy Wheel Powder Coating

Wheels take more abuse than almost anything else on a car. Kerbs, brake dust, road salt, wheel cleaners and constant heat cycling from the brakes all attack the finish. Powder coating gives them a far tougher surface than wet paint, and because we prepare, prime, coat and cure everything under one roof, there is one standard and one point of responsibility.

Why powder coat alloy wheels

Powder coating is a dry, free flowing powder applied electrostatically and then cured with heat. It uses no solvents, and it produces a noticeably tougher finish than wet spraying. On a wheel that matters, because the coating has to survive kerbing, chemical wheel cleaners and the heat coming off the brakes.

Because the charged powder is drawn to the earthed metal, it covers evenly, including around spoke edges, inner barrels and the awkward corners where wet paint tends to run thin. That even film is what stops corrosion creeping in from an edge.

Base coat primers, not just colour

We apply base coat primers for longer lasting corrosion protection. This matters more on wheels than on almost any other part, because they live in the worst place on the vehicle: constantly wet, constantly salted in winter, and regularly hit with aggressive cleaning products.

How we coat a set of wheels

1. PreparationAll surface preparation is carried out in house and done with meticulous care. Getting this stage right is what makes the finish last.
2. PrimingBase coat primers go on for longer lasting corrosion protection, which is what wheels need most.
3. Electrostatic sprayCharged powder is attracted to the earthed wheel, giving even coverage including around edges and spokes.
4. CureThe wheel passes through our oven, where the powder melts and flows into a continuous film, then cools to its final hardness.

Colours and finishes

We hold an extensive range of polyester and epoxy resin polyester powders. Polyester powders are the ones to choose where UV stability matters, which for a set of wheels living outdoors is usually the right call. Between them the range covers standard RAL colours plus gloss, satin and matt finishes, so anything from a factory-look silver or anthracite through to gloss black or a bold colour is achievable.

If you have a specific RAL reference or a factory colour you are trying to match, tell us when you get in touch and we will confirm what we can do before anything is stripped.

The oven takes parts up to 3.0 m long, so wheels of any road car or commercial size are comfortably within capacity, and there is room to do a full set together rather than in stages.

Steel wheels, and the rest of the car

Steel wheels take powder coating just as well as alloys, and the same preparation and priming applies. Because powder coating sits alongside the rest of what we do, a wheel refurbishment often comes in as part of a bigger job. Chassis and subframe components, brackets and mounts, engine and cam covers, frames and guards all go through the same line.

And if the same vehicle needs heat work, we handle that too: exhaust ceramic coating inside and out, motorsport coating, our CermaKrome chrome-like ceramic finish and DiamonDyze ceramic anodising. One project, one place.

Where we are, and sending wheels in

We have two depots, Warrington on Hoyle Street and Poynton on the Adlington Industrial Estate, covering Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and the North West. If you are not local, wheels can be sent in by courier from anywhere in the UK and we will coat and return them.

Our typical lead time is around ten days from receipt, depending on the coating specification and the powder chosen. Used parts can take longer to strip and prepare than new ones, so if you are working to a deadline, tell us up front and we will plan the work around it.