Wheel Refurb

[BarD]

Hi again

Have a query.

Need to get my alloy rims done as the paint is peeling off here & there (looking pretty tired).

I have had a price of £320 to have all 4 dipped/stripped/blasted then powder coated gloss black, final diamond cut to alloy & lacquer.

Also have a price from somebody else of £200 for 4, dipped & stripped and then powder coated gloss black & lacquer.
I would then have to paint the inserts black myself.

If you had the choice, which way would you go.
Has anyone had either process done recently.
If I paint myself, will i be doing it each winter because of peeling.

Any company reccomendations for Essex area??

Many thanks

Paul..

[Andrew S]

Hi Paul
My strongest advice is don't have them lacquered. When water gets under the lacquered from under tyre, you can't get rid of the marks. Just have them polished and it's easy to keep them looking good.
I had mine done by Spit'n'polish who are based in Kent but they collect from most tyres places in Essex and it's a quick turn around, with the week. They recut the rim to the correct profil and paint them
Andrew

[Motorsport Micky]

Agree with Andrew, if you lacquer or varnish a diamond cut surface you have no chance of long term keeping the corrosion or damp away from the surface (ask the wheel refurbers what warranty they'll give, you may be surprised). Polish the unlacquered cut surface if you must diamond cut.

Micky

[jleyton]

A subject that I find interesting as I was in the same position as you Paul a few months ago.

For the reasons that both Andrew and Micky have said, I wasn't keen to get them lacquered however I then began to query why it doesn't seem to be a problem on modern cars - well, mine at least. They've got a few scratches and scrapes but no apparent ensuing problems

Anyway, when I was looking to get mine refurbished Rimmers were doing one of their frequent special offers and I managed to get a set for not much more than I'd be paying to have mine refurbished (about £370 IIRC) and I've now got a spare old set as well

Cheers

Julian

Ps Back in the day we (Triumph dealers) were frequently having to refinish the alloy wheels of the Dolomite Sprint, even during the warranty period for the problems Andrew and Micky mention. Who remembers that the Sprint was the first (British ?) production car with alloy wheels as standard ?

[Motorsport Micky]

It's not necessarily a normal alloy wheel that's polished or not that has the lacquering problem, the Diamond cut wheels seem to be the problem. I have a Ford S Max daily driver ( I have a BMW driving mate also with this problem) and there are numerous owners that within 18 months have a milky substance (water corroding on alloy) blisters starting under the lacquer on Diamond cut wheels from the factory.
The Diamond cut finish is a VERY high polished finish (mirror like with hardly any discernable markings on it) ever tried painting or lacquering a mirror without abrading the surface first ? Paint he no want to stick !
The wheel refurbishers will offer to recut Diamond cut wheels but the ones I've checked on only offer a 3 month warranty, care to guess why ?

Micky

[TR5convalescent]

I'm always confused by this. The alloy wheel fetish seems to have reached a point where all moderns have them. What I don't understand is why? My wife's Mini Cooper has 17 inch alloys and rubber bands resulting in a ride quality similar to that of a Wells Fargo Stagecoach through Monument Valley.

Don't misunderstand. They look great. But when I bought my Mondeo daily driver I made damn sure that it only had 16inch wheels resulting in a nice smooth ride rather like the Stag.
And, correct me if I am wrong, but they weigh a ton, unless you get magnesium (which goes porous). I had Minilite replicas on my TR5 which made getting the wheels on and off for brake, steering or suspension work,a real PITA. Unless it's just age creeping up, the standard steels on my TR6 were infinitely more easy to chuck about.

[TR5convalescent]

Sorry to hijack the thread. I concur with the non lacquer posters. Tyre shops invariably damage the lacquer at the edges resulting in water creeping under and doing horrendous damage.

I had Speedline alloys on my Golf GTI 25 years ago and never looked back after having the edges polished. They just needed a quick rub with auto sol every couple of months and a coating of hard wax.

[Pete]

I'm always confused by this. The alloy wheel fetish seems to have reached a point where all moderns have them. What I don't understand is why? My wife's Mini Cooper has 17 inch alloys and rubber bands resulting in a ride quality similar to that of a Wells Fargo Stagecoach through Monument Valley.

