Wheel Damage at Track?

[MRSSIIM3]

Hey everyone, so I am new to tracking the car. Going for my first time on Friday but I am slightly worried about my wheels. I just got them painted matte black a few weeks ago and they are my ZCP ones. Since I'll be at Willow Springs this weekend, I know there is a lot of dirt and sand and rocks flying everywhere.

I am already planning on wrapping my car to protect that but is there any way to protect my wheels from damage and debris? Would spraying an extra layer of satin clear coat or something help me at all? Or is there any heat resistant tape or something I could wrap on the wheel? Any advice is appreciated!!

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by hamama3

Hey everyone, so I am new to tracking the car. Going for my first time on Friday but I am slightly worried about my wheels. I just got them painted matte black a few weeks ago and they are my ZCP ones. Since I'll be at Willow Springs this weekend, I know there is a lot of dirt and sand and rocks flying everywhere.

I am already planning on wrapping my car to protect that but is there any way to protect my wheels from damage and debris? Would spraying an extra layer of satin clear coat or something help me at all? Or is there any heat resistant tape or something I could wrap on the wheel? Any advice is appreciated!!

If you are worried about it just buy a set of 18" track wheels.My track wheels really need to refinished after a lot of use.

[MRSSIIM3]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

If you are worried about it just buy a set of 18" track wheels.My track wheels really need to refinished after a lot of use.

The situation is that I already have a set of 18s but they are in storage all the way accross the country

[ajvee]

I felt the same way before my first track event, but trust me you will enjoy th driving experience so much that you won't worry about any damage during the event. I wrapped the entire front end of my car with painter's tape that came off in gobs during the course of the session and made my car look ridiculous. Needless to say that was the last time I used painter's tape.


That said, assuming you can't get a cheap set of 18s in time, I suggest you take it easy and keep your distance from cars in front of you to avoid excess debris. I've only done high performance driving events (nothing competitive) thus far and neither my car nor my wheels have suffered any noticeable damage.

Enjoy your session and stay safe.

[Martin_D]

Wheels should be considered disposable items if you intend to track the car...

[Ice323]

[JAJ]

In 8 years of track days, including thousands of miles of open lapping, I've never damaged a wheel. Corrosive brake dust (from using some Hawk and PFC brake pads) requires special preparation, but if you know that in advance, you won't have any problem.

Don't worry about it.

Originally Posted by hamama3

Hey everyone, so I am new to tracking the car. Going for my first time on Friday but I am slightly worried about my wheels. I just got them painted matte black a few weeks ago and they are my ZCP ones. Since I'll be at Willow Springs this weekend, I know there is a lot of dirt and sand and rocks flying everywhere.

I am already planning on wrapping my car to protect that but is there any way to protect my wheels from damage and debris? Would spraying an extra layer of satin clear coat or something help me at all? Or is there any heat resistant tape or something I could wrap on the wheel? Any advice is appreciated!!

[Groundpilot]

I use RejeX for my weels. Aplly once before the track season and dont even wash them untill after the last event. When i wash them, they look like new But if you use them in the rain, i dont think any protection works.

[JAJ]

Originally Posted by M3 09 AND135I 11

I use RejeX for my weels. Aplly once before the track season and dont even wash them untill after the last event. When i wash them, they look like new But if you use them in the rain, i dont think any protection works.

The ultimate solution for corrosive brake dust is at your local drugstore: Vaseline. Smear on a thin coating before the first time out in the spring and then wipe the rims clean at the end of the season. It will save your expensive rims from Hawk and PFC pads, it works in the wet and the dry, and as a bonus, your wheels have a nice matt black finish through the season. Just don't touch them...

Vaseline is effectively inert at the temperatures you get at the track, so it doesn't oxidize and "cook" onto the rim the way that a vegetable oil like Pam will. Unlike cosmetic products that try to make the wheel look good while they protect, Vaseline does "ugly" really well, but it works.