Wheel refurbishment with forum discount

Wondermike

Wondermike

Moderator
Staff member
Some of you newer folks might not realise that when this forum started, the boss negotiated a discount with http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/ so I thought I would give them a try and do a bit of a review. I'm using the Leeds branch although they have several branches/franchises across the country. See this thread for details of the discount.

I'm dropping off my wheels to them on Friday and collecting them next week at some point, and I'll be doing some before and after pics too, but if anyone has any specific questions they want me to ask these guys then let me know.
 
I investigated these guys when looking to do my wheels - they never got back to me and when I called them I was told they don't have anyone in the London area - despite what their website was telling me.

Hope you have a good experience with them :thumbsup:
 
gannet said:
I investigated these guys when looking to do my wheels - they never got back to me and when I called them I was told they don't have anyone in the London area - despite what their website was telling me.

Hope you have a good experience with them :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Hmmm interesting, they've sent me several emails since I first got a quote so maybe because I live 12 miles away from them they think I'm a better bet. Fareham seems to be the nearest place to you.
 
Wondermike said:
gannet said:
I investigated these guys when looking to do my wheels - they never got back to me and when I called them I was told they don't have anyone in the London area - despite what their website was telling me.

Hope you have a good experience with them :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Hmmm interesting, they've sent me several emails since I first got a quote so maybe because I live 12 miles away from them they think I'm a better bet. Fareham seems to be the nearest place to you.
Click to expand...

Yeah they have since changed the website and no longer list a London franchise :roll: Fareham is quite a drive away... before 2dogs gets any ideas :poke:
 
Not accepting the discount code on the website?

Interested in how much mine would cost. Whats difference between full refurb & touch up?
 
Ah OK might need to see about the discount code.

Price - including stripping tyres and re-fitting is £265 (£225 just for wheels) so if you can time it right so that you get them done when you get new tyres it will work out better. But I also have 17" wheels and I think the next threshold is for 18" so your OEM wheels would be more than that, don't think they charge more for 19s over 18s though.

I had a wheel touched up after kerb damage which is OK but still cost me about £80 from memory (at Sandal BMW). But mine are in need of a full refurb, the fronts are knackered on the insides due to brake dust and pitting. I'll get some pics tomorrow, they aren't pretty. 20ducks better not look at them :D

Edit - got one pic from before -

CIMG0816Medium.jpg
 
Well, stage 1 never went to plan at all - I'm sure I'm not alone, but I couldn't get the front wheels off no matter what I did. The rear wheels were "stuck" on to a degree but I was able to free them by lying on the ground and rocking the wheel from side to side with my feet, but no way were the fronts going to come off. I ended up taking it to the Benz garage down the road to get them off for me (they owed me a favour anyway).

My fronts are in pretty good nick externally, just a bit of minor kerbing :oops:

Wheelrefurb001.jpg

I alos managed to take a chunk out of the inside edge too, not sure how?

Wheelrefurb002.jpg

Now the main reason why I want these wheels refurbing is that on the insides of the fronts, the surface is all pitted and rough and cannot be cleaned or clayed, I suspect that a bodyshop I used last December used something on the wheels to clean them that stripped all the lacquer off the wheels. This is them cleaned up as best I can.

Wheelrefurb003.jpg
Wheelrefurb004.jpg
Wheelrefurb005.jpg

Close up of the front wheel where it had become "welded" on

Wheelrefurb006.jpg

Standard tyres (Continental Sport Contact 2) have done well lasting 15k miles, the rears are just hitting the wear indicators. TBH it's surprising just how much grip they still had, but in the wet/cold they were a bit lairy.

Wheelrefurb007.jpg
Wheelrefurb008.jpg

So then it was time to drop off all 4 wheels at the Wheel Specialist in Garforth, which is just a few miles NE of Leeds. It is a franchised business so I suspect that the end product will very much depend on the individual branch.

Next - wheel finishes :)
 
Has anyone ever had the ///M wheels kerb damage touched up? Tyre fitters have taken a whisker off the laquer on one of my rear wheels but finish like a satin laquer that looks quite specialsed?
 
Yep, any news on how good they were?

Did they look OEM afterwards etc?!

They are 5 mins from me, and I have my 107's and 108's to get reconditioned. If they are worth a go I might let them do one wheel and see if they don't cock it up :D

Dave
 
Yep they look awesome on, just what I was after. One wheel had a couple of pin-pricks on the powder coating but not too bothered about that, they are wheels after all.

Wheelrefurb022.jpg
Wheelrefurb024.jpg
Wheelrefurb019.jpg
Wheelrefurb025.jpg
Wheelrefurb029.jpg
Wheelrefurb031.jpg
Wheelrefurb033.jpg
 
Great choice of colour finish Mike. 8)

What is it? Some form of anthracite flip paint? Would love to do the stars of my 108s in that! :thumbsup:
 
Cheers :)

I can't remember what the finish is now, it's either "black chrome" or "shadow chrome" where the wheel is shotblasted, then filled, powder coated black, then the front is blown over with silver paint. Much better because they never look mucky from brake dust or anything, who wants to clean their wheels every other day. Plus the insides, being so dark, seem to hide all the brakde dust etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom