looks like the edges were finished properly as the spiders are from the edges?
is it simply relacquering or is it more complicated?
is it simply relacquering or is it more complicated?
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
Thanks for your posts, guys.
I had a conversation with Stewart yesterday.
Was waiting to hear back from him all day and my impatience got the better of me, so I called him at about 3.30pm.
Basically, BC are only willing to address the one effected wheel - as a warranty issue.
They will not be doing the other wheels as there is, at present, nothing wrong with them.
I got alittle frustrated at BC's lack of willingness to go alittle further with resolving this.
To be honest, I would have expected BC to take all 4 wheels back and re-do them all.
I would have thought that's the least they would do?!
I voiced my concerns again to Stewart at Projex.
I stressed to Stewart that the wheel they are re-doing needs to look EXACTLY like the other 4 wheels.
He has all the wheels at the moment, so he can do a visual inspection when the effected wheels is delivered back from the factory.
I tried to get Stewart to understand my point of view - that I didn't want him or me to go through drawn-out, stressful exercises. I want to prevent headaches, not try to deal with them when they occur.
I told him that I would have no choice to return the wheels if they don't all match.
I am not at all happy that only 1 wheel is getting done.
I am also concerned about the process BC will use to re-do the wheel.
James at Projex seems to think that they have a clever machine that fires small ball bearings at the wheel to remove the finish, leaving the bare metal, so they can re-finish it.
I am concerned whether this will change the current, original machined look to the wheels.
Alternatively, they may "skim" the wheel back, in which case, the wheel will be fractionally smaller than the others.
Again, I tried to explain this concern to Stewart but he didn't seem to want to entertain this theory and claimed that I am "obviously far more of an expert" than him.
I've had wheels re-furbed in the past where they skimmed them.. and they were blatantly visually smaller than before, even though they were only skimmed marginally.
Either way, if the wheel doesn't look the same, I will be rejected them.
Sean:
Yes, what I suspect they will do, is remove the finish and re-laquer it.
My wheels are just clear-coated. The only paint on them, is the inner barrel, which is gloss black.
The lips/ dishes are polished and clear-coated and the face/spokes are machined and clear-coated.
Another kick in the nuts is that Stewart believes it will take around 3-4 weeks to get the wheel back!
They could MAKE a set of wheels in 3-4 weeks!
All this after getting the original order messed up too.
Should have taken 3-4 weeks to get the wheels.... took 7 weeks!
This is why I didn't have them for the PCS meet last year.
Not happy.
Just have to wait and see how this wheel looks.
But I suspect it will look different to the others...
I had a conversation with Stewart yesterday.
Was waiting to hear back from him all day and my impatience got the better of me, so I called him at about 3.30pm.
Basically, BC are only willing to address the one effected wheel - as a warranty issue.
They will not be doing the other wheels as there is, at present, nothing wrong with them.
I got alittle frustrated at BC's lack of willingness to go alittle further with resolving this.
To be honest, I would have expected BC to take all 4 wheels back and re-do them all.
I would have thought that's the least they would do?!
I voiced my concerns again to Stewart at Projex.
I stressed to Stewart that the wheel they are re-doing needs to look EXACTLY like the other 4 wheels.
He has all the wheels at the moment, so he can do a visual inspection when the effected wheels is delivered back from the factory.
I tried to get Stewart to understand my point of view - that I didn't want him or me to go through drawn-out, stressful exercises. I want to prevent headaches, not try to deal with them when they occur.
I told him that I would have no choice to return the wheels if they don't all match.
I am not at all happy that only 1 wheel is getting done.
I am also concerned about the process BC will use to re-do the wheel.
James at Projex seems to think that they have a clever machine that fires small ball bearings at the wheel to remove the finish, leaving the bare metal, so they can re-finish it.
I am concerned whether this will change the current, original machined look to the wheels.
Alternatively, they may "skim" the wheel back, in which case, the wheel will be fractionally smaller than the others.
Again, I tried to explain this concern to Stewart but he didn't seem to want to entertain this theory and claimed that I am "obviously far more of an expert" than him.
