Powder Coat alternative for Wheels

[Fred H.]

I am testing a product for putting on your wheels to protect them from corrosion, and pitting and to make them easier to clean and looking like new.

I started with two brand new 2009 wheels. I polished them with Mothers to get them looking as good as I could. Then I ordered some Everbrite ProtectaClear spray on and liquid products. This is a clear coating polymer resin made specifically for metals and has been used on aluminum auto wheels with good results, so I thought I would try it on the GL1800 wheels. Once applied, it leaves a hard clear coating somewhat similar to clear coat paint, except it is made from a resin that self levels and drys very fast (1 hour). They claim it will protect from road salts and scratches and seals the metal.

To prepare the metal, I had to first use a nuetralizer to get rid of the acids from the Mothers polish, and then I had to clean it with zylene. Zylene can also be used to strip it off the wheels, and I can testify that it is pretty painless to remove it if you mess up and want to start over, which I did do on one wheel.

My first attempt at using the spray on product gave mixed results. One wheel came out good, while on the other I had a hard time getting a smooth finish. Part of it was due to my lack of skill in using a spray can (which I hate) and part of it was that the spray can just didn't want to deliver the product in a smooth manner (which is why I hate spray cans) and would spit and spray unevenly. On one wheel it went on real well and laid down real nice, but on the other I either ended up with a satin finish or got what looked like bubbles in it. I may have been putting it on too thick, but whatever the case, I gave up on the second wheel and removed it with zylene and started over, this time using the liquid product.

I'm happy to report that the liquid product went on MUCH better, was easier to apply, left a perfectly smooth finish, and took less time. One thing I did learn is that the self healing nature of it, can make putting on successive coats a bit tricky, since the fresh coat will sort of melt the original coat, so you don't want to wipe too hard if you put on more than one coat. That may have also been part of my problem with the spray on, as I was trying to do more than one coat. It probably would be best to just put on a single good coat the first time, and then stop and leave it alone and not put anymore on after that.

Liquid product


Anyway, once all done, I can tell you I am extremely happy with how they came out. I didn't have to remove my wheel bearings, and was able to do it all myself in my garage for about $30. It left a perfectly clear hard coating on the wheels and it looks like it will do exactly what I need, and will prevent them from getting so nasty looking over time.



I'll need to get tires mounted on them and some miles on them before I can say how it will stand the test of time, but so far I am really impressed. It allows me to keep the stock look of the wheels, and should make them much easier to keep clean. Once I change the wheels, I am going to do my other set as well. It leaves a thin clear coating over the wheels that feels like a real hard plastic coating, and it appears to be thick enough that it may even provide protection from scratches when using tire tools on the rim.



I added a full photo gallery showing the wheels before and after here:
http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/everbrite

Here is a link to the Everbrite site.
http://www.everbritecoatings.com/

[Pigeon Roost]

Excellent reprt! I will go to your gallery to take a good gander. Word of caution; be very respectful of XYLENE. Isn't it one of the chemicles that penetrate the skin?

prs

[TravelinLite]

Thanks for the report. The wheels look real good. I am anxious to see how they hold up. Then my question will be "How do i remove powder-coating from my wheels?"

[Fred H.]

What I think might look really nice would be to get the wheels proffesionally polished, and then when done, coat them with Everbrite. I have seen a set of polished wheels, and they look just like chrome.

I didn't want to go to all that trouble, and was really just looking for a way to protect them and make them easier to clean. The good part about this stuff is that it's self healing properties mean even it if it does chip or peel, you can simply touch up the spot and it will heal itself, and it's also pretty easy to strip off and reapply, so if a few years down the road I want to do that, I can.

When I talked to them on the phone, they indicated it should hold up for around 5-8 years with no problems.

My recommendations to anyone wanting to try this, would be to buy the liquid and not the spray on. Not only is it easier to use and get good results with, you won't use nearly as much. I emptied the spray can on two wheels, but when I used the liquid, I hardly used a few tablespoons, since you don't waste as much.

Also, if you don't get their nuetralizer, a simple baking soda solution works fine. Mother polish is acid based, so I need to neutralize them first to get the acid residue off them.

[dreamer]

Looks great!! Nice job Fred.

[bjcarter2]

Looks like a good winter project for me.

Snow is in the mountains. It won't be long before the Goldwing is parked for the winter.

[tomp913]

Fred,

From the photos (and your text actually), you had the tires off the wheels while you did this. How do you think this would work trying it on a wheel with the tire still mounted? I ask because I don't have the equipment to remove the tires myself so would have to pay a shop to dismount and remount the tires.

Thanks,

Tom

[Mick]

Ferd, did you do just the smooth part of the wheel or all of it?
Mick

[Fred H.]

Originally Posted by Mick

Ferd, did you do just the smooth part of the wheel or all of it?
Mick

I did the entire outside of the wheel, but I did not do the inner portion where the tire mounts. I'm not sure if this stuff would make the bead seat area too slippery or not, so I decided not to put it on any of it on the inside edge of the rim or drop center where the tire sits.

I suppose you could do it with the tires still on, but you would have to be careful not to get any of the zylene or Protect-A-Clear on the tires, as I don't know what they would do to rubber, but it probably wouldn't be good for them.

[GreenDragon]

Great post! Look forward to any other ideas.
Thanks!

[laen]

Wow. Nice Fred, Alot of work for wheels. Honda should address the problem hopefully on the NEW wing. Not ALL Hondas have this issue

[Fred H.]

