# The Wheel Refurbishment And Restoration Thread



## Tomm (Jan 14, 2009)

Thought i would see how this went. 

I am very fond of wheels and feel they really do set a car off. Personally i am very keen on anything Japanese and spend hours looking through models, variations colours and size combos just to find that set that look just right. 

Like the rest of you i like to keep my wheels as fresh as i possibly car be it a set of OEM wheels or some extremely rare imports they all deserve to be kept and cared for well. 

How ever there is always the unfortunate occasion when they are scrubbed along the curb, stored in the back of some ones shed or left to rot away meaning that they need some sort of wheel refurbishment or repairs. 

I was hoping that in this thread we could post up some photos, put up some hints or tips on any wheels which you have personally refurbished, or details of companies which you have used for certain aspects of a wheel refurb which you would recommend along with places which you would advise to steer clear of. 

I thought this thread could be a good place for people looking to refurbish their wheels to get some hints or advice on where to start! 

Lets see how it goes!


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## samm (May 19, 2006)

I pick mine up from the wheel specialist in Fareham tomorrow, I'll put the pictures up when I get home.


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## carl123uk (Jun 16, 2008)

great idea. always looking at re-furb threads so to have them all in one place would be great.


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## samm (May 19, 2006)

As promised yesterday, I picked up the wheels earlier and to say I'm pleased with how they turned out is an understatement.

This kurb rash was the reason for the refurb, I decided on a colour change as well.










I went to the www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk branch in Fareham where Adam discussed what was available, after seeing their chrome powdercoat finish, it was a very easy decision for me as I like a bit of bling, the colour might not be to everyone's taste but it will suit my car and I like it.

as I picked them up with no protection on.
































































The tyres will be getting a coat or two of Wolf's tyre and trim dressing which is now my favourite tyre dressing.










Over the next couple of days I will be putting on 3 coats of Wolf's Rim Seal and 3 coats of Swissvax autobahn.










I will get some pictures posted when they are back on the car.

thanks for looking.


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

Love that finish!! Not too in your face but properly shiney 

What sort of costs did you pay?


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## WRX_Paul (Apr 27, 2010)

Here are my R32 wheels I had refurbed at Wheel Works in Crawley, they were buckled and badly curbed before:-










In 3 days I had them back:-



















Really pleased, £65 a wheel!! Result


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## samm (May 19, 2006)

nickg123 said:


> Love that finish!! Not too in your face but properly shiney
> 
> What sort of costs did you pay?


Just under £350 all in, and that included them removing the tyres and re-fitting, it would be cheaper if you take bare wheels.


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## WRX_Paul (Apr 27, 2010)

Here are my WRX wheels I did myself, cost about £60 in total for the bits, Paint, Laquer, Wet n Dry etc:-









Primered:-








Painted:-








One laquered:-








On The Car:-


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## TOGWT (Oct 26, 2005)

*Repairing Scratched or Curbed Wheels*

•	Wheel Collision Center -http//:www.wheelcollision.com/
•	Wheels America - http://www.wheelsamerica.com
•	Mobile Wheel Repair (US, UK) - http://www.mobilewheelrepair.com/
•	Wheel Repair UK - http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/...ce_details.php.

Be cognizant that serious damage to a wheel may affect the vehicle's alignment and subsequent steering, always check for structural damage (i.e. surface cracks) or deformed rims, which should always be replaced. Shop cosmetic / appearance wheel repair- approx. $150 -250 per wheel, usually 48 hours (dependent upon geographical area)

*These procedures are for slight damage only*

Taking the wheel(s) off makes it far easier to work on and much more comfortable than stooping down

*Small Scuff Repairs *(Alloy Wheels)

Time: 4 - 6 hours per wheel for a complete wheel-off repair and repaint renovation. Materials-2-17 oz. Wurth Clean-Solve, 2-10.2 oz. 1Z Einszett Spray Paint Primer "Haft-Grund", 2-13.5 oz. 1Z Einszett Silver Wheel Spray Paint, 2- 13.5 oz. Wurth High Gloss Clear Lacquer, 14 oz. Bondo® (approx total 90 USD)

