Alloy wheel refurbishment

[Dave Fowler]

Afternoon all,

I've just got back from a couple of weeks away, and thought I'd get the Plus 2 out for a spin. I was more than a little surprised when I opened the garage and found that it had a totally flat n/s front tyre. I've taken the wheel to a branch of Kwik Fit (only place open on a Sunday) and they told me that the wheel is leaking around the rim and needs refurbishing. The chap there also reckoned that it's highly likely that the other three will need doing as well.

So, is he correct? I assume the wheels are as old as the car, and even alloys will corrode over 38 years, so I guess it's possible. On the other hand, I've had the car for two months without any sign of tyres deflating, so it seems a bit odd in that sense. But I guess that there must be some point at which they just go...

If they do need a refurb, is this something I could attempt myself, given that I'd only want to get the surface where the tyre fits sorted out for now? Or am I better off taking it (or indeed them) to a specialist wheel refurbisher?

As ever, thanks in advance for assistance and advice.

Dave

[elanman999]

Dave,
Did you see them leak test it? Has it a puncture or is the valve leaking? It could well be the rim as this is a feature of old alloys. Also they do not always leak at the tyre/rim interface, the alloy can be porous in which case the inside of the rim will need sealing.
You could pump the tyre up and test it with soapy water yourself. I would test the tyre before taking it anywhere else
IMHO Kwik fit should not be used they are know for seeing a "business opportunity".
If you were near York I could recommend somewhere but I assume you will be able to find a place nearer home or you could do it yourself.
Cheers
John

[theelanman]

it will oxidise round the rim (seal) however any tyre fitter worth his salt will spot the corrision befor fitting the tyre and get some scotch brite or smilar stuff and remove it...
sounds like yours were fitted by a muppet.....
Ive never trusted kwikfit having heard serveral stories of the slap dash nature they do things....this was many years ago mind.....never brought myself to try them after that...

just needs thetyre removing......the oxidation/corrosion removing....then tyre refitting

simple

[Dave Fowler]

Dave,
Did you see them leak test it? Has it a puncture or is the valve leaking? It could well be the rim as this is a feature of old alloys. Also they do not always leak at the tyre/rim interface, the alloy can be porous in which case the inside of the rim will need sealing.
You could pump the tyre up and test it with soapy water yourself. I would test the tyre before taking it anywhere else
IMHO Kwik fit should not be used they are know for seeing a "business opportunity".
If you were near York I could recommend somewhere but I assume you will be able to find a place nearer home or you could do it yourself.
Cheers
John

Thanks for that, John. I wouldn't normally go to Kwik Fit, but they were open! And, in fairness, they didn't try to get me to spend any money with them, just said I should get the wheel looked at. The chap said it was leaking all round the rim, but I was thinking of giving it a dunk in the bath (figuratively speaking!) anyway. I'll definitely be doing that.

I've found a few places near me which do wheel repairs and the like, so I'll give some of them a call.

[Dave Fowler]

it will oxidise round the rim (seal) however any tyre fitter worth his salt will spot the corrision befor fitting the tyre and get some scotch brite or smilar stuff and remove it...
sounds like yours were fitted by a muppet.....
Ive never trusted kwikfit having heard serveral stories of the slap dash nature they do things....this was many years ago mind.....never brought myself to try them after that...

just needs thetyre removing......the oxidation/corrosion removing....then tyre refitting

simple

I hope it turns out to be as straightforward as that! I don't know who fitted the tyres, as they were on the car when I bought it two months ago. Looks like my best bet would be to take it to a decent tyre place (I know of several) and get them to do as you suggest.

[steve.thomas]

Dave,
I recently bought a plus 2 from Lester's Garage in Trowbridge who had had the alloy wheels re-finished and looking like new. I seem to remember them saying they sent them out to a firm in Southampton for this. It might be worth contacting them if you decide to go the whole way.
Steve.

[billwill]

Make up a strong solution of washing up liquid & pour that around the rim, any bubbles will clearly show where you have leak(s).

