GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => General discussion => Topic started by: jeremybarker on 02 October 2010, 23:03
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Thought i'd post some pics of the start of my wheel refurbing. I bought 4 BBS RA's to replace the "Vauxhall misfits" currently on the MK2. Rather annoyingly i missed the bent lips on two of the riims and after being quoted £75 to straigthen each one (if it could be done) i decided i had nothing to lose and rather than being anoyed with myself i gave it a go and set to the rim with a careful selections of hammers and applied some brute force.
The rim was a little worse than the picture below when i started but i couldn't put it on as it was so anthing i could do with it would be better. It was a little like seeing what happened as i went along but after initially knocking seven bells with the hammer to get the lip back into shape i could begin to re-shape the metal on the face and edges and eventually got it to being somewhere half decent. I'll try and find another rim at some point but the inside of the wheel and lip was straight and it had recently been fited with a new tyre so it must have balanced up.
Let me know what you think and if you can spot where the damage was (or still is :) )
Kinda looked a bit worse than this before
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/bbsrabentlip.jpg)
Lip repaired as best i can and the face has been cleaned and sanded back
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Septemberpics025.jpg)
Started like this
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Septemberpics019.jpg)
Now looks like this
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Septemberpics021.jpg)
Noow the rim is kind of done i'll get the tre removed and take off the external weights finish prepping it and decide how to paint it.
Was thinking of a silver lip and dark anthracite centres. Then i just need to do the other three :)
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Before you go to the trouble of painting take the hammered wheels to a tyre fitter and have them spun up on the balances to make sure they are sound. Sometimes a flatspot on a rim is just the beginning of the damage.
Also check them regularly for cracks- aluminium doesn't take too kindly to being beaten back into shape.
Good beating skills though
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good effort. That will ballance up easy! but as above ^
Just get the weights stuck on the inside.
Ive had welded up and redrilled wheels ballanced up with no problems.
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Thought i'd post some pics of the start of my wheel refurbing. I bought 4 BBS RA's to replace the "Vauxhall misfits" currently on the MK2.
"vauxhall misfits" +1
Check out my Calibra wheels. :grin:
(http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr182/the_flying_elvi/gti004.jpg)
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Another update on the RA's, the wheels have been acid etch primed,primed again and then wet sanded with 800 followed by 1200 and are now ready for the silver to go on. Decided to stick to silver all over as it's OEM plus i didn't want to wreck the hours of prep by making a hash of masking two colours. Each wheel has had about 15 hours of prep to get them to the paint stage. I had a real job knocking the bent rims back into shape plus i also had to resurface by hand the lips that had seen more than a few kurbs in their time whilst also removing some nicks on the surface of the wheels.
Overall i'd guess the price of paying for someone to refurb them would have been over £400 as i was quoted £75 to repair each of the two dented wheels. The total cost in materials and paint has come in at less than £75 :smiley:
The etch primer went on so well and it does prove that it's 90% prep and 10% finish.
It's been a long time getting to this stage
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Wheelsinprimer001.jpg)
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Wheelsinprimer002.jpg)
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Wheelsinprimer004.jpg)
Still had to go back and re filler,sand and prime to get the last of the imperfections out
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Wheelsinprimer003.jpg)
Primed and ready for the wet and dry
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Wheelsinprimer006.jpg)
Sanding done on all four wheels done now and ready for the final finish
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/Wheelsinprimer007.jpg)
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Mine need doing too and intend to do the same.... split colour though and the polished area goes furthur back than just the dished part so fook knows how to mask that....
anyway, you've done a grand job there, look great!.. did you use any epoxy metal to fill scuffs?
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Excellent work :afro:
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:grin: I really thought long and hard about doing the silver rim and anthracite centres, to be honest i'd have polished the lips but due to the bends in the rim the metal wasn't good enough after being hit with a hammer.
The chips and scuffs on the lips were all gently hit with a light hammer to remove the high spots, sanded into shape and then filled with some metal filler, I've never done this before so it's been a case of taking my time and finding what worked best.
You can see where the radius finishes on the outer rim but i chickened out trying to mask it off as even the slightest mismatch and it'll look pants, best left to the professionals.
I've laid the first run of silver now so i'll probably give them all three coats of silver and three coats of lacquer to finish off, nearly there :smiley:
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Superb job there, nothing more satisfying than doing a good job yourself. :smiley:
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Nice job.. If you do decide to 2 tone them, you MUST paint the silver first! otherwise successful masking will be almost impossible...
masking RA's is actually very easy, with a roll of 3M fine line masking tape (3mm) as said paint silver first, leave over night, mask silver up to the sharp line in the casting, paint the other colour, remove masking, then lacquer the whole lot... doddle!
looking forward to seeing them finished, whatever you decide..
