FAQ

TECH TIPS

FAQ

1. CAN I POLISH OR POWDER COAT MY AZZURRO WHEELS?

GO TO TOP

Yes! You can polish or powder coat your Azzurro wheels to create a unique look for your kart. Since the wheels are made of aircraft aluminum, they will polish to a brilliant shine and remain that way for a long period of time. Ask around to find a qualified metal polisher, preferably one who polishes automotive wheels. They will be experienced in wheel polishing and will have the tools to do the job correctly.

You can maintain the shine by using Mothers Aluminum cream polish and a clean soft terry cloth towel. Semi-Chrome polish and many other aluminum polishes are too abrasive and will dull the shine.

Powder coating comes in over 100 colors, so you can select one that is just right for your karts color scheme. As stated above, check around and see who is the best powder coating company near you to see if they have any specific requirements prior to powder coating the wheels.

To prep the wheels for powder coating, make sure they are clean and free of any dirt, debris, oil and contaminants. Once you have cleaned the wheels handle them with a clean pair of gloves because even the oil on your hands can contaminate the surface possibly causing the powder coating to have an adverse reaction to the bare wheel surface.

Some powder coating companies might suggest or even recommend that you have the wheels bead blasted prior to powder coating. This step can be advantageous, yet is not 100% necessary. If you choose to bead blast the wheels, make sure the person doing the blasting has experience and uses new glass bead, so as not to contaminate the wheel surface. The bead blasting process should be done with a maximum of 40-50 pounds air pressure, just enough to slightly roughen the wheels surface area, enhancing the bonding of the powder coat paint.

NEVER SAND BLAST AZZURRO WHEELS with course grit sand or with high air pressure. This procedure can ruin the wheel surface area and most likely will make the wheel brittle and possibly out-of-round on the tire bead surface area.

If your wheels have bead locks, take some old bead lock screws and place them in the holes from the inside of the wheel so the end of the threads are even with the outside surface of the wheel. This will not allow the powder coat paint to get into the bead lock screw holes and coat the delicate screw threads. It will also allow for an unobstructed spraying surface.

As with any powder coating process, the wheels will be subjected to a heated oven for about one hour at 400-425 degrees. This procedure will not harm your Azzurro wheels.

To maintain the powder coat finish, use a mild soapy water solution or a citrus based spray cleaner such as Armor-All Spray Cleaner. Refrain from using typical household cleaners such as 409, Mr. Clean or Windex, for these cleaners have ammonia and other ingredients which will effect the porosity of the powder coat finish and dull the color brilliance.

2. HOW CRITICAL IS TIRE PRESSURE AND HEAT EXPANSION?

GO TO TOP

Correct tire air pressure is very important. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Assuming you are using the correct size tire for the particular width of wheel you are running, make sure to set the air pressure equally on the front and rear tires, although different pressures might be used for the front and rear tires. This will allow you to get a base line as to which tires are working harder. After you have run several laps, come in and check the air pressure in each tire, along with the tire temperatures.

Also, check the wear pattern on each tire. If the tire only shows wear in the center of the contact area and not across the entire contact surface, the tire is either over inflated or the tire is not the correct size for the wheel width.

If the tire shows a wear pattern only on the outsides of the contact area, the tire is either under inflated or is too large for the wheel width. Ideally the wear pattern should be consistent from side to side and have an increased pressure of about 2-3 pounds after running 10 laps. This of course is dependent upon the track surface, the karts overall weight, tire compound and the track surface temperature.

If you choose to run Nitrogen instead of air to inflate your tires, make sure it is placed in a clean dry bottle and is 'Hospital grade' Nitrogen. This will guarantee that it contains less than 5% atmospheric air and no more than 1% moisture content, which will assist in keeping the tire pressures stable.

Azzurro cast aluminum wheels offer a longer 'heating-up' cycle than spun aluminum or cast/forged magnesium wheels. Cast aluminum wheels also offer the benefit of dissipating heat contained in the air molecules inside the tire at a more even rate, unlike a spun aluminum wheel which allows the air to heat-up at a faster rate and does a poor job of evenly dissipating the heat over a long period of time.

Finally, it is best to check the air pressure just prior to going onto the track, for one or more of your tires might have been exposed to direct sunlight causing an unequal amount of heat and air pressure between the tires.

3. WHAT TRICKS ARE USED TO ASSURE PROPER TIRE MOUNTING?

GO TO TOP

Mounting your tires on Azzurro wheels is easy, providing you follow normal tire mounting procedures. Refrain from using lubricants like WD-40 or other silicone based oils, for after the tires are mounted and the silicone lubricant dries, the tire bead will start to grip the tire bead area at uneven rates around its circumference. This can lead to increased air leakage and unwanted tire distortion.

Plus, when it comes time to dismount the tire, the tire bead will tend to stick to the wheel bead area and may even tear off little pieces of rubber, leaving them stuck to the wheel bead area, making for a poor seating surface for the next tire you mount on the wheel.

We recommend using a very watered-down liquid soap solution. When the water evaporates, it will also allow the soap to evaporate at a slightly slower rate. Once dry the solution leaves no harmful residue to either the tire or wheel.