E9x 19" OEM Alloys - Refurb not possible
Discussion
I turned up at Lepsons in Gillingham on Saturday morning to get one of my alloys refurbed which had been kerbed, only to be told by very knowledgeable and friendly technician that because said alloy had already been refurbed (I bought my M3 saloon used with 13k miles on the clock), it would not be possible to refurb it again. So the only option would be to get it painted. So assuming the previous owner had refurbed the alloy just once, you effectively get just one opportunity to refurb a wheel. If you kerb it again, the alloy will either need replacing or has to be painted (along with all the other alloys).
I have no reason not to believe the guy from Lepsons, as it was in his interests to take my business and also I believe Lepsons have a very good reputation.
Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, but is this just a characteristic of this particular diamond cut alloy? Has anyone else experienced this issue? Are Lepsons being overly cautious?
I have no reason not to believe the guy from Lepsons, as it was in his interests to take my business and also I believe Lepsons have a very good reputation.
Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, but is this just a characteristic of this particular diamond cut alloy? Has anyone else experienced this issue? Are Lepsons being overly cautious?
Lepsons took the same view with my E46 M3 polished 19's. Fortnately mine were ok to do. From conversations I had with them, I thought that they could be done a couple of times. The tell tale is how deeply recessed the "M" badge is on the face. An over zealous refurb might see this recess almost totally removed, or at least the edge of it. In my experience, Lepsons wouldn't tell you porkies, after all, it's cheaper for them to paint, rather than restore to OE finish.
yes, they told me that too ( about the e92 19"s) when I had my M6 wheels done, although I was also told that you can refurb the M6 wheels more than once as they 'had more meat on them'. Fortunately mine had never been done before so I've got a few goes at it - one already needs re-doing! How about painting them shadow chrome like the e39 M5 wheels?
I had thought of that but then I'm loathe to get the other wheels done since they're in perfectly good condition. So I guess it's a new wheel, but seems like a real waste of money. Perhaps I can sell the old alloy but given its only useful for painting there will be limited demand if at all or wait until the wife kerns the other alloys then get the painted.
brother1 said:
I had thought of that but then I'm loathe to get the other wheels done since they're in perfectly good condition. So I guess it's a new wheel, but seems like a real waste of money. Perhaps I can sell the old alloy but given its only useful for painting there will be limited demand if at all or wait until the
wife kerns the other alloys then get the painted.
How bad is it? You can sand back the rim and polish. Doesn't look 100% perfect but fixes with wasting a refurb and not noticeable from distance. wife kerns the other alloys then get the painted.
Hi,
I'd disagree with the comment it's a way of BMW rinsing more out of customers! BMW make the oem wheel (or indeed have it manufactured to their specifications) and test and approve it for use on the car when it's new. BMW aren't to know if an owner kerbs it! surely the level of blame lies with the owner who decided to knock their wheel into immovable concrete ?!!
Diamond cutting indeed removes a quantity of metal from the wheel, so it's then different from the specifications originally intended. there's probably enough material for a one time refurbishment by diamond cutting, after which as mentioned, too much metal would be removed if done again.
One way around it is to have the metal polished, but then the lacquer won't stick to that, so you need to have the autosol ready every 3-4 days to remove the oxidation. Painting is of course an option, which is what I prefer. Many people talk of powder coating which is also very valid. The only reason I'm not such a fan of powder coating is that because the wheel is heated up to melt the powder coat. The alloy itself has small air pockets which happen as a natural part of the manufacturing process, and if an air pocket is just large enough, when heated it'll expand and can crack an alloy to beyond repair. Chances are with a well made OEM level quality wheel, which used higher grades of alloy in the first place, that this could happen is reduced but certainly not nil! reputable powder coaters will tell you this as part of their disclaimer prior to getting work done. I opted for my Hartge wheels to have the original diamond cut and lacquered lips polished and the faces painted.
The risks with 2nd hand are that you don't really know if they've had a refurb before, so it's entirely possible if you get another 2nd hand wheel that too may have had a refurb and won't be possible to get done to OEM finish again! you'll then have to consider one of the above alternatives !
Good luck!
cheers, Dennis!
