I have 3 curbed alloys - 1 is OK. I've found somebody selling 3 of the same type of alloys all refurbished, but too far away to inspect in person (I have seen pictures and they look good). I've never bought used alloys before... just wondering if there are any pitfalls to be wary of? Eg. deformed and bent back to shape? Cracks hidden by refurbishment? Or is it case of if they look good, they're alright?
TIA
i've had many sets of used alloys, and only ever had problems with 1. it was a set that came from a crashed car, and 2 of them wouldn't balance. personally i would think that is should be fine. i take it that its an ebay sale? if he's described them as perfect and you find problems with them, then you should be able to open a "not as described" strike against him and (jopefully) get it sorted out
TIA,
Many years ago I bought a set of used wheels for my 1976 Rabbit, from a guy in a neighboring city. They looked nice, ran true, and fit well. Then a week or two later I noticed a tire was going flat. I didn't think much of it at the time and just aired it up again. A week or two later, it was flat again. I needed new tires anyway, so I bought new tires thinking that was the problem. But, a week later, the tire was going flat again. After a little research with soap and water, I discovered air was bleeding through the metal of the rim itself...
Still, I liked the wheels and just learned to air up my tires every week. I ran them almost 10 years this way, while I kept my eye out for another set of gold mesh wheels.
Then, about a year ago, I purchased a set of refurbished wheels from Wheel Collision center
Anthony
Keep in mind, I don't see the excitement about Allow wheels.
I would be a little skeptical as most alloy wheels are not as durable as steel wheels and some, especially the older ones had a tendency to slow leaks.
I have heard of leaking alloys being sealed by painting the inside with some POR-15 paint That should seal it so no more leaks.
I have bought a used alloy wheel for my 83 Audi 4000s from Joel and it was in perfect shape. So if the person is honest you should not have a problem!
But to buy 3 used/refurb wheels instead of 4 new ones.........................well that is up to you. I guess it depends on if you like that style and if the price is right. ;-)
JMHO later, dave (>>I have 3 curbed alloys - 1 is OK. I've found somebody selling 3 of the
There were some alloy wheels that were standard equipment on Europe spec VW models a few years ago that were fine in Germany but broke up here in the US. These were actually made by another well known wheel maker for VW and were OK for German roads but we have a lot more potholes and gravel roads which caused the wheels to break. They don't sell these on VW's here anymore. BL is that some alloy wheels are not as strong as steel wheels so you have to be careful.
TL
*************** You don't think they look better, & don't care about the better ride & handling 'cause of the less unsprung weight? ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"
If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective.
Do alloy wheels have less unsprung weight? How much less?
I used to think that that was the purpose of "mags", but lifting those wheels made me think that the purpose was something else these days. If the purpose were weight, wouldn't the ads list the weight?
My theory is that it is like the roll bar evolving to a "light bar".
most alloys are actually heavier than standard steel wheels, unless you spend silly amount of money on magnesium alloy ones. they should help conduct heat away from the brakes better though
************* Depends on the type, size, & manufacturer. How much do your 16x8 (or whatever) steel wheels weigh? Plus, most folks usually go to lower profile tires which save weight in rubber. Of course, it you go wider than stock you can't compare the weight of say, a 10" wide wheel/tire combo to a stock 6" one.
those wheels made me think that the purpose was something else these days. If the purpose were weight, wouldn't the ads list the weight?
************* You would think. But most kids these days don't care about anything but how much they cost & how much that will impress their friends.Huh? How do you turn a rollbar in a car into a light bar? This is not a
4x4 board...spend silly amount of money on magnesium alloy ones. they should help conduct heat away from the brakes better though
********* See above. Do you think these wheels (in the mouse-over image) will weigh more than the stock steel wheels/tires I took off of my '90 Cabriolet, in spite of the fact that they are 15x7's (50 series)? I doubt it. Might weigh about the same, with about twice as much rubber on the ground. (by the way this is not my car - just an image I used; It's basicly what I have in mind for my LT1 mid-engine project)Easy on the Giggle Cream!
It was the best example I could think of to illustrate a concept of something that was originally a primarily functional thing having evolved into a primarily appearance thing.
I consider aluminum wheels to be somewhat fragile compared to steel. I think that squat tires are not so good on roads with potholes, and that a pothole edge can damage that aluminum wheel. I wish that the manufacturers would let one go with the more durable tire/wheel combos on better performance cars.
Your point that aluminum alloy wheels usually go with wider, squatter tires, making the wheel itself larger and heavier, is quite valid.
I suspect a high-strength steel alloy would be as light as a typical aluminum casting, even for the same tires. Yet I have no numbers. For racing they probably use something beyond ordinary aluminum casting.
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