I've had wheels re-furbed in the past where they skimmed them.. and they were blatantly visually smaller than before, even though they were only skimmed marginally.
Either way, if the wheel doesn't look the same, I will be rejected them.
Sean:
Yes, what I suspect they will do, is remove the finish and re-laquer it.
My wheels are just clear-coated. The only paint on them, is the inner barrel, which is gloss black.
The lips/ dishes are polished and clear-coated and the face/spokes are machined and clear-coated.
Another kick in the nuts is that Stewart believes it will take around 3-4 weeks to get the wheel back!
They could MAKE a set of wheels in 3-4 weeks!
All this after getting the original order messed up too.
Should have taken 3-4 weeks to get the wheels.... took 7 weeks!
This is why I didn't have them for the PCS meet last year.
Not happy.
Just have to wait and see how this wheel looks.
But I suspect it will look different to the others...
V12
MB Enthusiast
If they are bead blasting and then re coating the wheels then they will be fine.
I personally think you're worrying about nothing.
Their stance (no pun intended) is standard procedure for 99.99% of companies and I wouldn't expect any more from them.
I personally think you're worrying about nothing.
Their stance (no pun intended) is standard procedure for 99.99% of companies and I wouldn't expect any more from them.
I feel your pain Rash and I know it must be incredibly frustrating and of course long winded. Like you I guess I would have wanted all 4 wheels to be refinished, just to be 100% they will look the same and any potential issues with the original finish addressed. That said there is probably no real reason the issue will manifest on the other wheels and to that end I think BC are probably doing all that would generally be expected of them. I suspect the clear coat somehow got scratched under the spoke during original assembly. At least you have made it very clear that you will reject them if the refinished one doesn't match 100%. It's not like they are being re-finished by an aftermarket company so I'm sure the wheel will look the same.
In the long term I think clear coat on any mirror finished aluminium is going to be a problem, as it basically has nothing to key to no matter what is said about etch coats etc etc....... That said I know your car will be subjected to very little (if any) harsh elements and may never be an issue for you.
I took the decision when I was refinishing my BBS LM's to not clear coat them and simply go for a low build wheel sealant (gtechniq c5). The basis of my decision was that if a clear coat does get chipped water will penetrate and the lacquer will start to de-laminate and the only cure would be to fully strip them, where at least with a wheel sealant it can be polished back and re-applied. Only time will tell if that was the right decision
Good luck with it all mate.
In the long term I think clear coat on any mirror finished aluminium is going to be a problem, as it basically has nothing to key to no matter what is said about etch coats etc etc....... That said I know your car will be subjected to very little (if any) harsh elements and may never be an issue for you.
I took the decision when I was refinishing my BBS LM's to not clear coat them and simply go for a low build wheel sealant (gtechniq c5). The basis of my decision was that if a clear coat does get chipped water will penetrate and the lacquer will start to de-laminate and the only cure would be to fully strip them, where at least with a wheel sealant it can be polished back and re-applied. Only time will tell if that was the right decision
Good luck with it all mate.
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
Thanks again for your replies.
Sean, V12,
I'm hoping you are right.
Simon, yes, I understand what you are saying.
The ironic thing is that I have a set relatively cheap wheels that are clear coated and still look flawless. Had them for around 5 years!
I'll see what transpires.
There's every chance that this is an isolated incident so I'm trying not to get too worried about it. The other wheels appear to be fine at the moment so I'm hoping this won't rear its head again in 6 months time...
Sean, V12,
I'm hoping you are right.
Simon, yes, I understand what you are saying.
The ironic thing is that I have a set relatively cheap wheels that are clear coated and still look flawless. Had them for around 5 years!
I'll see what transpires.
There's every chance that this is an isolated incident so I'm trying not to get too worried about it. The other wheels appear to be fine at the moment so I'm hoping this won't rear its head again in 6 months time...
I would rather they did not redo the 3 wheels that are not affected .. why fix something that isn't broke? It may make it worse!
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
True.
Generally, I also follow this principle too.
The only reason I would be inclined to get them all done again is because they were all made to order, at the same time and finished by the same guy.
If there is a problem with the quantity/ quality of laquer on one wheel, it's fair to assume that the problem may also occur with the other wheels.