I'd disagree with the comment it's a way of BMW rinsing more out of customers! BMW make the oem wheel (or indeed have it manufactured to their specifications) and test and approve it for use on the car when it's new. BMW aren't to know if an owner kerbs it! surely the level of blame lies with the owner who decided to knock their wheel into immovable concrete ?!!
Diamond cutting indeed removes a quantity of metal from the wheel, so it's then different from the specifications originally intended. there's probably enough material for a one time refurbishment by diamond cutting, after which as mentioned, too much metal would be removed if done again.
One way around it is to have the metal polished, but then the lacquer won't stick to that, so you need to have the autosol ready every 3-4 days to remove the oxidation. Painting is of course an option, which is what I prefer. Many people talk of powder coating which is also very valid. The only reason I'm not such a fan of powder coating is that because the wheel is heated up to melt the powder coat. The alloy itself has small air pockets which happen as a natural part of the manufacturing process, and if an air pocket is just large enough, when heated it'll expand and can crack an alloy to beyond repair. Chances are with a well made OEM level quality wheel, which used higher grades of alloy in the first place, that this could happen is reduced but certainly not nil! reputable powder coaters will tell you this as part of their disclaimer prior to getting work done. I opted for my Hartge wheels to have the original diamond cut and lacquered lips polished and the faces painted.
The risks with 2nd hand are that you don't really know if they've had a refurb before, so it's entirely possible if you get another 2nd hand wheel that too may have had a refurb and won't be possible to get done to OEM finish again! you'll then have to consider one of the above alternatives !
Good luck!
cheers, Dennis!
DennisCooper said:
Hi,
I'd disagree with the comment it's a way of BMW rinsing more out of customers! BMW make the oem wheel (or indeed have it manufactured to their specifications) and test and approve it for use on the car when it's new. BMW aren't to know if an owner kerbs it! surely the level of blame lies with the owner who decided to knock their wheel into immovable concrete ?!!
Diamond cutting indeed removes a quantity of metal from the wheel, so it's then different from the specifications originally intended. there's probably enough material for a one time refurbishment by diamond cutting, after which as mentioned, too much metal would be removed if done again.
One way around it is to have the metal polished, but then the lacquer won't stick to that, so you need to have the autosol ready every 3-4 days to remove the oxidation. Painting is of course an option, which is what I prefer. Many people talk of powder coating which is also very valid. The only reason I'm not such a fan of powder coating is that because the wheel is heated up to melt the powder coat. The alloy itself has small air pockets which happen as a natural part of the manufacturing process, and if an air pocket is just large enough, when heated it'll expand and can crack an alloy to beyond repair. Chances are with a well made OEM level quality wheel, which used higher grades of alloy in the first place, that this could happen is reduced but certainly not nil! reputable powder coaters will tell you this as part of their disclaimer prior to getting work done. I opted for my Hartge wheels to have the original diamond cut and lacquered lips polished and the faces painted.
The risks with 2nd hand are that you don't really know if they've had a refurb before, so it's entirely possible if you get another 2nd hand wheel that too may have had a refurb and won't be possible to get done to OEM finish again! you'll then have to consider one of the above alternatives !
Good luck!
cheers, Dennis!
The wheels aren't diamond cut, they are machined with a carbide tool bit. I'd disagree with the comment it's a way of BMW rinsing more out of customers! BMW make the oem wheel (or indeed have it manufactured to their specifications) and test and approve it for use on the car when it's new. BMW aren't to know if an owner kerbs it! surely the level of blame lies with the owner who decided to knock their wheel into immovable concrete ?!!
Diamond cutting indeed removes a quantity of metal from the wheel, so it's then different from the specifications originally intended. there's probably enough material for a one time refurbishment by diamond cutting, after which as mentioned, too much metal would be removed if done again.
