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Kazera pitting

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  #1  
Old 12-09-2004, 07:21 PM
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Kazera pitting

I have Kazera KZ-R wheels that are under a year old and have 15k miles on them. I waxed the wheels before putting them on and wash them every couple of week. They have started pitting. Any suggestions on what to do and how to stop it getting any worse?
 
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Old 12-09-2004, 09:12 PM
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Doesn't tirerack have one year warranty on them?
 
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Old 12-10-2004, 08:41 AM
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Yes we do have a warranty of 1 year.

Please post some pics on the pitting so I can get a look at them.

Alex
 
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Old 12-11-2004, 08:14 AM
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I wish I had thought of this as being a warranty issue earlier as I may be out of warranty. Here are pitcures from two different wheels:
http://www.sanibelsand.com/Wheel1.jpg
http://www.sanibelsand.com/Wheel2.jpg

Keith
 
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Old 12-11-2004, 12:42 PM
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I will have my tech department check this out. How often were you cleaning the wheels? Have you ever waxed them?


Alex
 
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Old 12-11-2004, 01:03 PM
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FLKeith -

Email me your billing phone # please.

Alex
 
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Old 12-11-2004, 04:43 PM
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almost looks like you drove through some construction area with new tar on the asphalt.
 
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Old 12-13-2004, 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by kenchan
almost looks like you drove through some construction area with new tar on the asphalt.
Have we tried waxing the affected area to remove some grime?

Alex
 
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Old 12-13-2004, 04:46 PM
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The marks in the picture are not grime they are defects in the surface. I even used wheel cleaner and a tooth brush the thoroughly clean it. They are still there. Some of them have metal deposits that appear to have leached through the coating and chip off.
 
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Old 12-13-2004, 08:39 PM
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uh oh... I think you may have just voided your warranty...


Wheel cleaner
Tooth brush (boar's hair tooth brush? nylon?)

Don't mean to sound like a preacher, but when cleaning wheels
just use regular car shampoo and sponge or boar's hair wheel brush.
Then polymer wax afterwards from time to time.

If only brake dust and unbaked,only driven in the dry, I use only
detailer spray and soft papertowel and polymer wax now and then.
 
  #11  
Old 12-14-2004, 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted by FLKeith
The marks in the picture are not grime they are defects in the surface. I even used wheel cleaner and a tooth brush the thoroughly clean it. They are still there. Some of them have metal deposits that appear to have leached through the coating and chip off.
Is the affected area smooth to the touch?

Alex
 
  #12  
Old 12-18-2004, 07:11 AM
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An update...

Alex called me and went through some possibilities. The marks could be solid deposits of break dust embedded in the surface. If not, he was committed to getting the problem solved. He suggested cleaning with wax and the edge of an old credit card to free the deposits and finish off with an old clay bar. It was a lot of work but now the wheels look great!

I am really impressed with this level of customer service and commitment to his products. I will definitely be a Tire Rack customer for life!

Thanks Alex
 
  #13  
Old 12-18-2004, 01:03 PM
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Glad to hear your problem's resolved.
 
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Old 12-19-2005, 12:54 PM
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Bumping an old thread, I'm considering the Kazera wheels for my MCS. How have they held up in general?

It's probably either these or a set of Rotas. The Kazera seems to be borderline too good to be true in the price department.
 
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Old 12-19-2005, 01:02 PM
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I"ve got KZ-Vs...

Originally Posted by trick
Bumping an old thread, I'm considering the Kazera wheels for my MCS. How have they held up in general?

It's probably either these or a set of Rotas. The Kazera seems to be borderline too good to be true in the price department.
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/wheels/DisplayWheel.jsp&wheelMake=Kazera&wheelModel=KZ-V&wheelFinish=Silver+w%2FMachined+Lip

Alex reccomended them when the SSR closeouts were out of stock... Anyway, they're pretty light (~16 lbs). They need hub-centric rings. The plastic ones that came with the wheels are OK, but I've found to get good centering I have to start at 40 ft-lbs on the torque wrench and go up in ~15 ft-lb increments. Even with that, sometimes I have to take one off and start all over to eliminate balence issues. I don't think this is a Kazara issue, but a plastic centering ring issue....
Cleaning is pretty easy except for where the split spoke gets to the rim. Takes a bit more effort there. I haven't had problems with finish or the like, but then I don't take care of my wheels the way others do.

Overall, I'm pretty happy. Metal rings would surely help, but I just haven't taken the time to find any. It's on the list of things to do....

Matt

ps, I'm running 17x7s
 

Last edited by Alex@tirerack; 12-21-2005 at 02:03 PM.
  #16  
Old 12-19-2005, 01:26 PM
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I've had my chrome 17" Kazera's for over a year now and they still look as they did when they were new. Keep them clean, a little wax now and then....love them. The only issue I've had, which TR took care of, right away and no charge, the plastic plugs that go into the un-used holes in the wheel would work themselves out after some "spirited" driving. I think the brakes would heat up, the plastic would soften and bye-bye plugs. Bigger brakes with better cooling, 5ea. 20min. track sessions at Laguna Seca on 12/14/05 and not one of the plugs came out.
 

Last edited by willum; 01-01-2008 at 10:29 AM.
  #17  
Old 12-19-2005, 02:24 PM
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Thanks for the feedback guys.

Originally Posted by willum
I've had my chrome 17" Kazera's for over a year now and they still look as they did when they were new. Keep them clean, a little wax now and then....love them. The only issue I've had, which TR took care of, right away and no charge, the plastic plugs that go into the un-used holes in the wheel would work themselves out after some "spirited" driving. I think the brakes would heat up, the plastic would soften and bye-bye plugs. Bigger brakes with better cooling, 5ea. 20min. track sessions at Laguna Seca on 12/14/05 and not one of the plugs came out.

How'd TR "take care" of it? Were the plugs redesigned?
 
  #18  
Old 12-21-2005, 02:10 PM
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New plugs on the house likely. Sounds like with the addion of his BBK and the better heat dissipation resolved the issue.

Alex
 
  #19  
Old 12-21-2005, 04:21 PM
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Question on centering rings..

Originally Posted by Alex@tirerack
New plugs on the house likely. Sounds like with the addion of his BBK and the better heat dissipation resolved the issue.

Alex
Hi Alex, do you guys stock metal centering rings that will get the KZ-Vs onto the Mini?

Matt
 
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