[Lotus99]

I've got curb rash on my front wheel unfortunately and emailed the picture off to a couple of shops to get an estimate, and got two totally different replies and quotes!

One shop gave a US $325 estimate and say it's got a polished finish, but another place that quoted US $175 says it's machined!

The first shop seems to have described the wheel better, so maybe they're right... They said: Based on the picture it appears some welding may be needed on the outside edge in a few of the areas, to build up lost material. The top spoke surfaces of this wheel are polished not machined/diamond cut. This is a lot more work than simple machined wheels. Unless I’m mistaken this is also the wheel that has the slight black tint to the clearcoat.

Estimate based on picture only, approximately US $300 net your cost for the complete repair/refinish, plus US $25 for the removal/re-fitting and rebalancing of the tire to the wheel.

Whereas the second one said: This is a machine finished wheel and for best results should be repaired and refinished on our CNC lathe.


===================================


I tried to look up the difference between machined vs. polished finishes and can't figure it out... So what kind of finish is the wheel, first of all?

Secondly, who would you go with?

Lastly, can anyone tell me what they might have paid roughly for a similar repair?
.
.

[AlpsRider]

I'd call it machined with a dark tint clear coat

[MASHCT]

I am pretty sure the 788m is machined.

Machined wheels can still be highly reflective & look "polished" but they're not the same as true polished metal.

A machined wheel, you can clearly see the the effects of the machining (fine cuts in the metal made by a CNC machine) in the surface of the metal. Can appear glossy/very shiny, but close inspection, you can see the lines in the surface - very very fine lines. Some machined surfaces result in rainbow-like refractions when viewed at certain angles in direct sunlight. A pretty cool effect. (Think of the data side surface of a CD.)

A polished wheel - which still has to start as a "machined" wheel - would be as smooth as glass, you will not see any lines from machining. They are buffed/polished to remove the fine cut lines & result in a more reflective/shiny finish.

You can see the effects of machining with the naked eye, but a magnifier app on your phone or a magnifying glass, you'll really see it.

[Lotus99]

Thanks a lot you two! Interesting that the cheaper shop got it right. Any clue what a reasonable cost for fixing it might be?

[MASHCT]

My M235i, I bought 18" replicas of the 437M. The clear on them was tinted way too dark. I took them to a custom wheel shop & they charged me $100/wheel to strip & reclear the wheels. I thought that was an awesome price.

I had another wheel on a different car that had some pretty hefty damage from a concrete parking stop that was in a pile of plowed, melting snow. Came loose & hit/rested against my wheel. That was $170 to fix. That hurt, but when I saw the result, I was amazed they could fix a gouge like I had & chunks taken out of the rim edge. Could not even find where the fix was - no joke.

That damage looks pretty gnarly - I think $175 is very respectable & fair price for that kind of repair & refinish.

Also - let us know if you were able to look real close at the wheel & see if you could tell if it's machined. I did a quick google search & found several ads for those wheels for sale. A few specifically said they were machined but one said "burnished/diamond cut" - that still suggests machining, but I think burnishing results in a smooth surface.

Only way to know for sure/determine for yourself so you know who's right in what they've quoted you is to look real closely at the wheel.

[Lotus99]

Thanks MASHCT. I'll take a look at my wheel based on your guidelines and see if I can figure out which type it is.

[Lotus99]

Originally Posted by MASHCT

I am pretty sure the 788m is machined.

A machined wheel, you can clearly see the the effects of the machining (fine cuts in the metal made by a CNC machine) in the surface of the metal. Can appear glossy/very shiny, but close inspection, you can see the lines in the surface - very very fine lines.

Some machined surfaces result in rainbow-like refractions when viewed at certain angles in direct sunlight. A pretty cool effect. (Think of the data side surface of a CD.)

MASHCT – I think you are right and it's machined!

I just used the camera on my iPhone X and zoomed in, and I can see very fine horizontal lines on the spokes.

Am I right?
.

[MASHCT]

Originally Posted by Lotus99

MASHCT – I think you are right and it's machined!

I just used the camera on my iPhone X and zoomed in, and I can see very fine horizontal lines on the spokes.

Am I right?
.

I think so - the metal doesn't appear reflective enough to be polished, at least to a really high lustre. But, polishing doesn't necessarily have to result in a highly reflective finish, either.

I can only just barely see the machine lines in your wheel so it could very well be your wheel is machined, the polished to smooth out the machining to where it's smooth, but still "satin" in appearance, instead of polished to a high reflective/gloss shine.

In my 437m wheel - and on many of my watches - the machining is CLEARLY visible in the metal. Check out the pic.

[Lotus99]

Originally Posted by MASHCT

I think so - the metal doesn't appear reflective enough to be polished, at least to a really high lustre. But, polishing doesn't necessarily have to result in a highly reflective finish, either.

I can only just barely see the machine lines in your wheel so it could very well be your wheel is machined, the polished to smooth out the machining to where it's smooth, but still "satin" in appearance, instead of polished to a high reflective/gloss shine.

In my 437m wheel - and on many of my watches - the machining is CLEARLY visible in the metal. Check out the pic.

Interesting… I would describe the fine lines – which were all parallel to each other – as if super fine sandpaper was used before the clearcoat, rather than actual lines that could perhaps be felt (I'm exaggerating) that your pic looks more to show...


But bottom line, I can't imagine an actual wheel repair shop once I take it in to them, could get it wrong, right? I mean, they wouldn't machine a polished wheel, for example?

[MASHCT]

I would hope they would not do that. But for the 375, maybe find a rim for sale on ebay or the forums. Keep that one for a spare tire just in case you ever need one.

Mash

Originally Posted by Lotus99

Interesting… I would describe the fine lines – which were all parallel to each other – as if super fine sandpaper was used before the clearcoat, rather than actual lines that could perhaps be felt (I'm exaggerating) that your pic looks more to show...


But bottom line, I can't imagine an actual wheel repair shop once I take it in to them, could get it wrong, right? I mean, they wouldn't machine a polished wheel, for example?

[Lotus99]

Hey guys, sorry I forgot to update you. I took it to a shop, who said he was going to just do it by hand, because putting it on the lathe, he would have to be able to send it out to a different shop for that tinted clearcoat. Pretty sure he said they are not polished wheels. I was nervous about it, but he’s been doing wheels for a while and promised me I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference afterwards from a couple of feet away.

I’m actually really impressed by his work, I can’t even tell from up close! US $150 / CAD $190.
.

[nearwater4me]

Wow. That's some quality work. This repair shop is in Canada, I assume?

[VisualEcho]

The 788 is just like the 437; it's 2 painted surfaces. The silver part is machine face, but if you remove the paint it's much brighter, BMW puts a grey/silver/clear on that part, making it impossible to match. It's weird, but it's true, I've fixed several of them.

[Lotus99]

Originally Posted by nearwater4me

Wow. That's some quality work. This repair shop is in Canada, I assume?

Yes... West Coast, Canada. I was super amazed that he somehow managed to even work in the metallic into it and even got the grey tint of the clearcoat right.

He had told me when I dropped it off that I would only be able to tell by looking closely at it, but I can't even tell!