# Have a go...or no?



## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Picked up a 2nd set of alloys, rationale being I want my main wheels to be refurbed professionally (probably get them recut against better judgment) but still need to be able to use the car in the meantime.

Having a second set gives me options and ultimately they will become a winter set once I source tyres. I'd still like them to look decent.

One wheel is pretty good, the other three have varying degrees of damage to the face, usual curb damage, some pretty deep and in a couple of spots on spokes a ding or two.

For the money I paid the wheels owe me nothing, 4 fully working BMW TPMS fitted and a healthy amount of tread on the Runflat Potenzas.

Part of me thinks stop being tight, just pay to get them powder coated and be done with it. I reckon will be in the order of £250.

Other part of me is thinking this would be a good set to have a dabble with.

So far lockdown has seen me picking up a few DIY skills I'd normally swerve like skimming, plumbing and tiling. Quite like the satisfaction of having a go at new things and more so when comes out OK 

Some pics to give an idea of the level of damage dealing with...





































Opening question is, given the amount of damage am I on a hiding to nothing even thinking about having a go?!?

I've read a few bits and watched a few online guides and not been put off so far. I know even if I get a good standard it's not going to be comparable to a professional refurb.

What I have got myself confused on is exactly what I'd need product wise and having never used a spray can in my life which products are most forgiving to a newbie. It has to be rattle cans as I don't have a compressor etc.

My thinking is grind back the high spots to start. Would be a good start to say the 2nd pic on the curb damage.

For the deeper gouging, picture 4 and spoke damage picture 3, I was thinking of using something like this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143920022075

Next bit I think depends on paint colour and what I do there.

These look to be in original BMW Reflex Silver. I've got no intention of doing the inside of the wheels as that is all sound. If I use a filler type product I'd obviously have to sand flat. Then a question of whether to bother sanding the entire face or just the damaged areas and feather out to the immediate surrounding area?

If I sand the entire face right back, think I'd need to use an etch primer for first coat, then a primer? If I just sanded the damaged areas do you just use a primer? Then for this particular brand they have Adhesion Promoter. Given the alloy is non ferrous would this be needed and if so instead of primer or as well as?

https://www.hycote.co.uk/product-category/primers-preparation/

Back to the colour. If I'm not doing the entire face I would need to match to the original colour.

Hycote have a few BMW silvers but not exact, as what they have seems to be to match body paint...and to further confuse me they do a Wheel Paint Alloy as well as Wheel Paint Silver. Obviously neither would be an exact and I've no idea how I'd check to see how close, other than to have a go. Given they do a separate paint for alloys other than marketing it's got me thinking must be a reason?

Then they do a lacquer a double acrylic lacquer and a separate wheel paint lacquer. Hopefully I'm forgiven for being confused 

If you are still with me, I've looked at E-Tech as well but back to the colour point as they just do silver. I'm not fixed on any brand and may even be good to mix for the various stages, I just don't know 

Would he great to hear from anybody who has had any joy with either brand or indeed any other products I should look into.


----------



## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Have a go, if it goes wrong you can always get them done professionally.
I would if i had the facilities and had a winter set that needed going over.


----------



## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Have a go :thumb: 

Worst thing that can happen - you don’t get it right and have to have them professionally done.


----------



## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Kind of my attitude to most things these days 

Product guidance from anybody would be appreciated on the old rattle cans.


----------



## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

I'd try and get as close to the finish you want as possible, so if you want metallic silver from BMW, go to the closest paint supplier and see if they can match it.


----------



## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

having dabbled with a few minor kerbings in the past i would say ..... POWDER COAT

if you do try, you are going to have to try and fill the damage to get it looking half decent. Spraying at this time of year needs a heated garage/shed.


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

I guess it depends on self satisfaction and how you value your time. 

Whereabouts do you live? 

There is some places that do wheels really cheap. There's a place in Birmingham that do wheels for £20 each if you have a tyre fitter, or I think it's £30 with tyre fitting.

It could be fun, but the professionals should do a better job.


----------



## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

Cost up how many rattle cans you are likely to need, plus filler, sandpaper, paint stripper etc etc.

Plus how much free time do you have?