Just have to see what happens.
- Joined
- May 17, 2010
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- S65, CLK5.6TT (WIP) & RRS 5.0 SC
Hey Rash,
Sorry to hear your troubles mate. I would be absolutely gutted too.
Not to rain on your parade but after doing a research of my own on forged wheels I would only consider BBS, RAYS or HRE. Will tell you more when we meet.
Bought the BBS direct from factory and already managed to damage (scratch) the rear wheel while on a track day. Still kicking myself but what you're gonna do. BBS offer a buy back service where I pay the full price for a new wheel minus the cost of the damage wheel. I'm currently considering this as the damage will only get worse and corrode the wheel eventually. HRE offer a lifetime guarantee with their wheels so well worth considering them as well.
Stick them on ebay, recoup some cost and move on? Customer care is clearly lacking with BC.
Sorry to hear your troubles mate. I would be absolutely gutted too.
Not to rain on your parade but after doing a research of my own on forged wheels I would only consider BBS, RAYS or HRE. Will tell you more when we meet.
Bought the BBS direct from factory and already managed to damage (scratch) the rear wheel while on a track day. Still kicking myself but what you're gonna do. BBS offer a buy back service where I pay the full price for a new wheel minus the cost of the damage wheel. I'm currently considering this as the damage will only get worse and corrode the wheel eventually. HRE offer a lifetime guarantee with their wheels so well worth considering them as well.
Stick them on ebay, recoup some cost and move on? Customer care is clearly lacking with BC.
D
Deleted member 2227
Guest
Just caught up with this Rash. How's it going?
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
Update on wheels to follow soon.
I think I am going to need your opinions on this guys.
I will call upon you in the next day or so.
Getting this issue with the wheels sorted has not been an easy process and I don't feel that the situation has been at all handled appropriately.
I will post up a full summary soon, where I will also ask for your input.
I think I am going to need your opinions on this guys.
I will call upon you in the next day or so.
Getting this issue with the wheels sorted has not been an easy process and I don't feel that the situation has been at all handled appropriately.
I will post up a full summary soon, where I will also ask for your input.
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
Projex are sending the wheels back to me.
They will be couriered and I will receive them at some point tomorrow.
I will inspect them thoroughly and then post up my thoughts....
They will be couriered and I will receive them at some point tomorrow.
I will inspect them thoroughly and then post up my thoughts....
I hope they are ok 
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
Ok, guys,
Sadly, quite frankly, I am fuming.
I took delivery of the wheels today at 12 noon.
The were transported safely and the packaging was unharmed and fine.
I unpacked them.
The wheels were looking fine as I unloaded them from the pallet.
The wheel that had been refurbished was the last one I removed form the pallet.
When I uncovered the last wheel, I could see immediately that there was a problem.
I got all the wheels indoors next to each other.
The finished on the refurbished wheel was fine.
During the quick inspection of the finish, there doesn't seem to be anything amiss and the finish looks like the other wheels, which was great.
BUT.
What the factory had done, is skim the face of the wheel down so much that there is now a huge gap between the spokes and the dish of the wheel.
I looked at the other rear wheel and the gap on the original wheel is 1mm or less between the spokes and the dish.
Looked back at the refurbished wheel and the gap on this wheel is around 4mm.
Initially, you may not think this is much but believe me, the gap is huge compared to the other wheels!
My heart sank.
There is no way I can accept this.
The wheel looks completely different.
I cannot believe the factory skimmed so much off the metal.
I will be posting up pictures later today.
I reluctantly made a phone call to Projex.
I spoke with James.
I explained the situation to him and regretfully told him that I cannot accept the wheels.
Sadly, I was met with a rather defensive and dismissive response.
He told me that he looked over the wheels and they believed that they looked spot on and perfect.
Perfect was the word they used a few times.
I was disappointed to find that James then became very irritated and told me that he had taken many photos because I knew that I wouldn't be happy with the wheel.
He also said that they had also had a laugh about it in the office about how I wouldn't be happy.
He said that he couldn't understand why I was being so picky about it and the gap is not noticeable!
Quit frankly, I could not believe what I was hearing.
