Breaker77's Guide - How to Refinish Wheels - 56k Gtfo

Ill be doing this in Sections because im impatient and cause uploading a shit ton of photos all at once sucks…

Step 1

Get your tires dismounted. If your just doing minor polishing the i suppose you dont have to take the tires off, but im going to fully disassemble mine so that i can return them to better then new condition.

Step 2

If you just want to get to refinishing one piece wheels, skip a few steps. These next few parts are specific to 3 Piece Work Wheels.

Youll need a few tools at your disposal to get these things apart.

5/16th 12 point Socket
10mm Medium/Deep Socket + Extension
Ratchet’s for the Sockets
Paint Scraper
Jar to keep your Screws

Step 3

5/16th Socket on a Ratchet goes on the face side of the wheel

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d019.jpg

10mm + Extension + Ratchet goes on the other side

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/IMG_08221.jpg

It takes a while but your going to be taking each one of those screws out. Turn on the radio or watch tv as you do it. DONT LOSE ANY SCREWS!! Those things are like 10 dollars each. Im keeping mine in a fishbowl until the end of this project.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d020.jpg

Step 4

So you finally got all those screws out? AWESOME! you almost have the wheel apart. Just grab the face and lift it out. Try not to scrape the lip on the way out.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d022.jpg

Step 5

Your probably wondering why the 2 remaining sides aren’t falling apart. Well its because they’ve been sealed together with Silicone so that the air doesn’t escape.

Take your Paint Scraper and slowly feed it into the small crack between the lips.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d025.jpg

Keep on pushing it until you go all the way through the bead of Silicone.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d026.jpg

Keep doing that until youve gone all the way around the wheel.
I also labeled my parts with numbers so that i dont mix things up. Id suggest doing the same before you seperate them.

once done, simply pull.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d027.jpg

Woo! Your wheel is now fully apart!

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/SilviaKid77/Wheel%20Rebuild/30d029.jpg

More to come tomorrow.

I’ve been working on my 3-piece volks for a while now. Getting them apart is the easy part, polishing them, not so much. Suchhh tedidous work, I hope you have patience lol. I’ve got two wheels done in a matter of about 2 months, makes it even harder now that its winter, theres no where to wetsand…

My wheels are sandwich type though, abit different procedure when putting them back together apparently. I dont know if you did, but its a good idea to mark each part of the wheel where they all originally lined up cuz if they have even the slightest of a bend they might not go back together 100%.

Have fun polishing.

yes i know how much of a paint it is to polish. id done prep work for a body shop so im used to it lol. and i know i dont NEED to wet sand, but it looks sooo much nicer after. in just an hour im about 1/3rd done one wheels lip. hopefully i dont strain myself…

Lookin good Ciarin, keep us updated!!

what happened???..this was an awesome thread

breaker77 please continue…i have a 3 piece wheel that i need to refinish as well!!

http://the-polisher.tripod.com/id6.html

this helps as well…