Clear Coat vs. Powder Coat: Which Is Better for Repairing Your Rims?

Before

After

If you've looked into fixing scuffed rims, you've probably come across two options: powder coating, and paint with a clear coat. Both can make a wheel look good, but they're very different processes, and for most factory rims one of them makes a lot more sense than the other.

What powder coating is

Powder coating is a full refinish. The tire comes off, the wheel is stripped back to bare metal, and a dry powder is sprayed on with an electrostatic charge so it clings to the metal. Then the whole wheel goes into an oven, where the powder melts and cures into a hard, thick shell.

Powder coat is genuinely tough. It resists chips well, and it's a popular choice for changing a wheel's colour completely, or for wheels that see a hard life.

What a paint and clear coat repair is

A paint and clear coat repair works on the damaged area. The damage is sanded and ground smooth, the area is painted to match the original finish, and a clear coat goes on top to seal it and give it the same depth and shine as the rest of the wheel.

That's also how most factory wheels are finished to begin with: a colour layer, protected by a clear top layer.

Why clear coat is the better choice for factory rims

• It keeps your factory finish. Hyper silver, two-tone and machine-finish wheels get their look from the way the finish is built up and how it catches light. A colour-matched paint and clear coat repair recreates that look. Powder coating replaces it with a single new finish, so your wheel no longer looks original.
• It's done at your location. We repair the rim right where your car is parked. Powder coating means taking the wheel and tire off and sending the wheel to a shop with stripping equipment and an oven.
• It's much faster. A single rim can take 45 minutes to an hour, and a full set an hour and a half to 2 hours. Powder coating usually means being without the wheels for days.
• It costs less. You're paying to fix the damage, not to strip and refinish the entire wheel. Rim repair is from $85 per rim.
• It's repairable again. If you scrape the same rim next year, a clear coat finish can be spot-repaired the same way. Chipped powder coat generally means stripping and recoating the whole wheel.
• It keeps the details sharp. Powder coat goes on much thicker than paint and clear, which can soften fine edges and details in the wheel design.

When powder coating makes sense

Powder coating is a good option if you want to change the colour of your wheels completely, for example going from silver to bronze, or if a wheel is heavily corroded all over and needs to be stripped back regardless. It's a full makeover, not a repair.

The bottom line

If your factory rims have curb rash, scratches or worn spots, you don't need to strip and powder coat them. A colour-matched paint and clear coat repair fixes the damage, keeps the original finish and gets you back on the road the same day. (Wondering why your factory wheels are worth keeping at all? Read OEM vs. aftermarket rims.)

Text a photo of your rims to 416-800-1757 and we'll provide you with a quote. We come to you anywhere from Niagara to Barrie.