BBS RX2 (GTI Split Rims) Refurb Guide

Post Instructions on DIY modifications here - use all information with caution!
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bstardchild
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BBS RX2 (GTI Split Rims) Refurb Guide

Post by bstardchild »

Alex has hosted the PDF guide to this for us - http://f.shortnd.it/ukp/rx2_refurb.pdf

OK - I did mine a while ago and stuck a post up about it and Dubpolo asked if I'd do his - distance was a problem but a wheel swap happened at inters :wink:

Right I'll say first that I'm going to concentrate later on the worst wheel - Kerbed and laquer lifted (there were two like that and two that were in quite good order but dubpolo wants a different finish so I'm doing them all) so it's gonna be the hardest one to do rather than put pictures up off all the wheels at all the stages

So Step 1 - Before

Wheel 1 - Awfull

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Wheel 2 - Bad

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Wheel 3 - Average GTi Laquer lift

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Wheel 4 - almost perfect

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So a few close ups of the bad bits

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Thats enough I reckon

Step 2 - Stripdown

So get the wheel off the car and using a multispline bit (M8 Multi Spline bit) and a breaker bar - loosen the bolts off half a turn

Spin em all out - the U shaped driver pictured is wonderfull for this job - keep the bolts safe for the moment

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Turn the wheel on it's side holding it upright between your knees tap the back of the centre section on the hub face with a bit of wood to free up the centre

Pop and out she will come - catch it before it hits the deck :wink:

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This is the big problem - water gets between the centre and the rim and corrodes the wheel out towards the rim - unless of course you've kerbed it then it does the same job from both dirrections

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This one shows it very well

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And here you can see the effect of kerbing and corrosion from the inside

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Step 3 - Tyres Off and Centres away for Powder coating

Have a search in Yellow pages if you aren't local too me - Most shot/sandblasting places also do powder coating :wink:

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Tyres are now removed and all the rims are ready for the rim treatment :wink:

PS they are bloody light - all the weight is in the centres......hmmm thinks billet centres 8)

Step 4 - Removal of Laquer

The worst wheel (or one of the two worst wheels anyway)

Safety first - rubber gloves no exposed skin on arms/legs etc and safetly glasses please when using paint stripper - it burns skin and hurts like hell if you get it in your eyes

First the mucky bit - paint stripper - Recommend Nitromors

Before
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With a layer of stripper applied (be paitient and do it in a warmish area thats well ventilated - NOT direct sunlight)

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leave the stripper alone to do it's rice crispy impression :wink:

After 10 mins (thats almost done)

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Us a thin plastic Body filler spatula to remove the stripper and bubbled coating - rinse the wheel with clean water once complete

Step 5 - Polishing preparation

first pass prep work (wet and dry 240)
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After second pass (wet and dry 400)
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Skipped the next stage just cos it was getting late and I wanted to polish a tiny bit to give you a taster of the finished item

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Can't shave in it yet but you can see the camera!!!!

Back to the wet and dry stages tommorrow 600 and then 800 followed by 1200 before the polishing begins proper

Remember if the wheels are in different conditions you still need to go through the same process of down thro grades of Wet and dry otherwise the polished finish won't match (you just don't need to rub as hard on a wheel that isn't kerbed)

So quick summary

- Start with 240 wet and dry but use it dry
- Next is 400 again dry if it gets worn out and uses it's edge I'll use it wet again
- Next is 600 wet
- followed by 800 wet and finally 1200 wet

As far as dirrection goes I go with the curve of the rim and then accross it if you get what I mean - what you are after is a smooth finish but with the rim shape maintained - so no using blocks :wink:

Step 6 - Polishing and finishes

Been having a play looking at different finishes plus what can be achieved by hand and black and decker assisted

Wheel quartered

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Top - Black and Decker assisted polishing compound (bar)

Right - Scotchbrite rub (by hand) :wink:

Bottom - Brasso (by hand)

Left - Solvol autosol (by hand)

So

Black and Decker assisted polishing compound (bar)
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Scotchbrite rub (by hand) :wink:
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Brasso (by hand) or Solvol autosol (by hand)

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Step 7 - Reassembly

Centres back from powder coating (sorry but this gives away the finish Andy wants but thats life!!!)

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Just laid in one of the finished polished rims _just a taster!!!!

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Bit of a close up

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Rim with mating surface cleaned and ready

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Sealant applied in a bead all the way round (Vauxhall Gasket Cement - it's non acidic like some silicone sealants and sets hard but will peel clean off surfaces - been using it for years) well owning vauxhalls I would wouldn't I - what I want to do is stop the water getting between the rim and the flat edge of the centre so I don't want any on the jointing face.

