A thread on the main board sparked a bit of curiosity regarding my plan of powder coating my Panasports this winter. I figured you race guys might have experience here. Wheels are Panasport (UL) Ultralights, aluminum with steel inserts for lug seats. The curing process consists of baking in an electric oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes. I obviously wouldn't want to compromise the integrity of the wheel. Would the steel/aluminium combo cause an issue when curing the powdercoat? Any thoughts on this? I've heard theories that heat treatments have led to wheel failures on the track due to stress cracks.
Also - I assume I should avoid powder coating the seating. what about the valve stem seat? I would imagine i don't want to touch the seating surface to the hub. right? Also what about the tire seat lip?
Here are specs on panasports:
*New, virgin aluminum alloy materials used throughout.
*Hub centric machining for every application, no universal sleeves
*Steel, tapered-face inserted lug holes for secure fixing and self-centering attachment
*Heat treated for high strength and durability
*The proper balance of designed material location providing a light weight wheel with intense strength
Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!