_See also Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) _

•	Remove the damaged wheel from vehicle. 
•	Deflate the tyre by unscrewing cap and pushing in valve, once the tyre is flat push the tyre wall down (gently) by standing on it, and then tuck masking tape underneath the wheel rim, working your way around slowly
•	Molecular Tech Coatings Inc., EFS-2500 aircraft paint stripper is environment friendly. It can get easily decomposed and is also non-toxic as well. In terms of chemical composition, there is no methylene chloride, no carbonic acid, and no formic acid present in the paint stripper. Hence, it is perfectly safe to use.
•	Clean the damaged area with PrepSol and then sand the scratched or damaged area with Norton 3X Sandpaper (p-graded aluminium oxide grain) 60, 80 or 100 grit sand paper, sand wet or dry with a rubber sanding block. 
•	Use a tack rag and wipe the area, using a light pressure
•	Only use filler (Bondo Lightweight Filler 264 and Red Cream Hardener) if it's essential to the e repair, if used incorrectly it will flake and significantly reduce the effective life-span of the repair. Fill any minor indentations with Bondo, allowing approx 30 minutes before you shape / sand 
•	Sand the wheels until you've removed the scratches, `kerbing' marks and/or smoothed the Bondo filler flush with the wheel surface. 
•	Continue the sanding process using finer and finer grades of UniGrit paper, 220 or 320 grit and finally with 500-grit paper. 
•	For small hard to reach places use a Dremel Tool and a suitable sanding bit 
_(For painting / refinishing wheel surface see "Refinishing")_

*Removing Surface Scratches:*

The clear coat on wheel surfaces is usually thicker than that of the main paint surfaces, but check with a PTG before you start to polish.
Use a 6-inch wool pad and a polishing compound (polish selected is dependent upon the extent of damage) it may take a few passes; follow with a foam pad and a finishing polish.

Felt Polishing Cones - if you're faced with polishing tight places, try some versatile polishing wheels. They come in various sizes and shapes to complete just about every polishing project-wheel, intake manifolds. Fitted to an electric drill they will quickly restore an 'as-new' OEM finish.

*Surface Preparation*

•	Ensure wheels and rotors are cool before applying cold water as this may cause them to warp. 
•	Hose off as much initial grime as you can. 
•	Rinse up into the wheel well to wash away road kill, mud and other debris. 
•	Use detailing clay and lubrication to remove any embedded contaminants 
•	Use a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner to remove any road tar or oil. Apply P21S® Total Auto Wash to wheel surfaces and let soak in, agitate with a long-handled boar's haired brush before rinsing 
•	Spray P21S® Wheel Cleaner (Gel or Liquid) this cleaner is 100% acid-free and will not damage any type of wheel finish. (Gel for badly soiled and regular for normal soil) onto wheel rims and lat soak in (for badly soiled surfaces us P21S®-Red (422) or Sonax Wheel Cleaner both are formulated with neutralised acid salt
•	Used the P21S® Polishing Soap on the clean wheel to polish the lips, inner wheel, and face of the wheel. (agitate lightly on the clear coated parts)
•	Before finally removing cleaner, agitate with a soft brush and then rinse off

*Refinishing*

See also Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 
Be cognizant that most European OEM wheels are powder coated, so paint won't be an exact match. Place the can in a bucket of hot water for ten minutes prior to spraying. This lowers its viscosity and it will spread more evenly without 'runs', it also raises the temperature of the air inside, which in turn increasing the pressure, enabling a much better spray 'pattern' resulting in a better finish.

•	Remove the damaged wheel from vehicle. 
•	Deflate the tyre by unscrewing cap and pushing in valve, once the tyre is flat push the tyre wall down (gently) by standing on it, and then tuck masking tape underneath the wheel rim, working your way around slowly
•	Molecular Tech Coatings Inc., EFS-2500 aircraft paint stripper is environment friendly. It can get easily decomposed and is also non-toxic as well. In terms of chemical composition, there is no methylene chloride, no carbonic acid, and no formic acid present in the paint stripper. Hence, it is perfectly safe to use.
•	Clean the damaged area with PrepSol and then sand the scratched or damaged area with Norton 3X Sandpaper (p-graded aluminium oxide grain) 60, 80 and finishing with 100 grit sand paper, sand wet or dry with a rubber sanding block. 
•	Tack clothes helps control dust by picking it up off the surface and also helps eliminate static that attracts dust. Use a tack rag and wipe the area, using a light pressure
•	Only use filler (Bondo Lightweight Filler 264 and Red Cream Hardener) if it's essential to the repair, if used incorrectly it will flake and significantly reduce the effective life-span of the repair. Fill any minor indentations with Bondo, allowing approx 30 minutes before you shape / sand 
•	Sand the wheels until you've removed the scratches, `kerbing' marks and/or smoothed the Bondo filler flush with the wheel surface. 
•	Continue the sanding process using finer and finer grades of UniGrit paper, 220 or 320 grit and finally with 500-grit paper. 
•	For small hard to reach places use a Dremel Tool and a suitable sanding bit