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Drop the centre in and line it up with the holes - press down firmly

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Loctite the bolts one after another and drop em into the holes (work quickly here)

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OK - pick two opposites and gently tighten them up - not fully tight just nip em - pick another two at 90 deg to them and do the same

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Catch up with all the others - remember to always work from one side of the wheel to the other - nip em up hand tight only

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Once they are all nipped go round with a torque wrench and bring em all up to 20 NM

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Repeat at 30 NM and that will do nicely

Da Da

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Just a reminder - this is what this wheel did look like

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Couldn't resist another one of these pics

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Step 8 - Back on the the car

Final Photo's taken at the junction of the M1/M6/A14

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And like Andy says the effect is lost on a photo when you step back a few paces and take a full picture - the camera is not as clever as the naked eye :wink:

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All done and finished

This is not a post where I'm looking to generate interest or advertise doing others for people....... but a DIY guide so others can feel confident at attempting it themselves.

Costs (should be representative of what can be dne in your local area)

£12 - Tyres off
£95 - Powder coat centres
£20 - sundry material cost - sealant - polishing cloth - polish - paint stripper
£24 - Tyres on and rebalanced with new tyre valves

Picture links fixed
Last edited by bstardchild on Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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powder coating the centres

Post by bad ass polos »

when you got them powder coated did you get them stripped coz iv bin told if there made out of magnesium they just crumble away in the stripper? how wer yours stripped? thanks
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Re: powder coating the centres

Post by bstardchild »

bad ass polos wrote:when you got them powder coated did you get them stripped coz iv bin told if there made out of magnesium they just crumble away in the stripper? how wer yours stripped? thanks
Rims or Centres?

Rims were stripped as stated Nitromors

Centres were shot blasted much better key for powder coating than acid baths
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Post by inder »

eek, slightly off topic and silly question, but where can I get one of these tools below? so that I can tighten items to a certain NM number?

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not just a socket wrench ?

:oops: :lol:
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Post by dubpolo »

any good tool shop, even halfords.
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Post by nickpolo »

hi guys,

can i ask, once you've done all that to the alloys does the finish stay like that? or does it corrode again? do you have to wash em every 5 min or anything?

thanks
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Post by bstardchild »

nickpolo wrote:hi guys,

can i ask, once you've done all that to the alloys does the finish stay like that? or does it corrode again? do you have to wash em every 5 min or anything?

thanks
Wash em just as you would do normally (hoping you do wash the car once a fortnight)

Once a month a quick wizz round with duraglit or similar will keep them in tip top order......

I'd slap a load of grease on them and not wash them if I was using them in the winter and didn't have winter wheels
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Post by dubpolo »

what grease?
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Post by bstardchild »

dubpolo wrote:what grease?
Vasaline works well - paint it on with a brush - good even coat - worked well into any gaps between rim and centre on a split rim

Drawback - no wheel cleaning or you have to reapply it and that gets tedious
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Post by nickpolo »

another question!!

i'm prob gonna do the rim refurb soon as mine are pretty bad all round.. so hoping i can get a few questions answered.

is there any way i can get the outer rims sealed with something permanent to stop this happening again? some clear coating or protective finish

with the centre bits, they probably need re doing, what should i be looking a having done? shotblasted then painted? i'm looking for the same silver finish. what is the best method of having these re-done?

as i've said my wheels look pretty bad - ie all around the outer rim, will the nitromors get rid of all this? is it purely a surface/cosmetic thing?


thanks guys
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Post by PhilGTi »

Image

What size is the tool bit on here?
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Post by bstardchild »

polosilver wrote:Image

What size is the tool bit on here?
Try looking near the original picture - it should be detailed close by
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Post by bstardchild »

nickpolo wrote:is there any way i can get the outer rims sealed with something permanent to stop this happening again? some clear coating or protective finish
You can laquer them but if you get your tyres changed the laquer gets damaged and net result is water starts getting under it and soon you end up with what you have now - so my advice is don't laquer - just polish
nickpolo wrote:with the centre bits, they probably need re doing, what should i be looking a having done? shotblasted then painted? i'm looking for the same silver finish. what is the best method of having these re-done?
Shotblast or bead blast - powder is more durable than paint and is a thicker coating - Silver is an easy colour to get a in either powder or paint
nickpolo wrote:as i've said my wheels look pretty bad - ie all around the outer rim, will the nitromors get rid of all this? is it purely a surface/cosmetic thing?
Nitromors will remove the discoloured/peeling laquer - getting rid of the pitting and coroded alloy you need something called elbow grease which when mixed with various grades of wet and dry and polishing compounds will produce a superb finish - if you find some elbow grease sold anywhere cheap - don't expect an instant wipe on/wipe off result - lots of cheap imitations about :wink:

I hope this helps
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Post by nickpolo »

where can i get the vauxhall gasket sealant from? is thsi the best thing then?


thanks

nick
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Post by bstardchild »

nickpolo wrote:where can i get the vauxhall gasket sealant from? is thsi the best thing then?


thanks

nick
I just have it anyway - I build a lot of vauxhall engines - any non acidic silicone sealant in suitable colour will do the job nicely - B&Q?

Trick is NON ACIDIC!!!
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