He told me that he wasn't interested in arguing and that he was very busy and didn't have time for this. He was at the point of putting the phone down on me.
I literally had to talk very quickly to keep him on the line.
I told him that I wasn't arguing and that I was one of their customers and I was merely contacting them to voice my concerns over the wheel.
Is this how they treat all of their customers, I wonder?!?
They are so eager to tell people how they do business all over the world and that their customers spend lots of money.
Stewart even gave me a speech about how customer service was vital and that their priority was to ensure that their customers go away happy.
Sadly, I could not see any of this.
I have spent an incredible amount of time chasing call backs and updates over the time.
First the order was messed up.
Then the issue with the wheel finish.
It too over 2 months from the point of informing them of the issue to finally getting the wheels back.
When I got them back, I contacted them to inform them that the wheel wasn't right.
I was then met with a very unprofessional approach and was basically told "I don't know what you mean, the wheels look fine, I cannot believe you are being so picky, I can't be bothered to argue, we knew the wheel wasn't going to be good enough".
I am shocked.
The last thing I wanted was to prolong this issue but I cannot accept the wheel looking like it is.
Rather impatiently, James told me "fine, we'll collect the wheels back and give you a refund as I can't be bothered with this, send them back and I'll sell them to someone else".
He has arranged for the wheels to be collected on Friday.
This is not at all what I wanted.
I love these wheels.
I just wanted them and the factory to look after their customer and rectify the issue.
Sadly, this has not been offered as an option any longer.
James also informed me that he will not be giving me a refund for the tyres.
I bought the tyres from them, specifically for these wheels.
The tyres will not fit on my other wheels.
I told him that I would rather he refunded the total cost back to me as the tyres are now useless to me.
James then started mentioning that legally they are not required to refund the tyres and they would not even consider this.
So I am now without wheels and have 4 pretty much brand new Michelin PSS tyres that I can't use.
I simply cannot believe that this situation has been handled this way.
I will post up pictures of the wheels later.
Perhaps when you see my pictures, ask yourself if you would be happy with them.
One wheel had a finish failure and now the wheel doesn't look like the others following the refurb by the factory.
Ask yourself if you would be happy with this after spending over £4000 on them!
Absolutely gutted.
Sadly, quite frankly, I am fuming.
I took delivery of the wheels today at 12 noon.
The were transported safely and the packaging was unharmed and fine.
I unpacked them.
The wheels were looking fine as I unloaded them from the pallet.
The wheel that had been refurbished was the last one I removed form the pallet.
When I uncovered the last wheel, I could see immediately that there was a problem.
I got all the wheels indoors next to each other.
The finished on the refurbished wheel was fine.
During the quick inspection of the finish, there doesn't seem to be anything amiss and the finish looks like the other wheels, which was great.
BUT.
What the factory had done, is skim the face of the wheel down so much that there is now a huge gap between the spokes and the dish of the wheel.
I looked at the other rear wheel and the gap on the original wheel is 1mm or less between the spokes and the dish.
Looked back at the refurbished wheel and the gap on this wheel is around 4mm.
Initially, you may not think this is much but believe me, the gap is huge compared to the other wheels!
My heart sank.
There is no way I can accept this.
The wheel looks completely different.
I cannot believe the factory skimmed so much off the metal.
I will be posting up pictures later today.
I reluctantly made a phone call to Projex.
I spoke with James.
I explained the situation to him and regretfully told him that I cannot accept the wheels.
Sadly, I was met with a rather defensive and dismissive response.
He told me that he looked over the wheels and they believed that they looked spot on and perfect.
Perfect was the word they used a few times.
I was disappointed to find that James then became very irritated and told me that he had taken many photos because I knew that I wouldn't be happy with the wheel.
He also said that they had also had a laugh about it in the office about how I wouldn't be happy.
He said that he couldn't understand why I was being so picky about it and the gap is not noticeable!
Quit frankly, I could not believe what I was hearing.
He told me that he wasn't interested in arguing and that he was very busy and didn't have time for this. He was at the point of putting the phone down on me.
I literally had to talk very quickly to keep him on the line.