_Note- If the above cleaning method don't finish to wheels to your liking have them bead blasted _

*Repainting* (cast aluminium ) *Wheel Surface*
_See also Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) _

OEM Factory wheel finishes are either an acrylic polymer or a polyester powder coat process, which is the most durable finish you can use. The following will result in a durable re-finished repaint colour match
•	Molecular Tech Coatings Inc., EFS-2500 aircraft paint stripper is environment friendly. It can get easily decomposed and is also non-toxic as well. In terms of chemical composition, there is no methylene chloride, no carbonic acid, and no formic acid present in the paint stripper. Hence, it is perfectly safe to use.
•	Prepare the surface by removing all sandpaper residues with a tack rag, wash surface and then dry thoroughly. . 
•	Use 3M Painters Masking Tape between the tyre and the wheel rim (or use Vaseline to mask the tyre from paint overspray) 
•	Wipe-down the wheels with DuPont Prep Sol and allow to air dry. 
•	Apply a thin coat of 1z 'Haft-Grund' Self-etching Primer to stabilize and provide an etched surface. 
•	Use at temperatures between 70 - 90.oF (.Do not use this paint in damp conditions)
•	Shake the can well for at least a full minute
•	Push the spray nozzle as you sweep across and release at the end. 
•	Spray on, spray off. Spray on, spray off; apply as a very fine / thin coat. 
•	Paint the wheels with two thin coats of silver alloy paint (Wurth German Alloy Silver Wheel) to ensure complete coverage
•	Apply your first coat of clear then allow it to dry to the touch before applying your next coats. This 'tack coat will help stop the paint from sliding into 'run' formation.
•	Allow air-drying; 1-2 hours on final coat and then lightly sand finish, then leave to cure overnight. 
•	Finish with a clear lacquer paint (Wurth European Blend Lacquers) apply two or three thin coats of clear with about 20-30 minutes of drying time between coats to seal the silver metallic paint and add depth and gloss 
•	A allow clear coat to air-dry and then cure for 4-6 ours
•	Apply a sealant for protection 
•	If your axle/ wheel centres (hats) are cast iron, you may want to consider painting the hat area with some hi-temp black engine paint

*Product details *

Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, and most other European OEMs use a cast aluminium alloy wheels. They're usually painted silver and have a clear coated finish.

1.	1z 'Haft-Grund' Self-etching Primer - bare metal (steel or aluminium) wheels should be primed first with a self' -etching primer and is lead and cadmium-free Applied under a topcoat of urethane paint provides a secondary method of protecting the steel from corrosion. This primer bonds to bare metal and forms a base suitable for synthetic resin, acrylic lacquer and nitro combination paints. A single can will prime two wheels
Warning - Do not use this primer on painted or clear-coated wheels where you are touching-up scuffs and scrapes. A self-etching Primer is for use only on wheels that have been taken down to bare metal.

2.	Wurth German Alloy Silver Wheel Paint (Aerosol) can be used as a spot touch-up or whole wheel repaints, one can is enough to coat two complete wheels. This paint is unusually user-friendly, it's a fast-drying lacquer that matches the standard allow wheel paint use by Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and most other European OEMs. One aerosol restores two complete wheels. to match the OEM gloss of new vehicles

3.	Wurth European Blend Lacquers (Aerosol) - used for all German (silver) painted wheels, to match the OEM gloss of new vehicles. This paint is unusually user-friendly, it's a fast-drying lacquer that matches the standard allow wheel paint use by Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi and most other European OEMs. Wurth German Alloy Silver Wheel Lacquer can be effectively used for spot repairs or full wheel restoration. One can is enough to coat two complete wheels. For the best results, use at temperatures between 70 and 90.0F

