Wheel Refurbish - unusual question
Discussion
I've had my wheels refurbished and both the primer and lacquer are powder coatings baked on with the colour layer being wet sprayed. Hence the finish is pretty tough!
Although I indicated otherwise the hub and bolt mating faces have been painted. I have removed the paint from the hub faces so that's back to OEM standard bare metal, but removing the paint from the bolt hole faces is extremely difficult and the chance of damaging the new finish is high.
The best I can reasonably achieve is to 'smooth out' the paint coating on the bolt hole mating face by filing notches in the mating face of a spare bolt and using that as a form of cutting tool driven by a wheel gun.
Have others experienced the same when having a wheel refurb? If so how did you proceed and did you have any problems if you simply left the paint in the bolt holes?
Although I indicated otherwise the hub and bolt mating faces have been painted. I have removed the paint from the hub faces so that's back to OEM standard bare metal, but removing the paint from the bolt hole faces is extremely difficult and the chance of damaging the new finish is high.
The best I can reasonably achieve is to 'smooth out' the paint coating on the bolt hole mating face by filing notches in the mating face of a spare bolt and using that as a form of cutting tool driven by a wheel gun.
Have others experienced the same when having a wheel refurb? If so how did you proceed and did you have any problems if you simply left the paint in the bolt holes?
richardgcs said:
(You probably already know this,) smear the bare metal hub face with copper slip to prevent corrosion before fitting wheels , to stop wheels "sticking" to disc.
Oh no here come the engineering beards to tell you that you are in fact now dead and you are posting from the afterlife.Don't worry I'm also dead.
McWigglebum4th said:
richardgcs said:
(You probably already know this,) smear the bare metal hub face with copper slip to prevent corrosion before fitting wheels , to stop wheels "sticking" to disc.
Oh no here come the engineering beards to tell you that you are in fact now dead and you are posting from the afterlife.Don't worry I'm also dead.
Dog Star said:
I just leave them - and on the facings. Had many sets done, never a problem.
Thanks.My 'bolt cutter' did a good job of removing the high spots of the paint coating in the part spherical bolt mating face on the wheels.
At least I now know that when I fit the wheels there will be full contact with the bolts.
richardgcs said:
(You probably already know this,) smear the bare metal hub face with copper slip to prevent corrosion before fitting wheels , to stop wheels "sticking" to disc.
Yes I do; but a reminder does no harm.Just the lacquer to do now on the balance weights . . . . . I mix engineering with my OCD.

V8covin said:
and if you've broken thru the powder coat you'll likely get moisture underneath and it'll start corroding the aluminium and/or peeling the powder coat 
That's possible but the OEM finish was bare metal in these areas so replicating that is the right way to go IMO.
It's likely I'll get the wheels re-done next spring anyway: the refurbisher did them twice and was still unable to meet their web site claim of OEM quality finish.
Galvanic corrosion between steel hub and ali wheel is though. Discovering it when you have a puncture in the dark, on a narrow lane, in the middle of no-where, and your troch is flat isn't nice. Luckily I found mine when changing from winter wheels to summer - took some loose bolts, hard accleration, handbraking, hammering to get one wheel free.
Lashings more anti-seize applied the next time ;-)
Bri
Lashings more anti-seize applied the next time ;-)
Bri
McWigglebum4th said:
richardgcs said:
(You probably already know this,) smear the bare metal hub face with copper slip to prevent corrosion before fitting wheels , to stop wheels "sticking" to disc.
Oh no here come the engineering beards to tell you that you are in fact now dead and you are posting from the afterlife.Don't worry I'm also dead.
That doesn't make it best practice though. I'd rather my wheels were held on as well as possible, rather than compromised to allow easy removal (which is why the OEMs don't paint the back of the wheel or grease it). OEMs do worry far too much about this sort of thing though.
Clean back mating surface of wheel (no paint, bare ali). Ditto hub surface(s), especialy wheel location spigot. Wipe with cloth moderately damp with WD40. Clean mating surfaces of bolt holes and bolts. Torque up to manufacturers recommended value. Quick squirt of WD40 down/on bolt head (Do not drown it). Wipe any excess off. Re-check bolt torques after a short journey. Bolts should now be prevented from adhering to ali wheel, and will untighten fairly easily. Wheel shouldn't stick to hub spigot.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff



