Well, I was going to buy some new wheels for my car for summer tires. But with the 'Rona pockylips and losing a ton of income that doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon.

I wanted new wheels, because the OEM wheels were badly damaged with curb rash. The original owner had curbed all of the wheels badly, including the spair.

Anyway, they looked like shit, so I thought since I can't swing new wheels, why not refinish the OEM wheels?

Since I wasn't driving much, I figured that I could leave my winter wheel/tires on and work on the OEM wheels.

Well 60+ hours, over two weeks (lots of rain, can't paint or bondo in the rain), and $250.00 bucks, I finished them.

Well, after 7 days of curing I was going to polish them with 3000 grit and buff them out and put a paint sealant on them, but with the rain that got delayed a couple of weeks. I got that done last week, but more rain.

Well, today I finally got them on the car. I took the car for a spin after I installed the wheels and there was no shaking or vibration at all. No matter the speed from 0 to 80 mph.

Now mind you, I removed all of the wheel weights when I refinishing the wheels. I have an appointment Thursday to balance the wheels, but now I'm thinking that I don't need to.

But, I'm planning a 650 mile road trip the first of June, so I'm thinking that I might as well have them checked out.

Refinished from Dark Charcoal metallic to BBS Gold.
Grounded curb rash out, bondo, sanded from 80 grit to 600 hrit. Etching primer, three coats of filler primer, that sanded down to 600 grit, three coats of BBS Gold, three coats of gloss clearcoat. Polished with 3000 grit and buffed and paint sealant. They still have a few flaws, as they were badly damaged, but look 20 times better!

I can't seem to post a picture. But it was well worth the effort! I still can't believe that there is no shaking or vibration at all.

ARman

<IMG class="inline_image" SRC="[img]https://i.postimg.cc/xXyj8RxJ/20200323-121555.jpg"> [/IMG] 60 hrs, thats torture. I just recently did my hubcaps. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. Try postimage to post your picture.

I just read all of that, got to the bottom, and the pics of the newly finished wheels on the car are missing. Please correct this. Before and after pics preferred.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/...40@N04/shares/16sRma


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Maybe?

I don't have a before, but there is after....


ARman

Looks awesome, enjoy the new look. Can't answer on the weights, but I'd suggest it's worth the balancing.

quote:

Originally posted by GTO:
<IMG class="inline_image" SRC="[img]https://i.postimg.cc/xXyj8RxJ/20200323-121555.jpg"> [/IMG] 60 hrs, thats torture. I just recently did my hubcaps. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. Try postimage to post your picture.

I wouldn't say that I truly enjoyed it, but it wasn't torture.

I might have had 60+ hours in it, but it was over a couple of weeks for most of it. In the mouth of the garage with some good music. Wasn't too bad.

The end result was better than I expected, not perfect but looks way better than where I started!

I was going to take photos of the project from start to finish, but I was so busy, that kinda got forgotten about.

Still want to get new wheels, max performance summer tires. Keeping the refinished OEM wheels with Ultra High Performance All Season tires just incase I have a flat and a little short on cash to buy a set of 4, since it's a Subaru and that's what you have to do.

I have a set of nice wheels with Blizzak ws90 on it for winter, which is mostly overkill around here, but I rather have good snow tires and not need them, then need them and not have them.

ARman

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Looks awesome, enjoy the new look. Can't answer on the weights, but I'd suggest it's worth the balancing.

Thanks! They turned out good. I got a set of Sparco Terra wheels for my winter setup. I got Gold, well because World Rally Blue. Really liked the look of the gold.

So, the new wheels were going to be Method Racing mr503 in gold. Since I had to put on the back burner, I figured that I would refinish them in gold to.

After looking at a few gold wheel paints, the BBS Gold was the best looking. So there you go!

ARman

If it ain't broke don't fix it. Alloy wheels themselves are typically balanced. The tire manufacturing process accounts for some of the imbalance. And sometimes we mount new tires and the balancer calls for no weight. I wouldn't risk getting a scratch on the paint if there is no vibration.

The wheels look great !!! I too need to get a set of wheels refinished. As for yours, I would still get them balanced professionally as the process is not very expensive usually $10 a wheel here in my area. I would suggest that they put any wheel weights on the inner side of the wheel where it is not seen, that is what I usually ask for when I have mine done. God Bless

Instead of attaching weights to your newly refinished and looking good wheels, check into DyanBeads Tire Balancing Beads.

I've been using them for years and they can't be beat.

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/

Anything that spins on any method of conveyance should be balanced.

Don't be surprised if they don't stay balanced.
I like the feel of the Pirellis but have had more than one set that didn't run true after about 5000 miles Not a flat spot, the whole tire just lost it's shape for some reason. The last time my dealer gave me a refund and swapped them out for Michelins. They said the problem wasn't that uncommon.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Don't be surprised if they don't stay balanced.
I like the feel of the Pirellis but have had more than one set that didn't run true after about 5000 miles Not a flat spot, the whole tire just lost it's shape for some reason. The last time my dealer gave me a refund and swapped them out for Michelins. They said the problem wasn't that uncommon.

These are a set of Pirellis, they are about 4 years old. I'm not sure what the milage is on them as I somehow lost the paperwork. I do know that I might get another summer or two before I need to get a new set of tires.

I'm looking at the General G MAX AS 05 as a replacement, lots of great reviews on them.

The Pirellis have been off the car from late last November, until yesterday. I was running my winter setup. I pulled the wheel weights off to refinish them, and was very surprised at how smooth they were. No shaking or vibration, without weights on them.

I'm going to take them in just the same Thursday, if they need weights they will get them. I got a quote for $29.99 for all four wheels, so it's worth the price of mind.

ARman

Don't tell me you are one of "those Subaru drivers" featured in the long thread in "What's Your Deal" subforum. You might want to read that one.

Insert humor icon here.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
Don't tell me you are one of "those Subaru drivers" featured in the long thread in "What's Your Deal" subforum. You might want to read that one.

Insert humor icon here.

Well, I'm not a liberal, liberal Dimwhitcrap, I don't own and never will own Birkensocks. I don't vape, or smoke.

I'm Conservative/ Libertarian, NRA Endowment member, gun packing. I do have long hair/ponytail and a beard.

I might be a Lesbian so there's that. Also, the bad kids on my bus might think that I'm an asshole or dick, but I'm pretty laid back and just a fluffy teddy bear with a slightly bad attitude.

ARman

The wheels look great! I had some Weld racing wheels that needed a buff and shine every couple of years to bring them back to new condition. I did them the old fashion way. Done all by hand. No power tools. Not much fun. On to the next adventure.

I drag raced many years and balanced my own tires. Sometimes the wheels needed little if any weight. If they do not vibrate don't worry about it. I had huge slicks that occasionally did not need weights. And believe me if they would have I'd have known it.

Well, last night I took the pup for a ride. I drove quiet a few miles. Same thing, smooth ride.

I debated going to the appointment for wheel balancing, so I did. Just to be on the caution side. Also see what they said.

Besides, I had to go to the store anyway and they are nextdoor. Anyways, I get there and talked to the guy and he told me just what I thought, "if there is no shaking or vibration, don't worry about it ".

So, instead of just taking my money, he told me that it's not worth it. Now that's a place that I can trust. Refinishing to see such honesty and integrity.

ARman