Took my wheels to the local tire shop

I have not read the whole thread, so I'll give my 2 cents on one point; If you are sure there is next to zero wobble or side-to-side movement in your rims, keep the ones you have. I've installed many "refurbished" wheels/rims and have seen many of them are not neerly as round as the owner would want them to be. Although, refinishing looks nice. If they offer, I would bite, assuming all other matters have been sorted. This would also ensure new valve stems.
Another point to consider is if the mechanic gets annoyed with you and wants to extract revenge somehow. I know it happens; I've seen it.
Maybe you could just take a cash offer settlement and buy a new toy.
 
Not be a jerk... I feel for you. Total bad situation.

But if the owner of the shop turned a claim into insurance or you sued the shop and won your wheels would be depreciated and you would get garage sale prices even though they were in perfect shape.

Or they would pay to have them fixed.

So if they cost 1000.00 new you might get 500.00. Depends on age of vehicle. Heck you could get a couple hundred bucks even.

I'd just be happy to get them fixed. The owner could tell you to go pound sand and you could waste even more time and money suing.... it could be a lot worse.

Sorry for your situation.
 
If the best you can get is a refinish - go with Wheel Collision Center in Bath PA. This shop has done many wheels for me, probably 12+. The finish they provide is quite durable - in fact it's much BETTER than BMWs factory finish.

Dunno where you live - but they ship all over the world. The way I see it - the wheel place will owe you $$$ to cover a rental car for the time your wheels are being shipped & refinished. They also owe you shipping - which costs about $100 each way for a set of wheels last time I shipped ($200 total).

Factor in all that, it's really no cheaper to pay for a refinish. Unless they plan on having Joe the Bumper Guy come down with his little airbrush and masking tape and paint the faces. Don't settle for that.

If your not willing to go that route - it's time for Street Justice.
 
I finished reading this thread as i was hoping for resolution. I think the best you're going to get is having your wheels repainted. I actually think the wheels will come out better than new. I had a set of wheels refinished and loved the outcome. I had them gloss the barrels too.

With regards to tire shops they are all a little sloppy. My shop always leaves a mark or two on the edge, but nothing too bad. They do a great job balancing tires though and have a road force machine.

Anytime anyone works on your car it can be hit or miss. I have had issues with reputable mechanics and due to that i try and do all my maintenance work myself.
 
Brad, if you are detailing something other than your own car, I surely hope you have a ton of insurance, spare time, and cash in the event that you accidentally damage someone's cars. Let's say you burn through the paint on a fender or dent a hood dropping your buffer, would a body shop repair suffice on that panel? What if they insisted on the entire car being painted for fears it would never match. What about a dimished value claim that when they go to sell the car, it would be worth less because it has had bodywork?

I think you need to accept some middle ground and realize that a refinished wheel will look as good and hold up as well as a brand new one. My wife's wheel was slightly damaged during mounting - minor, but irritating. I forgot all about the scratch when she curbed the wheel a week later.

I bought a new car earlier this year and went around it with a fine-tooth come upon pick up, drove it home, and the next morning saw a scratch in the passenger door I could feel with my nail. Called the dealer and they arranged for them to repair it - black metalflake - I thought no way could it ever match. I'm positive I didn't do it and they tell me they didn't do it, and when I picked it, no charge, comp'd me for a rental car, and the repair is flawless. Trust the professionals that do wheel refinishing to make this right. And then move on. Life's too short.
 
louie said:
Brad, if you are detailing something other than your own car, I surely hope you have a ton of insurance, spare time, and cash in the event that you accidentally damage someone's cars. Let's say you burn through the paint on a fender or dent a hood dropping your buffer, would a body shop repair suffice on that panel? What if they insisted on the entire car being painted for fears it would never match. What about a dimished value claim that when they go to sell the car, it would be worth less because it has had bodywork?

