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After 4 winters and 57,000 winter km on my Chev Colorado I need new snow tires. But when I pressure-washed my steelies after removal it was clear they needed care and attention. I could have them sand-blasted and repainted, or even sand-blasted and powder coated. But my boat trailer has galvanized steelies. Any reason why I shouldn't sand-blast and galvanize my truck steelies?

Based on what it cost to galvanize my boat trailer, galvanizing looks like being cheaper than paint or powder coat and should be more durable. The Colorado has an uncommon 6 x 100mm bolt pattern so buying new aftermarket rims will be about double the quoted cost of sand-blasting/painting. Sand-blast/paint is $50CAD per rim; aftermarket steelies are $105CAD and the dealer wants $300CAD a piece for OEM! Galvanizing a 350lb trailer frame and ancillary bits cost me $270CAD, taxes in.The galvanizer charges by weight.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

The only thought that comes to mind and it should not be an issue if the wheels are not heat treated is hydrogen embrittlement, but even if that were a concern a bake post galvanize should deal with it. Other than that as long as the finish is smooth enough to allow a good bead seal you should be good.
Curious to hear your decision/result.
Paul

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Parts left out cost nothing and cause no problems!!

I went ahead and here is the result. I am quite pleased. It is not a show finish but better than I expected, and good enough for winter rims.

A local body guy quoted me $50CAD per wheel for spot sandblast and paint. A local hot rod shop wanted $300CAD PER WHEEL (Aaaak!) I ended up going to one place for media blasting because the galvanizer's blaster was down and then taking the bright wheels to the galvanizer. Total cost, $55CAD per rim. Should last longer than a 50 buck paint job.

That's all for now. Buying four 17 inch snow tires can wait until I actually need them.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

That's an interesting solution...You'll have to provide some long-term updates on how they hold up.

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-Justin

Also follow my build on blogspot, tumblr, or instagram and twitter (GarageOdyssey)

Will report but gotta be an improvement. The wheels had four winters with factory paint and at that point the corrosion was alarming. Good old briny winter roads ....

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

I know hydrogen embrittlement occurs with chrome, but not with nickel... and I assume not with zinc (assume with some science behind it). So you should be safe there.

& As a tire and wheel professional- and a bit OCD- I have to correct- 6 on 120mm, not 100.

Thanks for reviving the thread. I had forgotten about it.

To the OP, are you going to paint over the galvanization or leave them bare?

Here in WV we use a mixture of salt and cinders depending on the road. So not as much salt as, for example, NE Ohio, but enough that we get car cancer up to a point. Galvanizing might be just enough protection to get us by and paint over that might be a great long term solution.

Hydrogen embrittlement is definitely a thing with hot dip galvanize. I used to work in the fastener industry and we had many parts HDG. Definitely had to bake them to drive off the hydrogen. Look it up if a concern.

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Parts left out cost nothing and cause no problems!!

Tires and wheels are mounted, but not in time for our first snow, which is the norm.

The wheels have been left 'natural'. I actually prefer silvery wheels to black and have had issues in the past trying to keep paint on galvanized steel in a salt environment. Environment hell, it was a galvanized iron ballast keel on a boat and if you whacked a rock and exposed bare iron the galvanizing would blister the near-by paint in order to plate onto the damage. In the end, a vinyl-based aluminum primer (International 'Vitaline Aluminum') was the only thing that worked reliably. Epoxy primers were a bust.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

Hardly a real test, but on March 12 I washed the truck (the salt crud was getting my clothing dirty, otherwise washing a vehicle during winter in road salt country is a fool's errand) and took a photo of a wheel. Nearing the end of one winter season the galvanized wheel is still apparently corrosion-free, unlike the wheel nuts and hub, but boy, dirt sticks to the galvanized wheels like s____ to a blanket. In fairness, my winter washing is just 5 bucks with a coin-op pressure washer. I don't use the coin-ops 'brush wand' for a real clean because of the risk of scratching the paint.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

Those look great.


Found a handy reference on painting HDG and why paints often fail:

https://www.steel.org.au/resources/elib ... d-pdf.pdf/

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MV8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om3C1Ep ... D3E18BB447