Then assume if it goes "Pete Tong" you still have to pay for a professional job.

Depends on what you want to achieve. If you wanted a quick tart up to sell a car, then rattle can. If you intend to keep it and want something that you won't keep seeing the flaws in, then pro job.


----------



## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

I did one of my BMW alloys a few years back, filled kerbing with super glue 'gel' and use activator to set it. Builds up well and stays put, suprised but pleased with this method. Silver spray was spot on but lacquer has yellowed over time which isn't good.


----------



## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

Here's the post that gave me the inspiration to give it a go. It can be done and it is not hard but can be time consuming so best time would be the months while your using your original wheels over the warmer months, id say the last picture you posted above would be the most challenging of the filling and sanding to get it back to a curve, the rest of the chips don't look too bad. Thankfully no curved lip like the ones I did that were a real pain, id actually sold the car before I even finished them but chased as perfect as possible and painted both face and barrel before waiting a few weeks to wet sand and polish them.

I would spray the whole face, colour matching silver will be tricky. From experience the tricky part was the bits you have filled and sanded will show up when you use primer any parts that aren't level, you need to sand and/or put more filler and re-sand until the wheel looks perfectly smooth (most time consuming part), the parts of the wheel without damage you can probably just scotch up to give the paint something to bond to.

Painting wise again isn't hard, need to hit from several angles to get good coverage, clearcoat is possibly the hardest, hitting it hard enough to get a wet finish but not so much you get runs. If you aren't painting the barrel mask it off or the overspray will make it rough and make it a nightmare for brake dust. Also consider the durability, I sold the wheels so i can't comment on how long the finish will last with rattle cans compared to powder coating or a professional job.

https://www.mg-rover.org/threads/how-to-refurbish-alloy-wheels-detail-and-picture-heavy.427081/

the pictures aren't in any order by looks of things, I had 5 wheels and this one was pretty buggered. This was the practice wheel to boost my confidence..... Painted in a Peugeot Graphite which was a bit dark and went with a Renault Graphite from the 182 for the final wheels.



http://imgur.com/61jT9


this is the final 4



http://imgur.com/i0ols


----------



## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Kerr said:


> I guess it depends on self satisfaction and how you value your time.
> 
> Whereabouts do you live?
> 
> ...


Nowhere near there unfortunately. I'd seen mention of this place in other posts and to be fair at £30 a corner you would be mad not to.

Just ordered some hook and loop sanding discs. I'm going to see how I get on with one wheel and take a view.

I could see the disdain in my wife's eyes when the wheels got rolled into the hallway. Still need to sell 2 sets from my last car


----------



## cangri (Feb 25, 2011)

Just get them powdercoated
Do a proper job.


----------



## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Definitely have a go, mate.

File down the high spots.

Rub the wheel down, and make sure the entire surface is keyed. To fill the kerb marks I used little sachets of wheel filler from Halfords.










I used upol primer and lacquer, and asked my local motor factor to mix me two rattle cans of Landrover Sparkle Silver.
























So far, a year on, the wheels are doing well, and I cant see the lacquer failing anywhere.

Heres the finished article.










They turned out pretty well.

Some lessons I learned.

Despite using many coats of base silver, the primed sections are an ever-so-slightly different shade of silver. Now you cant notice it unless you're looking very, very closely.

If you can, get the tyres off. I used old cereal boxes and cut them into squares, pushed the bead back, and slid the cars in under the rim. Masking tape just didnt work.

Dont forget to mask the valve. Ask me how I know.... make a little cone or cylinder of paper, and slide it over.

Loads of light coats of base. I applied four or five light coats of lacquer, followed by a fairly heavy final coat. I did get one or two runs - dont be tempted to do anything about those while the lacquer is wet. You WILL make a mess. Ask me how I know. Lol.

Anyway, good luck!!!

Cheers

Cooks

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


----------



## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Mini hook and loop plates, sanding discs, some attachments for a Dremel type tool along with some card for masking up all arrived today.

Putty arrives later in the week and waiting to hear back from a local paint place as to what they can do for me primer, paint and lacquer wise.

Wanted to test the TPMS on the wheels so they are currently on the car. Will have to swap them back again at the weekend if it ever stops raining.


----------

