Alloy wheel refurb lifetime?

[Sheepshanks]

For those who keep cars a while, are you getting wheels refurbed multiple times?

Have a Merc that I don't use much and got the wheels - they're very plain wheels, 5 broad spokes - refurbed 3yrs ago. Bit dismayed to clean them and find patches of corrosion on the sides (starting at back edges and spreading forwards) on the spokes on a couple of wheels. And corrosion around the valve holes (the tyres are still those the refurb company fitted).

I got them done at a branch of a well known chain that many people rave about. They were pretty expensive and I was never that impressed - indeed they had to do them twice as there was some issue with the oven first time and powder coat didn't melt properly.

[Sheepshanks]

Thankyou4calling said:

Where are you located?

North West

Conscript said:

If it's the well-known company beginning with an L and based in the south east,

Not them.

It's The one with lots of branches (franchised).

[Sheepshanks]

Muddle238 said:

They were given a 1 year warranty but after almost double that time they still look fresh,

I just dug out the bill and mine were re-done 3yrs and 2 days ago. I didn't notice any problem last time I cleaned them so they seem to have gone very suddenly. The car hasn't been in a car wash or dealer in the interim.

I don't use the car much - it was MOT'd today hence I was giving a pre-MOT clean yesterday - and it's done 3000 miles in the last 12 mths, and most of that would be in 300+ mile trips. So I don't clean the wheels often but they were waxed with some special stuff by the refurb company and I've used it now and again.

[Sheepshanks]

vikingaero said:

Do you know if it was a full tyre off refurb?

Absolutely - it was the full strip, acid bath etc etc.

vikingaero said:

Also, did you go for the Diamond cut finish again?

They're not diamond cut.

[Sheepshanks]

daemon said:

Any pics?

How do you clean your wheels?

I wouldn't claim to be obsessive about them - I clean when needed with car shampoo and small sponge and wax them with the wax I got from the refurb company.

The picture looks like bits have flaked off but in real-life it looks more like normal corrosion. The patchiness is just the light.

[Sheepshanks]

xjay1337 said:

If you clean them once a fortnight with a nice PH Neutral wheel cleaner and are lucky with stonechips there's no reason a decent refurb shouldn't last a couple of years.

Well, if a couple of years is regarded as acceptable then at 3yrs I've done quite well.

The original finish lasted 10 years (I've owned the car from a few months old) and I only got them done as they were going around the valve holes. Even then only on two wheels but I was persuaded to get all four done.

When I got them done the refurber did say that once stripped the wheels were in worse condition than they appeared and I'd left them too long - I must admit I took that to be bks.

[Sheepshanks]

xjay1337 said:

How had you left them too long? As in too far gone to repair?

After they did the them the first time the powder coat had "pop" holes in a couple of places, where they said air in the alloy had popped out while they were in the oven. They said that was due to them being 10yrs old and never having been refurbished before - although the finish (apart from a around the valve holes on a couple of wheels - appeared intact they said the wheels were corroding underneath the finish.

I still think that's nonsense. Second time they did them (because the oven didn't get fully up to temp the first time) they looked fine. And they still did up to a few months ago - they've just suddenly gone. What's annoying about it is with the car now being 13yrs old, it's not worth spending £300+ to get them done again.