My O.Z Split Rim Rebuild
Discussion
Decided it was time to give the old split rims a refresh as they were looking pretty tired. Just thought I would post a few pictures and pointers so it might help anyone else who is thinking of having a go at their own set.
The wheels themselves although straight were showing signs of be 20 years old. The lacquer had started to lift and was letting in water which causes more corrosion. The paint on the centres was pretty tired too and the bolts had all gone dull.
I started to remove all the bolts with the special tools I managed to borrow from someone off of TVRCC. O.Z wheels use an unusual and hard to find 10 point socket so unless you can get hold of these tools you've got no hope of getting them apart.
After removing all the nuts and bolts you'll see the rim is sealed onto the wheel to keep it air tight with mastic. This can be cut away with a sharp knife. The outer lip can now be removed from the wheel. A few hits with a rubber mallet will soon have it away.
I repeated this process three other times and ended up with a pile of bits like this
Next steps are to send the lips off to be polished. The centres will be blasted and powder coated in the original silver with the centre caps to match except the centre nut will be polished to match the lips. I'll also be replacing the nuts and bolts with new ones but will go for the more conventional 12 point sockets so if i need to take them apart again I can do so without the special tools.
The wheels themselves although straight were showing signs of be 20 years old. The lacquer had started to lift and was letting in water which causes more corrosion. The paint on the centres was pretty tired too and the bolts had all gone dull.
I started to remove all the bolts with the special tools I managed to borrow from someone off of TVRCC. O.Z wheels use an unusual and hard to find 10 point socket so unless you can get hold of these tools you've got no hope of getting them apart.
After removing all the nuts and bolts you'll see the rim is sealed onto the wheel to keep it air tight with mastic. This can be cut away with a sharp knife. The outer lip can now be removed from the wheel. A few hits with a rubber mallet will soon have it away.
I repeated this process three other times and ended up with a pile of bits like this
Next steps are to send the lips off to be polished. The centres will be blasted and powder coated in the original silver with the centre caps to match except the centre nut will be polished to match the lips. I'll also be replacing the nuts and bolts with new ones but will go for the more conventional 12 point sockets so if i need to take them apart again I can do so without the special tools.
Progress has been a little slow on these what with xmas and the new year plus I helped my parents and sister move recently.
I was messing about trying to get the lacquer off the rims so I could send them off to be polished. I didn't want to use sand papers as this would make more work for the polishers so the only option was paint stripper. Due to a change in the law back in 2010 the stuff that makes paint stripper work so well has been banned
so basically it doesn't work anymore on lacquer.
Anyway an old school friend has recently set up his own wheel refurbishment place so this afternoon I took the wheels, rims and the centre caps down there to his place http://www.premierwheelrepairs.com/
He is going to acid dip all the parts to remove the old lacquer and paint. Powder coat the wheels and centre caps in silver and give the rims back so I can send them off to be polished.
Should have some pictures of the fresh looking centres by the weekend.
I was messing about trying to get the lacquer off the rims so I could send them off to be polished. I didn't want to use sand papers as this would make more work for the polishers so the only option was paint stripper. Due to a change in the law back in 2010 the stuff that makes paint stripper work so well has been banned
so basically it doesn't work anymore on lacquer. Anyway an old school friend has recently set up his own wheel refurbishment place so this afternoon I took the wheels, rims and the centre caps down there to his place http://www.premierwheelrepairs.com/
He is going to acid dip all the parts to remove the old lacquer and paint. Powder coat the wheels and centre caps in silver and give the rims back so I can send them off to be polished.
Should have some pictures of the fresh looking centres by the weekend.
Well after waiting two weeks for the polishers to do the rims I got up early to pick them up before work. Can't say I'm exactly happy with their work. There was still loads of pitting on the surface of them. Seems all they did was polish the original poor surface rather than getting down to a good surface to start with.
I've polished rims in the past myself so expected high standards. Lack of time was the reason I haven't done these myself but it seems I will most likely end up doing them myself!
I have given them another chance to get them spot on for me.
Here is some I've done myself in the past and the finish I expect.
I've polished rims in the past myself so expected high standards. Lack of time was the reason I haven't done these myself but it seems I will most likely end up doing them myself!
I have given them another chance to get them spot on for me.
Here is some I've done myself in the past and the finish I expect.
I've just got off the phone to the polishers. Told them I don't want them to do any more work on the rims. Thinking about them through the day I'm not happy with the work they have done so far. Even the parts that aren't pitted just don't have the mirror shine I was after. I'm going to collect them tomorrow morning and send them somewhere else, where I should have sent them to start with!
Where do I stand with paying for the sub standard work done so far? I'm not out to rip anyone off but I'm just not happy with what they've done so far and don't feel I should pay fully for something that hasn't been done to the standard I wanted and what they said they could deliver.
Where do I stand with paying for the sub standard work done so far? I'm not out to rip anyone off but I'm just not happy with what they've done so far and don't feel I should pay fully for something that hasn't been done to the standard I wanted and what they said they could deliver.
Finally got the rims back after having them re-done by another company.
Much happier with the results now. Can finally get on with getting them together, my job for the weekend!
Before
After
The work was done by http://www.the-polisher.com/ up in Scotland. Would recommend them to anyone on here thinking of having anything like this done.
Much happier with the results now. Can finally get on with getting them together, my job for the weekend!
Before
After
The work was done by http://www.the-polisher.com/ up in Scotland. Would recommend them to anyone on here thinking of having anything like this done.
Just finishing up putting these together. Replaced the 10 point nuts and bolts with some brand new 12 point bolts and six point nuts that I got from a trader in Germany.
Just need to seal them up to make them air tight which I'll take pictures of how to do if anyones interested. Waiting on some new valves to turn up form Germany again. Already have tyres waiting to go so not long to go now
Just need to seal them up to make them air tight which I'll take pictures of how to do if anyones interested. Waiting on some new valves to turn up form Germany again. Already have tyres waiting to go so not long to go now
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