Don't misunderstand. They look great. But when I bought my Mondeo daily driver I made damn sure that it only had 16inch wheels resulting in a nice smooth ride rather like the Stag.
And, correct me if I am wrong, but they weigh a ton, unless you get magnesium (which goes porous). I had Minilite replicas on my TR5 which made getting the wheels on and off for brake, steering or suspension work,a real PITA. Unless it's just age creeping up, the standard steels on my TR6 were infinitely more easy to chuck about.

And that increased weight makes accelerating slower, braking harder, more work for the power steering because of the gyroscopic effect and a higher MPG.

[jleyton]

It's not necessarily a normal alloy wheel that's polished or not that has the lacquering problem, the Diamond cut wheels seem to be the problem. I have a Ford S Max daily driver ( I have a BMW driving mate also with this problem) and there are numerous owners that within 18 months have a milky substance (water corroding on alloy) blisters starting under the lacquer on Diamond cut wheels from the factory.
The Diamond cut finish is a VERY high polished finish (mirror like with hardly any discernable markings on it) ever tried painting or lacquering a mirror without abrading the surface first ? Paint he no want to stick !
Micky

Good explanation Micky, thanks. But are you saying that some modern cars have diamond cut whereas others (like mine) don't ?

I too wonder about the 'alloy wheel fetish' - weren't they once described as LIGHT alloy wheels

Cheers

Julian

[Mark Shutt]

stainless rimmed wheels are where it's at! damn I miss my old Audi, loved the wheels, I once kerbed one lightly and an hour or so with various sand papers and Autosol and it was gleeming again

[Motorsport Micky]

Hi Julian,

The Diamond cut surface is a particular finish with a definitive VERY high polished surface finish, I don't know which wheels you have that you were describing but not all alloy wheels have been Diamond cut so a standard polished surface stands a chance of being lacquered and it sticking, hence they don't suffer with water intrusion under the lacquer to such a degree.

Micky

[BarD]

Not sure if im understanding this correctly.

The Polishing company tell me that after all standard stag wheels have been dipped & prepped, they are primed & then completely covered with powder coat gloss black.
The areas that should be polished finish are then diamond cut (vanes etc.) so the shiny bits come through the powder coat black.

Has anybody had this done recently ??
Do I get stuck in with elbow grease myself & hammerite smooth black.

If I do have it done, instead of lacquer, can i polish the rims myself along with some wax, I dont mind if im doing it every other month or so.

Heard a lot of stories about the lacquer blistering etc. which is whats making me think twice.

Thanks again

Paul..

[milothedog]

Not sure if im understanding this correctly.

The Polishing company tell me that after all standard stag wheels have been dipped & prepped, they are primed & then completely covered with powder coat gloss black.
The areas that should be polished finish are then diamond cut (vanes etc.) so the shiny bits come through the powder coat black.

Has anybody had this done recently ??
Do I get stuck in with elbow grease myself & hammerite smooth black.

If I do have it done, instead of lacquer, can i polish the rims myself along with some wax, I dont mind if im doing it every other month or so.

Heard a lot of stories about the lacquer blistering etc. which is whats making me think twice.

Thanks again

Paul..

My wheels are not lacquered and take very little maintenance to keep looking nice. been like that for 6 years and still look great. (pictures in my profile) I probably spend an hour so on them once or twice a year and polish them with Auto-Sol then just use an ordinary body wax afterwards.


The main thing to do is never leave them wet when you put the car away, it takes a minute to rub a microfibre cloth over them.


Ian.

[jakesmig]

I had my original Stag Alloys refurbed and understand that the process was:- cleaning, black powder coating to the full front face then diamond cut back the rim and 'spokes' to reveal the polished alloy then apply lacquer to the whole wheel. Looked stunning for 3/4 years but cocked up one winter and put it away wet, salty water got behind lacquer in 3 wheels and ruined the affect. Totally agree with previous comments, don't get them lacquered but keep them waxed.

I sold the wheels and I'm going bling, fitting 15" Minilites at the end of current rebuild.

John.

[stag36587]

So now that my diamond cut alloys have damaged lacquer is there anything I can do to repair them myself?