Here's a pic of mine I did some weeks back, polished rim, new BBS valves and center caps, and black bolt covers to finish (from dealer, 79p each)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f90/thom62/DSC_2388.jpg)
Thom
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Awesome work on them dude! I really need to refurb my new wheels as they are all curbed pretty badly, but too chicken!
How did you get the curbing smooth? I think I would need to file it down before putty any sort of putty/filler stuff on it :sad:
Any links/list of the products used at all please? :smiley:
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Got some good links on another computer somewhere for when i get round to it but goodle is your friend, loads of forums have had guides posted on!
here's one i just found.
http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=187250&highlight=wheel+refurb (http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=187250&highlight=wheel+refurb)
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Nice job.. If you do decide to 2 tone them, you MUST paint the silver first! otherwise successful masking will be almost impossible...
masking RA's is actually very easy, with a roll of 3M fine line masking tape (3mm) as said paint silver first, leave over night, mask silver up to the sharp line in the casting, paint the other colour, remove masking, then lacquer the whole lot... doddle!
looking forward to seeing them finished, whatever you decide..
Here's a pic of mine I did some weeks back, polished rim, new BBS valves and center caps, and black bolt covers to finish (from dealer, 79p each)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f90/thom62/DSC_2388.jpg)
Thom
aaahhh so its done with super thin tape around the bottom of the spokes.. thats a great tip thanks!
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Got some good links on another computer somewhere for when i get round to it but goodle is your friend, loads of forums have had guides posted on!
here's one i just found.
http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=187250&highlight=wheel+refurb (http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=187250&highlight=wheel+refurb)
Thanks dude, I have had a look about and they do all seem to give the same sort of advice as that link :)
If anyone is able to read my essay post here: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=169318.0 and lend some useful advice on what I need to buy, it would be most appreciated! However I feel that I just need to give it a go and get on with it!
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Nice job.. If you do decide to 2 tone them, you MUST paint the silver first! otherwise successful masking will be almost impossible...
masking RA's is actually very easy, with a roll of 3M fine line masking tape (3mm) as said paint silver first, leave over night, mask silver up to the sharp line in the casting, paint the other colour, remove masking, then lacquer the whole lot... doddle!
looking forward to seeing them finished, whatever you decide..
Here's a pic of mine I did some weeks back, polished rim, new BBS valves and center caps, and black bolt covers to finish (from dealer, 79p each)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f90/thom62/DSC_2388.jpg)
Thom
aaahhh so its done with super thin tape around the bottom of the spokes.. thats a great tip thanks!
Another of my trade secrets revealed.... perfect edges every time, just press it on, till it changes colour (sort of) and you'll know its doing its job properly :cool:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3M-FINE-LINE-MASKING-TAPE-3mm-x-55m-6520-/380275228646?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item588a2b7fe6
Thom
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Well here's the wheels after 2 coats of silver, thought the second coat may have lightened the colour a smidge but it's stayed the same, not sure whether they're too dark or not?
Any comments greatly appreciated before i put the clear coat on.
How much lighter will they go with the lacquer, still in two minds about finding a lighter silver.
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/wheelsinsilver001.jpg)
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/wheelsinsilver002.jpg)
They're not perfect but i'm still pleased with the results and they'll look alot better than the old rims.
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Wheels have been given three coats of clear now, beeing a noob at this i didn't realise clear is alot thinner than paint so i might have to rub down a couple of bits and re-do them.
I stood the rim on a box to see what it'll look like against the car, let me know what you think, too dark or fine as they are?
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/wheelsinlacquer005.jpg)
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/wheelsinlacquer007.jpg)
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I think they look bloody good, they may be a sha.de darker than standard but its not that noticable. Good job :wink:
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I think they look bloody good, they may be a sha.de darker than standard but its not that noticable. Good job :wink:
agreed, great work.... in daylight they look awesome.
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They look a little dark to me, but that's my opinion, and not a criticism... If you want lighter, and closer to OE, then re coat them in Mercedes Brilliant silver 744, this will give you a bright clean look, great job though, prep work looks as good as you'll get anywhere
Edit, lacquer wont change the colour at all!
Thom,
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You could have told me that earlier Tom :grin: I might just flat down one wheel and try it then. Will i need to primer or can i go over the lacquer finish once it's been flatted down?
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Damn! Hope I can manage to do this to my wheels, they're a lot less fiddly than the RA's so fingers crossed! :smiley:
Many thanks for all the pics along the way!
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If you painted with Acrylic aerosol, then you should NOT rub the wheel down! simply re apply the colour, then re lacquer... but leave a little longer between coats of silver, then dust a coat of lacquer, leave to dry for about 10/15mins before hitting again with wetter coats..
Thom
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Hi Thom,
Used acrylic aerosol all the way through, paint and lacquer so that's music to my ears and it's a good job Halfrauds had run out of white primer.