I think you need to accept some middle ground and realize that a refinished wheel will look as good and hold up as well as a brand new one. My wife's wheel was slightly damaged during mounting - minor, but irritating. I forgot all about the scratch when she curbed the wheel a week later.

I bought a new car earlier this year and went around it with a fine-tooth come upon pick up, drove it home, and the next morning saw a scratch in the passenger door I could feel with my nail. Called the dealer and they arranged for them to repair it - black metalflake - I thought no way could it ever match. I'm positive I didn't do it and they tell me they didn't do it, and when I picked it, no charge, comp'd me for a rental car, and the repair is flawless. Trust the professionals that do wheel refinishing to make this right. And then move on. Life's too short.
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Excelleny view on things, its a car and it gets driven and left around careless people all the time. We all have to deal with things.
 
So true...
I started to notice a little dent here and there + rock chips on my car after I join this forum 😱
 
toycar18 said:
Not be a jerk... I feel for you. Total bad situation.

But if the owner of the shop turned a claim into insurance or you sued the shop and won your wheels would be depreciated and you would get garage sale prices even though they were in perfect shape.

Or they would pay to have them fixed.

So if they cost 1000.00 new you might get 500.00. Depends on age of vehicle. Heck you could get a couple hundred bucks even.

I'd just be happy to get them fixed. The owner could tell you to go pound sand and you could waste even more time and money suing.... it could be a lot worse.

Sorry for your situation.
Click to expand...

TurboToys said:
You can see that if you chip paint, it has a rough edge, and you should even be able to get a nail under it, and the underside will either be the color ofbthe primer or wheel, but with those pictures I linked, you can tell where the previous chips had been repainted. You see no definite gap at the edges, and the whole thing is the same color, not two tone like places where fresh chips happened.

He wont be doing those repairs, having a wheel refinished entails sending it to a different shop altogether and they would end up stripping and prepping the entire wheel, not just using touchup paint.


If you havent worked out a transportation part of the deal, make sure to bring it up that if they are going to be refinished, then youll need a vehicle or a spare set of wheels to drive on until yours are done.
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Makes sense. Thanks for the information.

Although if they used some sort of touch up paint previously, would that not be noticeable? I used to spend and hour a wheel, twice a year, cleaning and sealing them and never noticed any shading or surface difference.
 
I forgot to mention dont let the mobile wheel repair guy spot treat them. They need to be removed fully stripped, repainted and cleared. The shop will do a better job, but you will be without wheels for a week or two. Here in nj a set of 18" oem porsche wheels cost 500$ to repair.
 
swanicyouth said:
If the best you can get is a refinish - go with Wheel Collision Center in Bath PA. This shop has done many wheels for me, probably 12+. The finish they provide is quite durable - in fact it's much BETTER than BMWs factory finish.

Dunno where you live - but they ship all over the world. The way I see it - the wheel place will owe you $$$ to cover a rental car for the time your wheels are being shipped & refinished. They also owe you shipping - which costs about $100 each way for a set of wheels last time I shipped ($200 total).

Factor in all that, it's really no cheaper to pay for a refinish. Unless they plan on having Joe the Bumper Guy come down with his little airbrush and masking tape and paint the faces. Don't settle for that.

If your not willing to go that route - it's time for Street Justice.
Click to expand...

That's kind of what I was saying earlier in one of my previous posts. That it would almost be cheaper to get new wheels after shipping, rent a car, repair costs etc.

Thanks for the information.

toycar18 said:
Not be a jerk... I feel for you. Total bad situation.

But if the owner of the shop turned a claim into insurance or you sued the shop and won your wheels would be depreciated and you would get garage sale prices even though they were in perfect shape.

Or they would pay to have them fixed.

So if they cost 1000.00 new you might get 500.00. Depends on age of vehicle. Heck you could get a couple hundred bucks even.

I'd just be happy to get them fixed. The owner could tell you to go pound sand and you could waste even more time and money suing.... it could be a lot worse.

Sorry for your situation.
Click to expand...

