Wheel refurb.

[thejinx]

I’ve been trying to get my steel wheels recurred. Either local companies only do alloys or the ones that would have done the wheels are out of business. Decided to have a go. So, I’ve gone from A to B and ended up with a clean steel wheel with rust. My question how to treat rust before priming. I was thinking sanding starting course and going finer until the rust is gone. Does that work or does someone have better ways of doing this?

My alloys are also not in good nick hence I’m going back to steel. Cheers

 

[creationblue]

I'd sand back the surface rust with a scotchdisc on a grinder then use a zinc primer before giving it a top coat of colour. Of course it depends on the quality of finish you want as to how far you go with it

 

[W1K1]

you need enough tooth for the paint to grab, so you need to sand or blast them, and you need to neutralize the rust or it will just keep going. Ospho, evaporust, picklex, etc will do the job. No powder coat places close by? that would be your best best for a durable finish.

 

[67panel]

Or a bath of white vinegar

 

[sparkywig]

I'm sure there was a company called Powder Monkeez nr Swansea.
Anyway, it's a long process.
You need to take the wheel back to bare metal, treat any rust, clean them spotlessly and that includes the crevice between the hub and rim otherwise you'll get blistering.
Then apply a couple of coats of a rust reformer, rub it back with fine wet and dry, wash and dry, then a couple of etch primer, rub back with fine wet and dry, wash and dry, and then as many coats of your finish colour as necessary.

Or find a local powder coaters, motorcycle builders, bodyshop, etc.....

 

[neilswheels]

have you thought about finding a local sand blaster/ powder coater? Thats how I'd go with steel wheels.

 

[thejinx]

I live 2 mile away from powder monkeez and can never catch them open. I will keep trying around.

 

[thejinx]

Sod’s Law. Went down today to Powder Monkeez and he was there. That said the address is unit 3 which was never open he is in the next unit over. Picking them up when I get back from hols. I shall post pics.

 

[thejinx]

So as I said I would report back so 5 wheels done. They look good to me. A bit of dust on them but I’m happy. I noticed the wheel at the bottom. Which is going to be my spare has a different centre hole and is stamped VW. Is this an original? So what size tyres will these take? I am totally stock with suspension and height etc.

The last photo is of a wheel cap. I have 4. I’m currently thinking of half moon stainless steel caps but don’t know if these are worth getting sorted.

 

[sparkywig]

Stock tyre size is 185C14, which works out in modern tyres to 185/80/14.

 

[thejinx]

Awesome. Cheers

 

[ozziedog]

View attachment 9487View attachment 9489
The last photo is of a wheel cap. I have 4. I’m currently thinking of half moon stainless steel caps but don’t know if these are worth getting sorted.

i may indeed be wrong but I don’t think that is an original wheel hub cap, you can usually notice the difference in how light they are. Sounds like stainless is possibly the way forward and half moons and baby moons all look great. I’ve got plastic ones on mine now and you don’t have to polish them at all.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,good stainless is great .

 

[thejinx]

Cheers Ozzy. Having never used these how do they fit? Are they push fit or do I need clips?

 

[Clem]

I think the round centre hole wheels were for one year , it would make sense it was 1971 the first year of 5 x 112 but I’m not sure.

Hub caps just push onto those rims , no spring clips.


Remember to sand the powder coat away from the wheel lug holes before fitting. Otherwise the powder coat will break up and the wheels may come loose. Retighten after a couple of hundred miles too.

 

[ozziedog]

Cheers Ozzy. Having never used these how do they fit? Are they push fit or do I need clips?

As Clem says above, you just don’t want any powder coat in between the wheel rim and the nuts holding it down. They tend to get a bit warm there under braking and the powder coat gets soft then all of a sudden, your tight wheels nuts ain’t tight any more As he’s said above ^^^ check for tightness frequently. I’ve always wondered about the powder coat between the wheel and the drums or discs in that contact area which gradually disintegrates over time, just keep a check for a while.
If you look on your rims at the ringed bulge just outside the wheel stud holes about a halfway to the rim, you’ll see three large lumps that you knock your hub cap over, that’s what keeps them on. The clips as far as I know are only on the wide fives and similar old old stuff.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,Wheels look mint, shame to cover em up.

 

[thejinx]

Cheers both. I have heard of the wheels coming loose. I think it was a thread on here a few years ago. As I’ve said on another thread I’ve had the van 27 years and really this is the first time since I put it together all those years ago I’ve done anything big. Body work needs a bit of work and the current alloys are in a bad way so I thought it was time to go back to original wheels. Just got to start putting tyres on now.