Rebuilding Heavily Curb-Rashed Wheels: A Deep Dive into Restoration

Wheel Disassembly and Identification

• 💡 The process begins with disassembling the curb-rashed wheels, starting by cutting a silicon bead and removing 36 bolts per wheel.
• 🧩 A surprising discovery reveals that two wheels are two-piece (lip and barrel combined with face) and two are three-piece (lip, face, and barrel), suggesting they came from different sets.

Authenticity and Powder Coating

• 🔍 Expert Jimmy confirms the wheels are real, but identifies them as a mix of genuine Meister S1 three-piece wheels and cheaper two-piece cast wheels, indicating Tristan was likely misled.
• 🛠️ The wheel faces are sent to Croissol Metal Finishes for powder coating, with an engaging demonstration of the sandblasting process.
• ✨ Participants get hands-on experience with the electrostatic powder coating process, highlighting its thickness and durability compared to regular paint.

Lip Restoration and Polishing

• ⚠️ The wheel lips are heavily oxidized and pitted, with one lip showing a significant gouge from a curb impact.
• 🧽 Techniques like grinding down high points, using a light fiber pad, Scotchbrite with WD40, and Mother's Power Ball are employed to polish and restore the lips.
• 💪 Despite remaining pitting and scratches, the polishing significantly improves the lips' appearance, transforming them from their initial damaged state.

Reassembly and Powder Coat Challenges

• 🔩 After powder coating, the mating surfaces on the barrels and lips are cleaned, and hardware is hand-tightened before torquing to 20 foot-pounds in a star pattern.
• 🚧 A minor issue arises where excess powder coat causes clearance problems, requiring some force to assemble the wheel face and barrel.
• 💧 A silicone bead is applied to seal the wheels, preventing air leaks, with the team taking precautions like wearing gloves due to the strong smell.

Final Assembly and Fitment Adjustments

• 🚀 The restored three-piece wheels are mounted, revealing a desirable meaty tire look.
• 🔧 Front wheels require extended studs due to insufficient thread engagement with the lug nuts, necessitating caliper and rotor removal to swap them.
• 🚗 After alignment and addressing minor rubbing issues with a spacer, the car is driven, though some noises persist, indicating further adjustments are needed.
• ✨ The final touches include applying wheel stickers, bleeding the brakes, and a general sense of accomplishment with the car's significant transformation.