CF wheel inner barrel ceramic coating repair

[Zitrosounds]

I have been meaning to do this for some time and finally got around to it. After several track visits and 9k miles on the car the inner barrel ceramic coating gets a little worse for wear. I purchased VHT Flameproof in flat white (SP101). I was going to use the some of the product we have at work but I am too impatient and went to the local auto parts and purchased a can. This stuff is really good. Make sure you clean the barrel really well from any dirt and grease. Mask the areas of coated with ceramic. I applied wax to some of the painted areas so as not to spend a lot of time masking and after painting I would easily wipe any over spray. First I sprayed the paint in a cup and with a brush filled in some off the damaged coating. You don’t really have to do this but I had some exposed CF and wanted an even uniform appearance. I then sprayed the product per the instructions, one can will do two wheels. You can see the difference from the new ceramic to the old stuff on the spokes. The discoloration on the spokes is from 9k miles of use. I did not paint the back of the spokes as the coating was not damaged only dirty The color matches the original coating perfectly and the barrels look like they did new. Not only is the barrel now clean but all the chunks of ceramic that were missing are now filled in and serviceable. A link to a product review is provided below to include the product site and description.

http://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-flameproof-coating
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[Tomster]

Looks nice. Did carbon revolutions give you this tip or did you come up with it on your own? I wonder if it is possible to get the ceramic replaced if you wanted to go that route. I bought the wheel warranty for this very reason. I do believe that the ceramic falling off would definitely make the wheel unserviceable. I'd be curious about the longevity of this, please keep us posted.

 

[Zitrosounds]

Looks nice. Did carbon revolutions give you this tip or did you come up with it on your own? I wonder if it is possible to get the ceramic replaced if you wanted to go that route. I bought the wheel warranty for this very reason. I do believe that the ceramic falling off would definitely make the wheel unserviceable. I'd be curious about the longevity of this, please keep us posted.

I did contact CR. I have not heard back from them yet. This is obviously not going to be as durable or offer as much protection as the plasma arc method used to apply ceramic to these wheels. I figured something is better than nothing. you did make me think of something though. Would the ceramic coating failing be considered a warranty claim? most of the spots where ceramic was missing where small but there was one that has about .5" in diameter. I will keep you all posted about the durability of the VHT Flameproof ceramic coating and CR's reply.

 

[Hack]

I did contact CR. I have not heard back from them yet. This is obviously not going to be as durable or offer as much protection as the plasma arc method used to apply ceramic to these wheels. I figured something is better than nothing. you did make me think of something though. Would the ceramic coating failing be considered a warranty claim? most of the spots where ceramic was missing where small but there was one that has about .5" in diameter. I will keep you all posted about the durability of the VHT Flameproof ceramic coating and CR's reply.

I would definitely try the warranty claim first. What's the worst that can happen?

 

[Tomster]

I did contact CR. I have not heard back from them yet. This is obviously not going to be as durable or offer as much protection as the plasma arc method used to apply ceramic to these wheels. I figured something is better than nothing. you did make me think of something though. Would the ceramic coating failing be considered a warranty claim? most of the spots where ceramic was missing where small but there was one that has about .5" in diameter. I will keep you all posted about the durability of the VHT Flameproof ceramic coating and CR's reply.

The ceramic coating is integral and necessary to the wheel. I would think yes, it would be a warranty item..... It may be an uphill fight, but nothing to loose

 

[tdzee]

How did you cure it? High temp paints require elevated temp to cure properly.

EDIT: From your link:
Paint must be completely dry before curing
Heat to 250°F (121°C) for 30 minutes
Cool for 30 minutes
Heat to 400°F (204°C) for 30 minutes
Cool for 30 minutes
Heat to 650°F (343°C ) for 30 minutes

 

[Zitrosounds]

How did you cure it? High temp paints require elevated temp to cure properly.

EDIT: From your link:
Paint must be completely dry before curing
Heat to 250°F (121°C) for 30 minutes
Cool for 30 minutes
Heat to 400°F (204°C) for 30 minutes
Cool for 30 minutes
Heat to 650°F (343°C ) for 30 minutes

That's correct! I used an infrared curing light from work.

 

[Zitrosounds]

I believe debris caught in the barrel and the caliper caused the damage to my wheels. I wish I took pictures prior to the touch up. Anyone one with damage to the ceramic that is down to the CF have pictures?

 

[stanglife]

FYI - had a wheel replaced under warranty when a small portion of ceramic flakes off.

 

[AgSurfer]

That's correct! I used an infrared curing light from work.

what did you do to protect the gloss black painted portions of the rim while the inner barrel coating was being cured / heat treated? Did you cure these in a larger oven or use a different process?

 

[meterman]

I'm very curious if the paint has held up. My white coating is getting pretty dirty.

Did you ever hear back from CR. I have called them a couple times and have always gotten through right away.

 

[AgSurfer]

So I may have found a high-end shop in Cleveland that specializes in ceramics to do the inner barrel coating repair to my CF rims (Ford denied my warranty claim and appeal for the chipping / flaking / peeling on the left front rim). I described the process down the the T, and the owner understood everything. They have infrared curing lights. I mentioned the VHT ceramic product and the shop owner said they have something "better"; I can't recall the name of the product. I sent him my pics and he will get back to me.

While I know sending to Spyder Composites in CA is likely the best option and repairs the ceramic coating pretty much OEM spec, this is also the most expensive and time consuming option. I'm very hopeful this local shop can do the job. Otherwise, the CF rims are off to CA - once I procure my alternate set of rims and tires (which of course the rims are on back order).

 

[alec_pr]

I was considering checking this
http://www.protekasia.com/products/thermal-insulation/lctic/#lctic-what

 

[AgSurfer]

I was considering checking this
http://www.protekasia.com/products/thermal-insulation/lctic/#lctic-what

Interesting - the thermal properties of that product and some of the lingo on the website are beyond my skill set. Where would you procure this material? How would it be applied?

 

[alec_pr]

Interesting - the thermal properties of that product and some of the lingo on the website are beyond my skill set. Where would you procure this material? How would it be applied?

As stated in their web site, Due to liquid consistence it can be applied by brush, roller or spray gun on surfaces of any shape and structure in the most hard-to-reach places;

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