One way around it is to have the metal polished, but then the lacquer won't stick to that, so you need to have the autosol ready every 3-4 days to remove the oxidation. Painting is of course an option, which is what I prefer. Many people talk of powder coating which is also very valid. The only reason I'm not such a fan of powder coating is that because the wheel is heated up to melt the powder coat. The alloy itself has small air pockets which happen as a natural part of the manufacturing process, and if an air pocket is just large enough, when heated it'll expand and can crack an alloy to beyond repair. Chances are with a well made OEM level quality wheel, which used higher grades of alloy in the first place, that this could happen is reduced but certainly not nil! reputable powder coaters will tell you this as part of their disclaimer prior to getting work done. I opted for my Hartge wheels to have the original diamond cut and lacquered lips polished and the faces painted.
The risks with 2nd hand are that you don't really know if they've had a refurb before, so it's entirely possible if you get another 2nd hand wheel that too may have had a refurb and won't be possible to get done to OEM finish again! you'll then have to consider one of the above alternatives !
Good luck!
cheers, Dennis!
The oem 19" wheel is forged, machined and polished by Fuchs in Germany.
A good refurb company should be able to get away with machining the face several times. It only needs a .05mm skim to clean up the face with a bigger radius on the outer edge to remove kerbing.
If the wheel has heavy kerbing, it can be filled with weld and machined.
An e92 wheel has a raised 7mm lip on the outer edge. If This is missing, it's the giveway that the wheel has been refurbed (apart from the dull finish)
Personally, I wouldn't bother with a refurb, they never look the same. Just buy a new one and be careful
Ah
I didn't realise they were forged manufactured wheels, or about the carbide tip thing.
Also, depending on the condition of the rest of the wheels, buying a new one may result in a non matching looking set, and when the price of a refurb probably costs less than a brand new wheel, you can see why such places are doing very good business up and down the country!
What you've got to remember is 'most' BMW owners are extremely fussy when it comes to 'must look oem' and having things that match and look right!
Cheers, Dennis!
I didn't realise they were forged manufactured wheels, or about the carbide tip thing.
Also, depending on the condition of the rest of the wheels, buying a new one may result in a non matching looking set, and when the price of a refurb probably costs less than a brand new wheel, you can see why such places are doing very good business up and down the country!
What you've got to remember is 'most' BMW owners are extremely fussy when it comes to 'must look oem' and having things that match and look right!
Cheers, Dennis!
Dan S said:
Where are you based? Is it postable? (do you have a spare)
So, here are some pics of the wheel. It looks kind of bad to me, but would be good to get your thoughts. I've bought a brand new alloy to replace this one, bought for £250 off eBay. Seller seemed to be genuine as I met him in person even though £250 seemed quite cheap. Any thoughts on price one should pay would be helpful. Wheel appeared to be genuine, but then I'm no expert. Maybe I will get out checked out by BMW.
]
It's salvageable.
You end up with a slightly "unlaquered" look at the very rim edge and you have to autosol it once a month to keep the marring/weathering off. To the naked eye it's a decent fix, you wouldnt see it if you didn't know it was there.
One of my spares had a scuff right up a spoke. I'll take some pics of it tomorrow so you can see the final effect/differences.
A new wheel is probably best, just have to be careful
I learned the hard way as well. 
You end up with a slightly "unlaquered" look at the very rim edge and you have to autosol it once a month to keep the marring/weathering off. To the naked eye it's a decent fix, you wouldnt see it if you didn't know it was there.
One of my spares had a scuff right up a spoke. I'll take some pics of it tomorrow so you can see the final effect/differences.
A new wheel is probably best, just have to be careful
I learned the hard way as well. On a side note and of no help whatsoever, this is the sole reason why I hate machined/unpainted rims. Even if you are careful and never kerb them, the lacquer gets 'whiteworm' soon enough and starts to look unsightly. It's only a matter of time. Perhaps a stone chip or a careless clip of the socket when changing a tyre and then lacquer is breached and then thats when it begins.
They look great when new though!
What about having them all redone in anthracite perhaps?
You can buy new OEM wheels at 15% less than dealer here
www.alloywheelsdirect.net/bmw_alloy_wheels
They look great when new though!
What about having them all redone in anthracite perhaps?
You can buy new OEM wheels at 15% less than dealer here
www.alloywheelsdirect.net/bmw_alloy_wheels
Edited by Pig Skill on Saturday 28th May 07:55
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