DIY 108 Split Rim refurb

[mrscalex]

Thanks @Sean d - very helpful. I do have a compressor (as yet unused) but I'm reluctant to drag it outside and use it for the first time (as it's new to me) to soda blast and while it's still so blinkin cold. I'd rather sit there in the garage with the strip wheel. But perhaps I'll look into getting a grinder attachment so I can spin the wheel a lot slower.

 

[Sean d]

Thanks @Sean d - very helpful. I do have a compressor (as yet unused) but I'm reluctant to drag it outside and use it for the first time (as it's new to me) to soda blast and while it's still so blinkin cold. I'd rather sit there in the garage with the strip wheel. But perhaps I'll look into getting a grinder attachment so I can spin the wheel a lot slower.

Good luck with the refurb, you will need the patience of a saint, its vital that you acid etch prime all parts that are going to be painted, its ok to do wet on wet, so put the etch primer on and as soon as its matted you can the apply the main primer,

 

[DavidM]

Looks like an interesting project and lots of hard work ahead!

 

[mrscalex]

Well the centres were dropped off at Bournes in Birmingham yesterday.

Really impressed with their advice and helpfulness. They took one look and said they were too corroded to be refinished in original BMW silver. They said I should have gun metal grey to create more shadow to hide any pitting they couldn't get out. It makes sense and I half expected them to say that. They've quoted 'about' £30 a piece but did warn me it might be a little more due to the condition. We'll see, I'll be disappointed and surprised if it's much more given how good they've been to date.

I've done some more test cleans on the outer rims which I'm doing myself. I was using a DA with a 5.5" pad and 120 grit (I think). The trouble is the surface of the pad was too big for the curve and progress was painful carefully using the edge of the disc if otherwise good. Out of interest, does anyone know if you can get smaller backing pads for DAs? Preferably 2" ones for the 3M roloc pads? I've looked everywhere and the attachment method of the ones I've seen doesn't seem to work with my DAS pro.

So it will be out with the compressor and shot blaster attachment and see how we get on with that. Just need to go and find a nice big bag of bicarbanate of soda now, preferably from a caterer as it's all the same stuff (I think) and media blasting suppliers charge a lot more.

 

[t-tony]

Well the centres were dropped off at Bournes in Birmingham yesterday.

Really impressed with their advice and helpfulness. They took one look and said they were too corroded to be refinished in original BMW silver. They said I should have gun metal grey to create more shadow to hide any pitting they couldn't get out. It makes sense and I half expected them to say that. They've quoted 'about' £30 a piece but did warn me it might be a little more due to the condition. We'll see, I'll be disappointed and surprised if it's much more given how good they've been to date.

I've done some more test cleans on the outer rims which I'm doing myself. I was using a DA with a 5.5" pad and 120 grit (I think). The trouble is the surface of the pad was too big for the curve and progress was painful carefully using the edge of the disc if otherwise good. Out of interest, does anyone know if you can get smaller backing pads for DAs? Preferably 2" ones for the 3M roloc pads? I've looked everywhere and the attachment method of the ones I've seen doesn't seem to work with my DAS pro.

So it will be out with the compressor and shot blaster attachment and see how we get on with that. Just need to go and find a nice big bag of bicarbanate of soda now, preferably from a caterer as it's all the same stuff (I think) and media blasting suppliers charge a lot more.

I'll be interested to see how the shot blasting goes Rob.

Tony.

 

[Steve Medlock]

My 108 rims are at the Powder Coaters - should be ready towards the end of next week. I've left the centres alone as I didn't think they looked too bad.

 

[Sean d]

Well the centres were dropped off at Bournes in Birmingham yesterday.

Really impressed with their advice and helpfulness. They took one look and said they were too corroded to be refinished in original BMW silver. They said I should have gun metal grey to create more shadow to hide any pitting they couldn't get out. It makes sense and I half expected them to say that. They've quoted 'about' £30 a piece but did warn me it might be a little more due to the condition. We'll see, I'll be disappointed and surprised if it's much more given how good they've been to date.

I've done some more test cleans on the outer rims which I'm doing myself. I was using a DA with a 5.5" pad and 120 grit (I think). The trouble is the surface of the pad was too big for the curve and progress was painful carefully using the edge of the disc if otherwise good. Out of interest, does anyone know if you can get smaller backing pads for DAs? Preferably 2" ones for the 3M roloc pads? I've looked everywhere and the attachment method of the ones I've seen doesn't seem to work with my DAS pro.

