I have an order for a 2017 Raptor pending with a local dealer which includes OEM beadlock capable wheels. For the last several days, I've been reading about a shortage of these beadlock wheels. It's worth mentioning that I know and trust my dealer; this is the 5th vehicle I've ordered through this GM. Sure enough, he contacted me today and confirmed that beadlocks are on hold for at least the next 3 months per his Ford rep. The two most obvious options are to switch to the base wheels or I can ride it out and wait for the beadlock wheels to be available again. The dealer is fine with either choice.
I really want the beadlocks, so I 'm leaning toward waiting things out. I saw the beadlocks in person today for the first time, I loved the finish. I also off road a fair amount, so the beadlock capability is something that interests me.
However, the honest truth is that I really dislike the machined finish on the base wheels. That said, I actually loved the dark gray base wheels that were shown on the early auto show 2017 Raptors (pic below). They appear to be the same as the current base wheels, but they had a dark gray finish instead of bright machined spokes.
It occurred to me that it might be possible to order the base wheels and have them powder coated in a dark gray or black finish. Does anyone here have any experience with powder coating wheels? I costs about $500 - $600 here for the full service (tear down, powder coating, re-mounting/balancing). I'd be willing to pay that if the results will be OEM-like in appearance and quality. However, I'm not sure about the powder-coat finish durability or appearance. Also, I worry that the high baking temp might weaken the base cast aluminum wheels (I was told they bake at either 300 or 400 degrees).
I'd appreciate anyone's input. BTW, I do not want aftermarket wheels. Thanks in advance! Here's the look I'm hoping to achieve:
I really want the beadlocks, so I 'm leaning toward waiting things out. I saw the beadlocks in person today for the first time, I loved the finish. I also off road a fair amount, so the beadlock capability is something that interests me.
However, the honest truth is that I really dislike the machined finish on the base wheels. That said, I actually loved the dark gray base wheels that were shown on the early auto show 2017 Raptors (pic below). They appear to be the same as the current base wheels, but they had a dark gray finish instead of bright machined spokes.
It occurred to me that it might be possible to order the base wheels and have them powder coated in a dark gray or black finish. Does anyone here have any experience with powder coating wheels? I costs about $500 - $600 here for the full service (tear down, powder coating, re-mounting/balancing). I'd be willing to pay that if the results will be OEM-like in appearance and quality. However, I'm not sure about the powder-coat finish durability or appearance. Also, I worry that the high baking temp might weaken the base cast aluminum wheels (I was told they bake at either 300 or 400 degrees).
I'd appreciate anyone's input. BTW, I do not want aftermarket wheels. Thanks in advance! Here's the look I'm hoping to achieve:
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