OK-

I have been through a few sets of rims to end up with a set of Flik Wasp's (my first set witha polished lip, or so I thought). I like the look and I am a real huge fan of a polished lip with a dark rim. I prefer a anthracite color but black would even be fine.

What is available as a true polished rim, or is there such a thing?

What I mean is that I don't think the wasp is a polished lip. The reason I say this is that the lip is coated in a clear coat that has pealed off in spots over the past year and has disspaointed me. It really doesn't look good. I want a REAL polished rim that is all metal without a coating that will chip off over time.

Does anyone make something like this? Do you have something you are happy with? I would love to see some pics, even some closeups if possible.

I feel that I can't trust what flik (edge racing) offers because of the poor experience and want a new set of rims.... especially before the dragon.

thanks for any help in the matter.

chris

 

wheels without clearcoat is a BIATCH to keep shiny and will stain very easily.

time to go to Williams Sonoma and get some Wenol if you go that route.
i know america's tire sells these cheepo MB wheels that don't have clearcoat.

perhaps if you spray another coat or two over the existing clear while the
wheels are new, you might have better results.

 

Can you actually clearcoat the rims again on the lip?

I just don't understand why it is pulling off so easily.

Does Flik just make a cheap rim?

I would like to hear of some better quality options out there. I don't mind spending the money but I just don't want to be dissapointed again after 8 months.

Chris

 

Re: peeling clear coat on your lips (uh, maybe I should have phrased that differently), it's not necessarily due to a poor/cheap job of clearcoating. Do you live where roads are salted? Do you live near the ocean? Do you live where there's strong sunlight? All of those things contribute to deteriorating clearcoat on wheels. Unlike paint on the body of your car, there's no primer under the clearcoat on your wheels, so it won't stick nearly as well as paint will.

In addition any scratch or curb scuff that goes through the clearcoat will pretty quickly cause the clearcoat to peel. It's a case of Hobson's choice: if you clearcoat aluminum wheels the clearcoat will eventually yellow and peel, if you don't the aluminum will quickly oxidize to a truly ugly foggy grayish white.

The good news is that aluminum oxidation is a surface phenomenon. It seals itself and won't oxidize through the metal like ferrous metals will. So if you can live with the ugliness, let 'em oxidize. Otherwise you gotta reclear them or polish them on a depressingly regular basis.

 

Go with regular polishing. (Much more often than you polish your car...unlesss you polish your car every week.) polishing wheels alone is relatively easy, and it helps keeps the wheels easier to clean brake dust off of. I too am looking at getting some polished lip wheels...that are otherwise mostly finished in glossy black, so this is an issue that mildly concerns me. Regular, or rather...er..."semi-regular", polishing of my current 15" OEM 7-hole wheels has served them well. On the other hand, scraping up against a curb or two has not served them well at all! LOL

Oh well, that last is my fault, not that of the wheels.

 

yes you can.