Will the Mercedes silver go over the darker colour behind ok? Suppose there's only one way to find out, still at least i don't have to spend hours re flatting back and re-priming.
Halfrauds say they can mix paint up to a colour spec so i'll look at getting them to mix some Merc 744 Briliant silver tomorrow and get going...again :)
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The Merc silver will cover no problem, I got a bit ahead of myself with the advice though, if you were repainting within 10 or so hours then straight over the top would have been OK, however, as its going to be more like 24hrs, then you need to do some very easy prep, while at Halfords, pick up a couple of sheets of Grey Scotchbrite abrasive pads, use this with warm soapy water to lightly key the surface, no need to go mad with this, it will just help a little with the paint binding...
Thom
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Will do, thanks for the advice.
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The Merc silver will cover no problem, I got a bit ahead of myself with the advice though, if you were repainting within 10 or so hours then straight over the top would have been OK, however, as its going to be more like 24hrs, then you need to do some very easy prep, while at Halfords, pick up a couple of sheets of Grey Scotchbrite abrasive pads, use this with warm soapy water to lightly key the surface, no need to go mad with this, it will just help a little with the paint binding...
Thom
Thom: The wheel refurb guru :cool:
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I'll get them all inside tonight and flat off the duff bits of lacquer and then do the rest tomorrow. Hopefully by tomorrow night i'll be re-posting with them all finished in the right shade of silver :)
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Ooooh so its pretty quick to do then after the initial prep? I thought I would have to be waiting a day inbetween layers if I wanted a decent finish :rolleyes: amatures!
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Once you've put the top coat of paint on and are finished with the number of colour coats then you should leave it to touch dry, approx 30 mins and then start with the lacquer coats leaving 15-20 mins between each one. The idea is that the lacquer gets a chance to key to the paint colour so reduces the risk of peeling. :smiley:
Someone correct me if this is all wrong :grin:
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Ah awesome! Thanks dude :)
How long do you leave inbetween coats of primer and Colour? (sorry if it's already covered)
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I left mine over night between the final primer and first coat of colour. Only reason for this is that you still need to flat the primer down with fine grade wet and dry, i started with 800, then 1000, and finally 1200 to get the mirror (ish :grin: ) finish in the pics on here. Once you've finished wet-sanding you'll need to clean them properly to remove every last bit of residue and let i made sure they'd dried well too. By the time i'd done this it was 3.15am and needed to sleep. Hence i painted them the next day, plus i don't have a garage so i've been painting them in my shed and the temperatures are too low at night (last fan heater packed up and yet to replace it)
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Ah awesome, thanks again mate!
Think I need to get myself a heater of some sort if im going to be attempting this in the next month, starting to get a bit chilly! Unless a heat gun would suffice :tongue:
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Don't point it near your head :laugh:
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:huh: Will it fry my brain? :tongue:
Nah, seriously lol, will it have any negative effects to the paint other than making it as if I have them inside the sun?
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Good effort like seeing home brew once in awhile :cool:
Jay
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Dec if you're going to apply some heat i would have thought a simple hair dryer would be perfect and alot less dangerous. Imagine if you left it on and popped it on the floor for a second :grin:
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:laugh: Wasn't sure if that would be hot enough! lol I really am a complete amateur, no clue what I am doing :rolleyes:
Luckily the garage floor is concrete, so as long as I dont leave it on the sheets I put down then I would imagine it to be ok, but yea I see your point, and I am a general hazard with bad luck :tongue: so anything could happen!
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Not saying this is the ultimate guide but it's the process that has worked for me and seeing as the BBS RA's are a fiddley wheel to paint i thought it might be worth posting the technique i found which avoided any runs or mess-ups in the painting process.
The other very important point is to make sure at very regular points you wipe off the excess paint from the nozzle on the paint tin, the paint will build up here and if you don't wipe it off you'll spray the tin and put droplets of paint into the finish resulting in the need to wait for it to dry before you can sand/flat it back out. Also don't shake the tin near the wheel without cleaning the nozzle or you may chuck droplets of paint into the air, i was painting in a small shed and wondered why one of the wheels already done had two droplets on them :smiley:
The technique remains the same for the etchprimer, normal primer and paint stages, when lacquering the wheels remember that the lacquer is thinner than the paint and you'll need to hold the tin a little further away from the wheel to aviod any nasty runs, lacquers a sod as it builds up and you don't notice it's either run or built up too heavily until it's too late.
First off start the wheel with the valve hole at bottom dead centre or 6:00 on the clock face, simple reason is as you paint and rotate the wheel it's the best indication of knowing when you've gone round the whole wheel. Make sure you warm the paint tin up in some hot water as it'll help the paint adhere and also maximises the speed of the propellant.
