4.2 Wheels

[Uncle_P]

The wheels on my 4.2 are stating to look a bit flakey. They're not kerbed or damaged, the paint just looks a bit rough! I got a quote from a mobile refurb bloke and he said £70 a corner. That got me thinking that I could probably buy a new set for not much more AND then have a spare set for a rainy day (or just ditch them on ebay).

Does anybody here have any advice on refurbishing or replacing wheels? Or should I just leave them as they are not worry about it?

Any advice or opinions welcome.

[anchorman]

£50 a wheel around here!!!

[Grumpy stumpy]

The wheels on my 4.2 are stating to look a bit flakey. They're not kerbed or damaged, the paint just looks a bit rough! I got a quote from a mobile refurb bloke and he said £70 a corner. That got me thinking that I could probably buy a new set for not much more AND then have a spare set for a rainy day (or just ditch them on ebay).

Does anybody here have any advice on refurbishing or replacing wheels? Or should I just leave them as they are not worry about it?

Any advice or opinions welcome.

Had mine powder coated two days ago, cost £200. Excellent job done.

Had mine powder coated two days ago, cost £200. Superb job done. Lowestoft Suffolk.

[firemac]

The wheels on my 4.2 are stating to look a bit flakey. They're not kerbed or damaged, the paint just looks a bit rough! I got a quote from a mobile refurb bloke and he said £70 a corner. That got me thinking that I could probably buy a new set for not much more AND then have a spare set for a rainy day (or just ditch them on ebay).

Does anybody here have any advice on refurbishing or replacing wheels? Or should I just leave them as they are not worry about it?

Any advice or opinions welcome.

You need to check out anyone that you intend to use very carefully as a lot of these guys do a (very good) cosmetic job that doesn't last more than 12 months at best. If you think about it, how great a job can they do in your driveway? The big thing to watch out for is if any corrosion sets in that can cause the wheels to become porous and lose pressure. Slow loss isn't a big deal, other than being a nuisance, but a sudden loss at speed could be, um, interesting.

We had the wheels on both our 4.2's all refurbed last year by The Wheel Specialist in Burton on Trent. £70 per wheel + VAT and 12 months warranty. They remove the tyres & valves, strip the wheels totally, powder coat them and oven lacquer to a very high standard. Ours are looking excellent still and I expect them to continue to do so. Lots of positive recommendations on their website, www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk . Really nice people to do business with and they gave us their classic 350SL Merc convertible to use for the day.

By the way, Toyota quoted me £350 per wheel for new OEM's as I thought much the same as you initially.

[Hoovie]

There are a few options on this ....

1) Get someone to come to your house and refurb them while on the car .... bit of a temporary result to be honest and not recommended.

2) Send them away to a refurbing company to be (usually) powder coated .... lasts a lot better but you are without your car for around a week with some of these guys who do batch power coating for multiple customers.

3) Get someone to refurb them off the car and treat them with a UV lacquer which will give a rock solid finish and protect really well against further corrosion .. this option provides just as good a job as power coating (better in some ways, not as good in others) but this can be done same day AND .... if you get the guy with the right kit in his mobile workshop, will be done wheels off the car and refurbed in the van at your own home or workplace (if that sounds like an advert, you could be right ;) )

[Uncle_P]

I happened upon these guys on eBay, I like the idea of the drive in, drive out service..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0233-x4-Like4Like-Exchange-Refurbished-Toyota-Rav-4-16-Alloy-Wheels-/320901883560?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims_Car_Rims_ET&hash=item4ab73e26a8

[Tony Barnsley]

I use PX Wheels to fit my tyres from Black Circle, and was there last week. Having visited and seen their stocks, and the process they use for refurbing wheels, I know where to go when I kerb my alloys

Really helpful too, While I only had two new goelandars fitted they were happy to fit the TPMS sensors to the other wheels for no additional cost.

Thing is I want a set of rims for winter tyres, and they suggested those 16" rims with some 65% winter tyres so I think you ought to avoid them like the plague :D

[Hoovie]

That drive in - swap over - drive out process does sound neat :)

Tony, hope they didn't charge you for valves they didn't fit! When I took in my TPMS sensors to get fitted to new tyres I got the agreed price reduced as I was supplying my own valves

[Tony Barnsley]

I wasn't worried about the cost of the valves to be honest as they didn't charge me for taking the two fronts off, fitting the two sensors and putting the old fronts back on. . . . When I have to replace the fronts, then I'll argue for a reduction