[Shiny_kit]

if you wanted them refurbed for cosmetic reasons, I would suggest Solent Wheels who are not far from you (Romsey) who did a great job with the last lot I needed doing.
Can they not tube the wheels instead, if they are not sealing against the tyres ?

[summerinmaine]

I've "re-furbed" alloy wheels myself, and it's not hard. I have a 1973 2002Tii with the factory alloys showing their age, and while they weren't leaking, I had to repair a wheel leak on one of my Ducatis.

I simply took the tires and balance weights off the wheels, cleaned up the bead surfaces with steel wool and sanded/steel wooled any kerb rash, and took them to a shop that uses baking soda as a blast medium. Sand is too harsh. Walnut shell powder will also work well, I'm told.

They came out looking great. I sprayed them with a couple of layers of clear coat (both the shiny side and the inside) then remounted the tires from the back (I always do this with alloys). Took them to a shop for balance, and I was done.

The Duck wheel, I simply dismounted the tire, clear coated the inside, remounted, balanced, and I was done.

[Dave Fowler]

Well, it turns out that the issue wasn't the rim but the tyre itself. The car's fitted with Uniroyal tyres - not sure when they were fitted, as they look very new but the car did very few miles for a number of years, hence minimal wear. Uniroyal don't make that particular tyre any more, which dates them a tad. Anyhow, when I took the wheel to a decent tyre place yesterday to get the rim sorted, they found that the bead on the tyre had been damaged when it was put on the wheel, rendering the tyre unusable. Bit of a pain, that.

Has anyone else had problems with getting tyres fitted to Plus 2 alloys (by which I mean the ones you see on many Plus 2s - not sure if they're Lotus originals or not)? It seems the rim is very deep and getting a tyre over it is a hell of a job. I'd also be interested in knowing people's choices of tyre for a Plus 2 (though re-shoeing the whole car will have to wait till I have the necessary cash).

[rocket]

Hello Dave,

I had a similar problem when i brought my plus 2 around 3 years ago,the tyres were past there best and a couple of them were leaking slighty.I replaced them all with Goodyear which have now travelled 11,000 miles and are fine.I think they cost me about ?220 for a set of 5.I had them fitted by kwik fit and also have used them for other cars without any problems.

Ian.

[mikealdren]

Dave, yes the +2 alloy rims are a known issue, not a job for quick fit cowboys. The rims have a sharp edge compared with modern alloys, if you are getting them refurbished, you may want to get it chamfered off. Otherwise, get your fitter to take care and use plenty of soap.

Cheaper wheel refurbishers will do the job without taking the tyre off, a cheap and nasty cosmetic solution that certainly won't help with porous wheels or corroded tyre beds.

Mike

[david.g.chapman]

My lotus alloy wheels have a bit of run-out on them - about 1 mm. They are new-old stock fitted 2 years ago, but made in 2000.

Do any of these refurbishing companies offer a straightening service?

Dave Chapman

[Dave Fowler]

Dave, yes the +2 alloy rims are a known issue, not a job for quick fit cowboys. The rims have a sharp edge compared with modern alloys, if you are getting them refurbished, you may want to get it chamfered off. Otherwise, get your fitter to take care and use plenty of soap.

Cheaper wheel refurbishers will do the job without taking the tyre off, a cheap and nasty cosmetic solution that certainly won't help with porous wheels or corroded tyre beds.

Mike

These chaps took the tyre off, which is how they discovered the damaged bead. They also commented on the rim shape and depth and the likely difficulty of fitting tyres onto it. They said they'd do a bit more work on the rim before trying to fit a new tyre, so we'll see how it goes. I know they're a good firm as they have a very good reputation locally - family-run business which has been successful and grown over the years. Plus my girlfriend and her family have used them a good deal and know them well, which gives me confidence.

[blackandgold]

My experience with the alloy wheels is that the tires install easier from the back than the front
and that installing tubes stop any leaks on old wheels