Never cracked a wheel, but know of CCW and Fiske's cracking.
Maybe it is time to take a closer look at the inside of the BBS to make sure all is OK when I go to the track with a few weekend old tires.

I run 2 sets, never bend or cracked and when Orbit remounts or flips tires they check them over when they clean and balance them.

 

I hear your concern, but just stating that I have seen some GrandAm team that runs powdercoated wheels.. when asked about that, they told me that it is a non-issue.. that their wheels heats up quite a bit from braking.. and powdercoating now can be done at a pretty low temperature.

And like I said, a few reputable wheel makers also offer powdercoat as an option for their track wheels. I assume that it is done at a low enough temperature.

 

Powder coating usually goes on pretty thick, literally a millimeter or more. If it gets damaged from the outside (extremely rare unless not enough heat was used) it usually doesn't flake, just chips where the impact is. Damage internally usually causes some flaking. Powder coating is a durable finish, more so than typical automotive paint.

cfjan- I hear what you're saying, but most teams time out their equipment well before any of us would consider it to be fully used, so to them it probably isn't a problem.

The other issue is something you just touched upon- heat dissipation. Powder coated wheels will retain heat a lot longer because of the insulating properties of the finish.

 

I get what you are saying about a pro team will time out the parts, but just seems that if it is an issue (at all), they would not risk that.. (i.e., if they can choose between paint and powdercoat, why would they choose PC if it weaken the wheels that much)

The point of heating the wheels.. I think the guy was trying to say that the wheels are being heated from the brake anyway.. (to a temperature that's similar to a low temp PC process)

But if I am going to re-finish my wheels, I will probably go w/ paint.. !

 

Good point , no wonder why BBS dont recomend powder coating on their street lw wheels such as the FI's

 

They probably don't use ultra lightweight wheels either, so to them, the coating durability outweighs the risk. GMG wheels, my Champion RS98 wheels, many of the HRE wheels I would put in that category- ultra lightweight forged- durable enough for limited track use, more than good enough for road use. I remember seeing the Lamborghini lose a HRE wheel in a pro race maybe a year ago? It looked like a spoke failure too.

 

I had a CCW 11' wheel crack but it was a very old non powder coated that had many track hours. I have three sets of CCW wheels this was the only one that were not 12" rears. I called John at CCW and he asked for them back and replaced both with 12" amazing customer service I also have a set of CCW for my zo6. I plan to buy more wheels from them soon.

 

Happened on every single one of my race cars: 993 cup, 964 RSR, 996 Cup, 996 RSR. It just happens when you drive the thing hard... wear item and that's when you're happy to have 3 pieces and just replace the center

 

+1. Powder coating can also hide cracks.

 

I beat the snot out of my gmg

They havnt cracked

 

Painted or powder coated? I think yours are painted or anodized, no? And yes, you beat the living crap out of your wheels. Quite a testament to the wheel's engineering!

 

Track wheels should be replaced on a regular basis (2 years maximum) no matter what. That is what the race teams do and most do them more often. All wheels crack and or fail under track conditions. The forces, braking, bouncing off curbs, as well as mechanic abuse, during a race, push the limits of all wheels. The best prevention is regular maintenance. Just like changing oil, brake pads and rotors, wheels are a wear item that often get overlooked by the amateur weekend racer and track day participant. Wheel manufacturers know this and most are more than willing to help repair or replace if the proper procedures have been adhered to from the beginning.

 

All I do is autocross and NO track.....

I have a street set of OEM's CL's
Aduplicate set of OEM's that I have A6's on
Another set of Supepforgiatas OZ A6's
Another set of OZ's the NON superforgiatas (forget what they are called at the moment)

I gotta think Autocross and these wheels....cracking is going to take WAY WAY more than 3 years.

Right ????

 

I think they were powdercoated from GMG....for sure not painted

Whatever the finish is it turned purpleish looking

 

Purplish discoloring is due to heat on black anodizing. My black anodized CCWs did that. Same thing is happening to my centerlocks now.