Do not put any paint in the top edges of the spokes as by the time you spray the inside edges you'll load up too much paint and they'll run. Start off with one spray to each of the inside edges of the triangles rotating the wheel as you go, i had the tin 10-15 centimetres away from the wheel. Once you have gone round the hole wheel the next item are the wheel bolt holes, again no painting the face of the rim as you end up putting too much paint the the leading edges and they'll run. Putting the valve hole at bottom dead centre again put one spray into each of the four holes as you see them, then rotate and spray again, repeat until you have gone all the way round, four rotations worked for me.
Next stage is to paint the rim, at 45 degrees paint the rim rotating the wheel, the angle helps give coverage to both faces of the rim. Finally yo can now paint the face of the wheel, again 10-1 cms away go left to right over the face of the wheel, remember to rotate the wheel as it will help apply the paint to the inner edges of the lattice design on the face.
Leave the wheel to dry for about 10 minutes and then stand the wheel up so you can paint the inside of the wheel. Tilt the wheel slighty towards you, i used a thin role of masking tape to do this, the nest item is to carefully spray into each of the spoke holes from the back of the wheel, this will help get the coverage on the bottom faces of the triangles as you won't get them all from the front, also check the inner edges of the spokes and spray once up each side where needed, once you have gone all the way round you can paint the inside face of the wheel back, nothing to say other than rotate the wheel as you go.
You'll probably need to replace the newspaper that the wheel was sitting on at this point as quite a bit of paint gets through the spokes and builds up on the paper nicely.
Sit the wheel so it's face up and at right angles paint the flat'ish edge of the wheel lip (might not be possible if you doing this with the tyres on, i had mine removed for the re-furbishing)
Leave the wheel to dry for a further 15 minutes and then you can go again on the second coat repeating the above process. As i was re-furbing all four at the same time it made it easy as i was painting them in rotation order so the first was ready for it's second coat by the time wheel 4 had been painted.
As i said at the beginning just be very careful with the lacquer stage as it's much thinner than the paint and will run alot easier, i used the same technique holding it the same distance away and got a couple of small patches where it had gathered too much so i would advise holding it further away 15-20 cms and rememeber as i put 4-5 coats of lacquer on you don't have to paint it on the first go. With hindsight it might have been better to leave a little longer between lacquer coats to avoid build up of wet lacquer.
Finally you're ready to paint the lacquer on to the wheel you must do this no more than 30 minutes after the last coat of wheel colour has gone on, by not letting the wheel colour cure completely the lacquer has a better chance of adhering to the top colour and should stop the risk of peeling/lifting at a later stage.
HTH
Jeremy.
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If it's of any use i'd be happy to do a write up of the preparation stages from dirty wheel to sanded and ready for primer. The success in a good finish is won and lost in how much time and effort you put into the inital sanding/prep stage, i am a complete newbie to wheel re-furbing as this was my first attempt but, i took my time and the results paid off when i did finally put the first run of paint on. :cool: even if i have decided the colour is too dark so i'm doing them again :grin:
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Dude! That write up is awesome :D answered what I was going to be asking next on how far away to hold the can, outlined that you need to wipe the nozzle etc.. Thanks for all your help :) how many cans or lacquer, paint, primer, and etch primer did you use?
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1 tin of etch primer should be fine, 2 large size tins of normal primer, 3 of paint and 3 lacquer. I tend to leave the last third in the tin and then move onto a new one, only beacuse i find it loses it's strength and i don't want to spray the crap at the bottom of the tin.
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Ah yeah, makes sense! Thanks again dude :) Best I get down to halfords :grin:
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Well I've changed the colour using a Mercedes Brilliant silver as advised and hopefully this will be a nice colour. The lacquer still needs finishing/polishing and i did struggle to get coverage in all the little gaps as much as i would have liked but i think that it had reached the limitations of a diy job as i'll just end up getting a load of runs.
Here's the old colour
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/wheelsinlacquer006.jpg)
Here's the new colour
(http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad28/jeremybarker/wheelsfinished004.jpg)
It's a bit difficult to see in the dull light but i did match the two up and it was a good few shades lighter, actually looked light silver and not grey. Should look even brighter in the sunshine.
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Excellent job look spot on :smiley:
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There's a few places where the lacquer flooded on the inner spoke edges not too bad but i put this down to never having re-furbed wheels before. Certainly learnt alot and will save the knowledge gained for next time :smiley:
I couldn't bear sanding them all back again :grin:
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Awesome job! Actually looking forward to giving mine a go now :tongue: Hopefully I can achieve such good results!
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You'll be fine, just watch the lacquer process, lots of light coats. TBH if the design of the RA's were less complex i wouldn't have had any issues with the lacquer so you'll be fine with your wheels, good luck and keep us updated.