EF1

My stock Brembo wheels are starting to look a little rough. The factory finish is pitting and black splotches are showing through. I assume it is a combination of brake dust and heat that is eating the finish. I like the look of the stock wheels and was thinking about refinishing them. Does anyone have any experience with wheel refinishing? I was thinking about powder coating, but not sure if the curing process would harm the wheels.

laserred38

Powder coating is the way to go. The sky is the limit for your choices. If you do a single, solid color, you should be looking at about 100-150 per wheel. Most shops use prismatic powder:

https://www.prismaticpowders.com/powder-coating-colors/

EF1

Thanks, I wasn't sure if the heat of curing would affect the temper of the aluminum or not. I will probably buy another set of wheels to run while I send these out. It would be nice to have a second set for the track.

laserred38

Not at all. Actually it's kinda common on the 2011-2012 Brembo wheels. They made the finish a little different on the 2013-2014, supposedly more durable. Mine have little nicks here and there from daily driving, but the finish has is fine. They're also a little darker than the 11-12.

ElkGroveFordGuy

I have wheels refinished at the dealership I work at all the time!
It holds up really well!
Will last at least as long as your factory coating lasted if done right!
The thing that hurts the finish the most is long term brake dust!
So if you wash your car weekly on a daily driver they will last a very longtime, but if you leave the brake dust on there for even a couple weeks it starts to eat the finish on any rim!

laserred38

Yep. I advise to ceramic coat the wheels once you get them back. It'll keep them cleaner and protected much longer.

EF1

What do you mean by ceramic coating after refinishing?

5.M0NSTER

Dust is definitely the culprit. A lot of performance pads like the HPS/+ will cause this. This was one of the reasons I went with Carbotech originally. They advertise their pads leave non-corrosive dust.

EF1

Thanks, it sounds like I either need to clean my wheels more or find another pad compound. The cars is 6 years old now, so I guess the finish held up pretty good.