Age has nothing to do with it. If you take my wheels and put them up against a wrx set of oem wheels and all the guy does is go off road....get my point? I look at the condition. Being happy to get something I had doesn't make sense to me. It may to you, but I look at it as vandalism. I know if I were to do this to someone's property it would stick with me for a while. These guys don't care.

expdetailing said:
I have not read the whole thread, so I'll give my 2 cents on one point; If you are sure there is next to zero wobble or side-to-side movement in your rims, keep the ones you have. I've installed many "refurbished" wheels/rims and have seen many of them are not neerly as round as the owner would want them to be. Although, refinishing looks nice. If they offer, I would bite, assuming all other matters have been sorted. This would also ensure new valve stems.
Another point to consider is if the mechanic gets annoyed with you and wants to extract revenge somehow. I know it happens; I've seen it.
Maybe you could just take a cash offer settlement and buy a new toy.
Click to expand...

I would prefer a cash settlement so I can choose my place to get them repaired. I don;t want anything to do with him. He found out where I worked somehow. I don;t think he is the type to come by and key my car, but you never know.

And the cash offer would have to be the cost of new wheels. MY wheels were perfect. I;ve spent hours on them. So I figure the difference between new wheels and my current ones make up for my time and wages lost in all of this.

Ck996tt said:
I finished reading this thread as i was hoping for resolution. I think the best you're going to get is having your wheels repainted. I actually think the wheels will come out better than new. I had a set of wheels refinished and loved the outcome. I had them gloss the barrels too.

With regards to tire shops they are all a little sloppy. My shop always leaves a mark or two on the edge, but nothing too bad. They do a great job balancing tires though and have a road force machine.

Anytime anyone works on your car it can be hit or miss. I have had issues with reputable mechanics and due to that i try and do all my maintenance work myself.
Click to expand...


From what I have read, they are not all sloppy. A lot of members have a wheels guy. To me if there is going to be damage, people should be warned, have a sign or something.

louie said:
Brad, if you are detailing something other than your own car, I surely hope you have a ton of insurance, spare time, and cash in the event that you accidentally damage someone's cars. Let's say you burn through the paint on a fender or dent a hood dropping your buffer, would a body shop repair suffice on that panel? What if they insisted on the entire car being painted for fears it would never match. What about a dimished value claim that when they go to sell the car, it would be worth less because it has had bodywork?

I think you need to accept some middle ground and realize that a refinished wheel will look as good and hold up as well as a brand new one. My wife's wheel was slightly damaged during mounting - minor, but irritating. I forgot all about the scratch when she curbed the wheel a week later.

I bought a new car earlier this year and went around it with a fine-tooth come upon pick up, drove it home, and the next morning saw a scratch in the passenger door I could feel with my nail. Called the dealer and they arranged for them to repair it - black metalflake - I thought no way could it ever match. I'm positive I didn't do it and they tell me they didn't do it, and when I picked it, no charge, comp'd me for a rental car, and the repair is flawless. Trust the professionals that do wheel refinishing to make this right. And then move on. Life's too short.
Click to expand...

So I get to accept lower ground for something I did not do? I get where you are heading, but why you are heading there is beyond me. I'm not talking about paint damage, I'm talking chips and gouges. Not really the same. But, I do get what you are saying.
 
BradsDetailing said:
Age has nothing to do with it. If you take my wheels and put them up against a wrx set of oem wheels and all the guy does is go off road....get my point? I look at the condition. Being happy to get something I had doesn't make sense to me. It may to you, but I look at it as vandalism. I know if I were to do this to someone's property it would stick with me for a while. These guys don't care.

From what I have read, they are not all sloppy. A lot of members have a wheels guy. To me if there is going to be damage, people should be warned, have a sign or something.
Click to expand...

On point one, I'm not sure you know what vandalism means, per the dictionary: van·dal·ism - action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.

Are you really implying it was deliberate destruction?? Cause you've lost me there. Careless? Yes. But that brings me to point two...