Originally Posted by laen

Wow. Nice Fred, Alot of work for wheels. Honda should address the problem hopefully on the NEW wing. Not ALL Hondas have this issue

Actually, it wasn't that much work. If you have the wheels off to change tires, you could easily do this in a few hours. It all depends on just how clean you want them to be first and how much time you want to spend polishing them before you start. The actual prep and application can be done in 30 minutes or less once you have the wheels and rotors off.

[The Astute Reader(tm)]

Originally Posted by Pigeon Roost

Excellent reprt! I will go to your gallery to take a good gander. Word of caution; be very respectful of XYLENE. Isn't it one of the chemicles that penetrate the skin?

Yes. It is a member of a class of chemicals sometimes refered to as the "Ungoodium Cancerates."

[The Astute Reader(tm)]

Originally Posted by Fred H.

Actually, it wasn't that much work. If you have the wheels off to change tires, you could easily do this in a few hours. It all depends on just how clean you want them to be first and how much time you want to spend polishing them before you start. The actual prep and application can be done in 30 minutes or less once you have the wheels and rotors off.

If you go with the liquid instead of the spray, do you still have to remove the rotors?

[Fred H.]

Originally Posted by The Astute Reader(tm)

If you go with the liquid instead of the spray, do you still have to remove the rotors?

I think it would be wise, since you need to get underneath them, and you don't want to get any of it on the rotors themselves. You might want to put some on the rotor carriers too, but you wouldn't want to get it on the rotors themselves.

I should also mention, you can use a fine brislte paint brush to apply it if you don't want to use the applicator pad that they send with it. I may try that on my next set. The way the product self levels, any brush marks will disappear after a few seconds, which really makes getting a smooth look easy with the liquid product. You really have to look close at my wheels to even tell it is there.

If you look at this photo, you can see I taped over the wheel bearings and the mounting location for the rotors so I wouldn't get any on those surfaces.

[xrayr]

I just ordered the starter kit (includes their cleaner/neutralizer). Will probably work on this next week....

Thanks Fred!

[meanstrk]

I am showing my ignorance as a fairly new Wing owner, but are the stock wheels not coated in any way?

I could see doing this on a fully polished set to save maintenance upkeep for sure. One of my bikes does have fully polished wheels, which can be a PITA sometimes!

[Jchefboyardee]

Originally Posted by meanstrk

I am showing my ignorance as a fairly new Wing owner, but are the stock wheels not coated in any way?

I could see doing this on a fully polished set to save maintenance upkeep for sure. One of my bikes does have fully polished wheels, which can be a PITA sometimes!

Non-Coated!

[meanstrk]

Thanks. I did not realize that!

[ncgoldwing]

Just finished coating my rear wheel. My wheel had been on the bike for a while, so getting it extra clean was a bit of a job. Can't leave ANY dirt on the wheel. The coating went on just as advertised. A few fellow riders who saw the wheel before I put the tire on couldn't believe there was anything on it....it does dry clear.
Thanks for the tip, Fred.

[Shortround]

Originally Posted by The Astute Reader(tm)

Yes. It is a member of a class of chemicals sometimes refered to as the "Ungoodium Cancerates."

It does attach the nervous system. I knew a couple body men that used it with out gloves and respirator. By time the turned 40 they could barely able to walk and they shook so bad they couldn't take care of themselves.
So be very careful with this stuff. Maybe 92% alcohol would be a better choice and comes in smaller quantities. But still wear gloves.

[Hondahawk]

Hey Fred,
How are your wheels looking with the Everbrite Protectacoat?

[Fred H.]

Originally Posted by Hondahawk

Hey Fred,
How are your wheels looking with the Everbrite Protectacoat?

Real good. They rinse right off now. No more problems with stains on the wheels and no more polishing. I should have done this on my 2002.

[xrayr]

Originally Posted by Fred H.

Real good. They rinse right off now. No more problems with stains on the wheels and no more polishing. I should have done this on my 2002.

Any extra protection against scratching the rims while mounting tires?

I haven't mounted a tire yet on the wheel I coated....

[rrm512]

Is there any reference on the label about what it will cover? I would like to paint the rough cast parts of the the rim. Will this disolve the paint?


Rick

[Fred H.]

I covered the entire wheel with no problems.

I have not yet mounted a new tire, so I don't know how much protection it will provide for tire tools yet, but it seems to be very durable.

[silver6shooter]

Just wondering, could a guy use an air brush, or small touch-up gun to spray on the liquid coating and still be able to clean up his equipment? You stated that it can be removed fairly easily if wanted to start over & recoat. I would assume the xylene or other thinner would clean equip. effectively. Thanks-SSS

[WarrenK]

I just purchased the starter kit myself and UPS dropped it off today. Obviously, I haven't used it yet, but I do have something I'd like to mention. For a product that cost so little, about $50 with the shipping for me, I've never seen such great customer service. I ordered online and right away received thank you/confirmation e-mails, then several days later and e-mail explaining more about the product, and today, within minutes of UPS dropping the package on my porch, another e-mail asking if I received the product and was it in good condition. I've responded to several of these e-mails and received responses back from Zoe Smith at the company, so these are not just machine generated things that are ignored. I'm sure that if I encounter an problems, they're going to work with me.

Just thought I'd give a little credit where credit is due. Something that we probably should do more of these days.

Warren

P. S. Thanks Fred H. for your post that convinced me to give this a try.

[superjett]

did mine a while ago right after Freds first post and mine look great!!!! thx Fred what a great Idea

[winger63]

Has anyone tried this with the tires on?