*Prevention is better than cure*

Protect Your Alloy Wheels from Kerb Damage - RimPro-Tec - http://www.rimpro-tec.co.nz/kit-accessories.html


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## keano (Aug 11, 2008)

Recently refurbished in gloss black by Danum Powder Coaters of Doncaster


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

The Wheel Specialist in East Kilbride, Scotland, Avoid like the plague.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=1630468&postcount=27


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## DagenhamGeoff (Mar 20, 2011)

Grizzle said:


> The Wheel Specialist in East Kilbride, Scotland, Avoid like the plague.
> 
> http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=1630468&postcount=27


Bloody hell I can see why you said that Grizzle...my 6 yr old Sophie could do better.sorry mate


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## AFK_Matrix (Aug 27, 2010)

WRX_Paul said:


> Here are my R32 wheels I had refurbed at Wheel Works in Crawley, they were buckled and badly curbed before:-
> 
> In 3 days I had them back:-
> 
> Really pleased, £65 a wheel!! Result


Really glad I popped into this thread and saw this as I am going to get my wheels done with them soon so it's nice to see their workmanship. Just got to decide on how bling I want my wheels now lol. Thanks mate.


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## samm (May 19, 2006)

Grizzle said:


> The Wheel Specialist in East Kilbride, Scotland, Avoid like the plague.
> 
> http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=1630468&postcount=27


That is outrageous, how can they expect to get away with workmanship like that. Disgusting


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## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

Grizzle said:


> The Wheel Specialist in East Kilbride, Scotland, Avoid like the plague.
> 
> http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=1630468&postcount=27


Myself and a mate had mine done there. I had mine done 3 times total, and my mate had them done elsewhere before ever putting them on a car.

Bad preparation, poor attention to detail, badly finished and overpriced.


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## Elliott19864 (May 11, 2008)

Look like they were heavily shotblasted causing the pitting that looks like orange peel.

I just had mine done by SEM in Sunderland, they are perfect, hardly even any orange peel.


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## GPS (Jul 1, 2008)

CupraElliott said:


> Look like they were heavily shotblasted causing the pitting that looks like orange peel.
> 
> I just had mine done by SEM in Sunderland, they are perfect, hardly even any orange peel.


Have heard excellent things about SEM. A friend of mine had his 19"s off 
his 7 Series done there and they were perfect.


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## carl123uk (Jun 16, 2008)

anyone got any before and after pics from the group buy refurb?


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

VERY highly recommended for anyone in Cornwall.

Had the full works done to my BM over a year ago and they still look brand new:

http://thepolishedwheelcompany.co.uk/

Had a wee bubble two months after having it done and they picked the wheel up and did it all over again for nothing extra.

They also did my dad's horribly couplex BBS style alloys on his T25 camper - went from shocking to new looking.

Recent pic of mine (they were getting bit shabby despite my efforts to rescue them):


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

Fully stripped and sprayed inside and out at £65 per wheel.
Done at CAM panelworks over 3 days in Poole, Dorset Very pleased.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

They look really good on the Focus, do you or can you get a paint code they used for them, the silver looks really bright.


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

robertdon777 said:


> They look really good on the Focus, do you or can you get a paint code they used for them, the silver looks really bright.


The paint code was Silver 598, I don't know which supplier though

They are still looking awesome 8 months on, i had them off this weekend while I painted my calipers and i'm really happy with them.

The Jetseal i applied is holding up well too.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Had my spare set done by Mark at The Wheel Specialist Nottingham

This is the original OEM Talledega










After


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## andysubaru30 (May 11, 2008)

Looking to get my alloys refurbed, anyone know anyone good in Inverness area, Higland area


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

dixon75 said:


> The paint code was Silver 598, I don't know which supplier though
> 
> They are still looking awesome 8 months on, i had them off this weekend while I painted my calipers and i'm really happy with them.
> 
> The Jetseal i applied is holding up well too.


Standox silver 598 cheers mate.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Great thread.

My Carlton Wheels will be refurbed in a couple of weeks so I'll definately post up the job in here now that i've seen this thread


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## spursfan (Aug 4, 2009)

This is a good thread, hopefully there will be specialist in my neck of the woods.
Have to say i like the colour of the wheels that Sean has on the Sirroco, may suit my mettalic grey 6.

Kev


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