I told him that I wasn't arguing and that I was one of their customers and I was merely contacting them to voice my concerns over the wheel.
Is this how they treat all of their customers, I wonder?!?
They are so eager to tell people how they do business all over the world and that their customers spend lots of money.
Stewart even gave me a speech about how customer service was vital and that their priority was to ensure that their customers go away happy.
Sadly, I could not see any of this.
I have spent an incredible amount of time chasing call backs and updates over the time.
First the order was messed up.
Then the issue with the wheel finish.
It too over 2 months from the point of informing them of the issue to finally getting the wheels back.
When I got them back, I contacted them to inform them that the wheel wasn't right.
I was then met with a very unprofessional approach and was basically told "I don't know what you mean, the wheels look fine, I cannot believe you are being so picky, I can't be bothered to argue, we knew the wheel wasn't going to be good enough".
I am shocked.
The last thing I wanted was to prolong this issue but I cannot accept the wheel looking like it is.
Rather impatiently, James told me "fine, we'll collect the wheels back and give you a refund as I can't be bothered with this, send them back and I'll sell them to someone else".
He has arranged for the wheels to be collected on Friday.
This is not at all what I wanted.
I love these wheels.
I just wanted them and the factory to look after their customer and rectify the issue.
Sadly, this has not been offered as an option any longer.
James also informed me that he will not be giving me a refund for the tyres.
I bought the tyres from them, specifically for these wheels.
The tyres will not fit on my other wheels.
I told him that I would rather he refunded the total cost back to me as the tyres are now useless to me.
James then started mentioning that legally they are not required to refund the tyres and they would not even consider this.
So I am now without wheels and have 4 pretty much brand new Michelin PSS tyres that I can't use.
I simply cannot believe that this situation has been handled this way.
I will post up pictures of the wheels later.
Perhaps when you see my pictures, ask yourself if you would be happy with them.
One wheel had a finish failure and now the wheel doesn't look like the others following the refurb by the factory.
Ask yourself if you would be happy with this after spending over £4000 on them!
Absolutely gutted.
I'm really sorry to hear this. I can understand their stance on the tyres as they have been used but it doesn't explain why so much was skinned off the wheel!
If you need to chat you know where I am
If you need to chat you know where I am
OP
OP
Rashman
MB Enthusiast
I'm really sorry to hear this. I can understand their stance on the tyres as they have been used but it doesn't explain why so much was skinned off the wheel!
If you need to chat you know where I am
Sadly, I will probably have to absorb the cost of the tyres.
But yes, The wheel has a ridiculous amount skimmed of it.
I just don't understand why the took so much of the wheel?!
Even when they rebuilt the wheel, I am shocked that they didn't stop and think "hmm, that doesn't look right"!
Seriously, the gap is enormous compared to the other wheels.
I spent over £4000 on these wheels and tyres.
Forged wheels from a reputable company, following the recommendation from Stewart at Projex.
I am gobsmacked at the lack of attention to detail, workmanship and customer service after spending this money on them.
Rash,
I had my fingers crossed for you but to no avail by the sound of it. I am amazed at the poor customer service from the reseller and company has an opportunity to show quality customer service when things are not right. A big fail on their part, they new they would get the wheels back and if they handled it with a professional approach they could of come out with their rep unscathed.
I will be interested yo see the pics.
What size are the tyres?
Justin
I had my fingers crossed for you but to no avail by the sound of it. I am amazed at the poor customer service from the reseller and company has an opportunity to show quality customer service when things are not right. A big fail on their part, they new they would get the wheels back and if they handled it with a professional approach they could of come out with their rep unscathed.
I will be interested yo see the pics.
What size are the tyres?
Justin
jotter22
MB Enthusiast
sorry to hear this Rash will you be replacing the wheels somewhere else? If so keep the tyres.
Tony.
Tony.
won't fit your SL
Rash, I'm really sorry to hear this, I don't understand why they had to skim the wheel as surely it was a matter of just stripping the lacquer off and reapplication.
Hope you are able to sell the tyres, I would have bought them if they were in the right size for me,
Hope you are able to sell the tyres, I would have bought them if they were in the right size for me,