I think the rest of us might submit that he has a warning sign for the perfectionist... it reads "USED TIRES". You go to a $5 swirl-o-matic wash and you get swirls? At least you got a car wash, right?

Has your barber ever nicked your ear? Did you get a multimillion dollar settlement b/c he can't replace your ear with what you had before you went into the place?
 
phens82 said:
On point one, I'm not sure you know what vandalism means, per the dictionary: van·dal·ism - action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.

Are you really implying it was deliberate destruction?? Cause you've lost me there. Careless? Yes. But that brings me to point two...

I think the rest of us might submit that he has a warning sign for the perfectionist... it reads "USED TIRES". You go to a $5 swirl-o-matic wash and you get swirls? At least you got a car wash, right?

Has your barber ever nicked your ear? Did you get a multimillion dollar settlement b/c he can't replace your ear with what you had before you went into the place?
Click to expand...

Relax.

I have never had damage on any of my wheels before from mounting and/or balancing new tires.

It should not be expected. It's not intentional, but it was highly preventable as stated before.

Used tires or not. It should not happen.
 
Just an FYI your looking at about $750+ mounting & balancing (~ $100) to get wheels restored properly at Wheel Collision Center. Shipping is likely additional.

It's very important to distinguish whoever is repairing your wheels what type of refinishing process they use. Paint = no good = not durable.

You want somewhere who powder coats. Even with powder coating - there is several different types of powder. But, a place that does wheels specifically will likely specialize in the right type of powder.

Since, your getting them done - ask whoever does them if they can use "brilliant silver". It's a nicer silver than most factory painted wheels, I believe Mercedes first started using this color years ago - since others have followed, like BMW. Brilliant silver will look nicer than silver. That's what I had my wheels done in and it was an upgrade over regular factory silver.

Years ago places couldn't replicate "brilliant silver" because there was lead in the coating and it was outlawed in the USA. However, places like WCC can replicate it now quite nicely and it looks much nicer - only costs a few extra $$$ over silver.
 
swanicyouth said:
Just an FYI your looking at about $750+ mounting & balancing (~ $100) to get wheels restored properly at Wheel Collision Center. Shipping is likely additional.

It's very important to distinguish whoever is repairing your wheels what type of refinishing process they use. Paint = no good = not durable.

You want somewhere who powder coats. Even with powder coating - there is several different types of powder. But, a place that does wheels specifically will likely specialize in the right type of powder.

Since, your getting them done - ask whoever does them if they can use "brilliant silver". It's a nicer silver than most factory painted wheels, I believe Mercedes first started using this color years ago - since others have followed, like BMW. Brilliant silver will look nicer than silver. That's what I had my wheels done in and it was an upgrade over regular factory silver.

Years ago places couldn't replicate "brilliant silver" because there was lead in the coating and it was outlawed in the USA. However, places like WCC can replicate it now quite nicely and it looks much nicer - only costs a few extra $$$ over silver.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the information.

I'm going to my local Honda dealership tomorrow to see what information they have on the oem wheels and what they usually do for repair etc.

From what I have read from other members powder coating seems the way to go. I will definately keep in mind about the brilliant silver.
 
Sheesh, I thought I was doing good when I sent my wheels to WCC and had them repainted, and made sure they painted the barrels because those weren't done from the factory--and here I was supposed to have them powder coated instead??
 
The finish is stronger with powder coating but i had read that certain wheels could get damaged from the high heat in the powder coating process. I think painting is just fine.
 
Ck996tt said:
The finish is stronger with powder coating but i had read that certain wheels could get damaged from the high heat in the powder coating process. I think painting is just fine.
Click to expand...
You are thinking of certain cast 2 and 3 piece wheels, most oem should have no issue with the heat of powdercoating because they arent made the same as some of the center sections that fail due to heat
 
OP, I read bits and pieces of the thread. Sounds like a lot of unwanted stress. Any resolution, by any chance?
 
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