The time has come for some new tyres and I have had a spare set of wheels tucked away waiting for this day to come so that I can get them refurbed.

The question is it actually worth it? Reading some of the reviews people are saying after 6 months the wheels are back to being as bad as before.

Now I find this very hard to believe. I think if the process is done properly then the wheels should be good for another few years. But what do people think? My current wheels are peeling and generally in bad condition.

I collected a set of 5 17" alloys for my winter tyres to go on (my summers are 19") Had them powder coated graphite near me - they look great & show no sign of wear after their 1st winter on.. I anticipate many years before they will need doing again. 2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration

On the plus side if you scraped a wheel you wouldn’t be that bothered but on a refurb wheel that’s swearing territory and oh I will have to get that sorted wonder how much that would be ? I would be more than happy with perfectly good wheels that look a bit shabby with nice new tyres.

If you have the wheels stripped and powder coated, then they'll look good for years, providing they are done correctly. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

Thank you all for your input. I've dropped my wheels of this afternoon.

My wife is after her car wheels being done in gloss black, which should contrast the red paint perfectly. Unfortunately at the moment she's going to be using the car every day, so can't have it being off the road while the wheels are away at the powder coaters. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

Black wheels do look good on a red car 👍 Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

They hide the dirt better, so dont have to clean them so often. Jules

Gloss black wheels show dirt every bit as much as silver, they go dull matt and brown with brake dust. If you're going for that look I'd be prepared to wash them regularly.

That was my sons first car. I washed it more than he did. He had a habit of grazing kerbs which show up easily on black wheels. I had to give them a bit of tlc and touch up occasionally. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

I've had multiple wheels refinished on various cars including the LR2 (I tend to keep them for years). It's always held up as well as the originals for me.

Bobupndown wrote:

Black wheels do look good on a red car 👍

I think so.
The Wife's VW Eos was treated to gloss black wheels, not that she actually kept them looking glossy, as they invariably looked matt with a brown tinge of brake dust.

Click image to enlarge

She now wants her red Audi A5 convertible to its wheels done in the same gloss black powder coat.

Maybe I'll treat my Rosso red Freelander to gloss black too, just for family resemblance, as our eldest daughter's Fiat 500 Sport also has gloss black wheels. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

2 questions please-

What are the costs and how do you choose a good refurbisher?

Do they only powder finish, or are 'diamond cut' wheels also suitable to be brought back to 'new'? FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Some wheel refurbishers will do either powder coating or re-cutting diamond cut wheels, but it is about twice the price of powder coating

Diamond cut can be refaced. They are painted or powder coated, then the polished areas are re cut on a lathe then the whole wheel is clear coated. They can only be refurbished a couple of times normally.
They look good when they are pristine but any chip or scrape allows corrosion to start on the bare metal and they end up looking crap. Unless you are fastidious about wheel care I'd not go for diamond cut, simply have the whole wheel powder coated or painted the one colour. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

IanMetro wrote:

2 questions please-

What are the costs and how do you choose a good refurbisher?

Do they only powder finish, or are 'diamond cut' wheels also suitable to be brought back to 'new'?