So it will be out with the compressor and shot blaster attachment and see how we get on with that. Just need to go and find a nice big bag of bicarbanate of soda now, preferably from a caterer as it's all the same stuff (I think) and media blasting suppliers charge a lot more.

The pitting on alloy is very fine and shouldn't be too deep, I also think they look better in a darker colour as you get a better contrast with polished rim, we use velcro backed sanding discs on our DA sanders, you can get a soft backing pad that fits in between the disc and sander, it kakes life a lot easier for compound curves. Its about 1cm thick.

 

[mrscalex]

The pitting on alloy is very fine and shouldn't be too deep, I also think they look better in a darker colour as you get a better contrast with polished rim, we use velcro backed sanding discs on our DA sanders, you can get a soft backing pad that fits in between the disc and sander, it kakes life a lot easier for compound curves. Its about 1cm thick.

So does that pad stick to the 5.5" backing pad. Then you stick the 2" pad to the adaptor?

 

[Sean d]

So does that pad stick to the 5.5" backing pad. Then you stick the 2" pad to the adaptor?

No you still use 5.5 sanding discs but the pad helps it hug the curves.

 

[Sean d]

Like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-Hole-6-...id=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&mehot=pp&sd=161877982524

 

[mrscalex]

No you still use 5.5 sanding discs but the pad helps it hug the curves.

Excellent. Got you now. It was really bugging me how that worked. Thanks.

 

[Sean d]

Excellent. Got you now. It was really bugging me how that worked. Thanks.

As a side note, do NOT use them on winter roads, my polished rims looked great all summer, all they needed was a quick polish with Solvol every 2-3 weeks, however the salt has destroyed them and they are taking hours to restore them.

 

[mrscalex]

As a side note, do NOT use them on winter roads, my polished rims looked great all summer, all they needed was a quick polish with Solvol every 2-3 weeks, however the salt has destroyed them and they are taking hours to restore them.

Thanks. I'll keep them for the summer only then as I'm jiggered if I'm going to keep re-polishing them.

 

[mrscalex]

Drove 2 hours up from Swindon to central Birmingham to Bournes for the finished centres today. Traffic was awful and phoned them and warned them I'd be a few minutes late. Despite saying they'd wait they obviously couldn't be ar*ed and were gone when I got there 15 mins late.

Took an afternoon off work too...

On the basis the complete wheels with tyres only cost me £60 and that I can't justify taking another afternoon off work, I've told them to stick them where the sun don't shine.

Assuming that's where it comes to rest I will have the outer rims only and tyres available for sale if any use to anyone.

 

[Sean d]

Drove 2 hours up from Swindon to central Birmingham to Bournes for the finished centres today. Traffic was awful and phoned them and warned them I'd be a few minutes late. Despite saying they'd wait they obviously couldn't be ar*ed and were gone when I got there 15 mins late.

Took an afternoon off work too...

On the basis the complete wheels with tyres only cost me £60 and that I can't justify taking another afternoon off work, I've told them to stick them where the sun don't shine.

Assuming that's where it comes to rest I will have the outer rims only and tyres available for sale if any use to anyone.

I would be interested just the logistics are a problem

 

[Simon Blythe]

I'll take the tyres if they are still available mate.

 

[mrscalex]

Bournes have made a decent apology and offered me a discount so I'll give them another chance.

If for whatever reason things still fall through will give you @Sean d and @Simon Blythe a shout.

 

[g8jka]

Surely they could post them out to you FOC along with a discount, as a gesture for there balls up which would save you another trip?

 

[mrscalex]

Surely they could post them out to you FOC along with a discount, as a gesture for there balls up which would save you another trip?

I did think of that. But they might get damaged in the post and it will also be more difficult to challenge if there are any problems with the job they did.

I never normally go to Birmingham but I need to go there next week for 3 other errands so not such a big deal in the end to go back.

 

[t-tony]

Well I made a start of sorts on mine today. I used an 18" long 1/2" drive ratchet and socket and loosened and re-tightened each bolt in my O/S/R wheel. All came undone easily enough. I decided to do this while the wheels still had tyres on them and were still on the car. Reason being that the weight of the car holds the rim perfectly still so all I had to concern myself with was keeping the spline socket firmly in the bolt head. 20 down only 60 to go, and Good Friday is sometimes a quiet day at work. Here's hoping.

Tony.