How to get a repair bill for £1500 in 2 seconds!

[crockers]

Best roads I've seen are in Spain, miles of lovely smooth tarmac with gentle sweeping bends. No idea how much road tax they pay.

Ade

Paid for with EU grants....that is if the local politicians haven't bought new cars first......

Went to Feuventura - fantastic smooth roads - all EU money.. so now you know where your taxes go...

 

[Dieselman]

I had alloy wheels in the 80's on my VW Golf and don't recall driving around so many pot holes or general road damage.

But many owners of Ford Granada's with spoked alloys will. It was a major issue with larger, wider rims on heavier cars.

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/suspension.htm

They called me over to the balancing machine and there I watched the inner rim of one of the alloys dip sharply as it turned. The wheel was pear shaped, literally

Maybe we need to accept that light rims will be weak and reduced sidewall height will expose that weakness.
There are a couple of options, one is to run smaller rims with higher sidewalls (similar to the Golf you mention), the other is lighter cars (also similar to the Golf) or heavier/stronger rims.
The third option is to pay more tax to be paid out in claims.

Not having a go, just saying it how it is.

 

[rlowy]

I'm not sure i agree with you or Grober in this case. The E55 AMG comes with 17" tyres from the factory mainly becuase the car has so much power that it requires low profile and wide tyres.

If it were me on the other hand who hit this pothole and you and grober would've made comments about the profile of my tyres, i'd compeltely agree with you. I drive a 200bhp car that doesn't specifically require 245/35/18 and 225/40/18 tyres.

18" actually on an E55.

 

[rlowy]

But many owners of Ford Granada's with spoked alloys will. It was a major issue with larger, wider rims on heavier cars.

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/suspension.htm

They called me over to the balancing machine and there I watched the inner rim of one of the alloys dip sharply as it turned. The wheel was pear shaped, literally

Maybe we need to accept that light rims will be weak and reduced sidewall height will expose that weakness.
There are a couple of options, one is to run smaller rims with higher sidewalls (similar to the Golf you mention), the other is lighter cars (also similar to the Golf) or heavier/stronger rims.
The third option is to pay more tax to be paid out in claims.

Not having a go, just saying it how it is.

I hope an AMG alloy from 2004 is of better quality than a Ford alloy in the 80's. The Campaign Golf GTI was on BBS wheels not sure if they were 17"or 18". What I am certain of is that roads were much better than now!

Love the banter!

Regards

Richard

 

[Dieselman]

£90 per rim for repairs, straightening is classed as minor repair.

http://www.alloywheelrepairs.net/WheelRepair.html

 

[Howard]

A Mk2 GTi Campaign ? the BBS's on those were 15 inch IIRC

 

[Dieselman]

A Mk2 GTi Campaign ? the BBS's on those were 15 inch IIRC

I think you're right. My friend's one owner, MkII Gti with original teardrop alloys rides on 14" and weighs about a tonne.
Edit: Make that 907kg, so about half the weight of an E55.

 

[crops.steve]

I hope an AMG alloy from 2004 is of better quality than a Ford alloy in the 80's. The Campaign Golf GTI was on BBS wheels not sure if they were 17"or 18". What I am certain of is that roads were much better than now!

Love the banter!

Regards

Richard

Are you sure that you have AMG genuine alloys?

 

[Howard]

I think you're right. My friend's one owner, MkII Gti with original teardrop alloys rides on 14" and weighs about a tonne.
Edit: Make that 907kg, so about half the weight of an E55.

I had a set of those BBS Campaign wheels on my Mk1 GTi cabrio ...

I remember being so pleased that i had a set of 'big' alloys .... standard ones were 13 inch

How times change ....

 

[Satch]

One of the great follies is diversion of budget into road "safety" schemes rather than bog standard repair work because the former attracts some Government cash whilst the latter does not. Two examples of the results:

The Vanishing Humps

Without any real consultation, residents of a large housing development found a main access road running around the development festooned with speed humps of the way too large variety for half a mile either side of a pedestrian crossing. These humps ran the full width of the road and so served to slow traffic moving away from the crossing to no good effect.

They lasted three weeks before being ripped out after endless complaints of damage to vehicles (including public service vehicles) and the small fact that vast amounts of traffic was now diverting itself through the housing development in order to avoid the hellish humps.

Cushions of Doom

In order to slow traffic going past a single small school, a stretch of road nearly a mile long has really dreadful speed cushions for the entire length.
These are now badly worn and breaking up, so that a number of them have there no ramp effect, just a broken up edge.

Net result is that locals negotiate the broken ones at a snails pace. People not knowing the area suffer burst tyres, dented rims and suspension damage and only a matter of time before serious injury results. most likely to a motor cyclist. Endless claims & complaints but repairs mean ripping up & replacing the whole lot so being delayed until next financial year

Not surprising that my Land Cruiser is being used for more frequently now for local journeys simpy because some of our roads are in a really dreadful state. There are local roads I simply will not take my E class down because of the risk of grounding or wheel/suspension damage. However, frequently see (and hear!) school run mummies bashing and clonking their way along these roads at speed oblivious to the mechanical and personal risks.

 

[recycled]

Paid for with EU grants....that is if the local politicians haven't bought new cars first......

Went to Feuventura - fantastic smooth roads - all EU money.. so now you know where your taxes go...

But we also get EU money here.
The whole of liverpool regeneration was paid for by EU money tooo. THere are signs on every road saying thank you to the EU.

Maybe it is a case of spain spent theirs on the roads, while ours went to icelandic banks.
I certainly know where my taxes go and some of it end up in porn channel expenses

 

[CE230]

Potholes = cheap traffic calming

If the council deny the claim ask to see the inspection and repair regime for that particular road for the previous 12 months. If they have complied there will be little you can do unfortunately.

 

[rlowy]

Are you sure that you have AMG genuine alloys?

Certain as fitted at the factory, they are complete with all the correct stampings in the casting, why do you ask?

Regards

Richard

 

[rlowy]

£90 per rim for repairs, straightening is classed as minor repair.

http://www.alloywheelrepairs.net/WheelRepair.html

Thanks for this but the site appears to be down with this message.

"This account has exceeded it's bandwidth quota and has been temporarily disabled."

 

[Dieselman]

Probably everyone here having a look...

They had pictures of really mashed up car and bike alloys being repaired. standard prices ranged from £70-£90.

I would definately say yours could be repaired, they are just a bit buckled. Did the tyres still hold air.?

 

[rlowy]

Rear yes, front yes after a new tyre. How do they check that there has been no structual damage that cannot be seen with the naked eye and that may cause future failure?

Regards Richard

 

[Dieselman]

Alloy rims are soft malleable metal which show cracks easily. If cracked they leak the air out.

 

[Dieselman]

"This account has exceeded it's bandwidth quota and has been temporarily disabled."

It's back.......

 

[st13phil]

How do they check that there has been no structual damage that cannot be seen with the naked eye and that may cause future failure?

Alloy rims are soft malleable metal which show cracks easily. If cracked they leak the air out.

Personally (and I stress that this is a personal view) I have always been very wary of any alloy wheel "straightening" that hasn't been ultrasound or x-ray tested. The sort of materials used on alloy wheels work hardens, so bending them one way and then back again without heat treatment just seems a bit risky to me. Do you have any knowledge of the process used, DM?

Having said all that, liability laws in the UK are such that I doubt anyone would risk repairing an alloy wheel on a commercial basis that was rendered unsafe as a result of the repair.

 

[Dieselman]

Do you have any knowledge of the process used, DM?

Not personally, but I believe they are rolled and heated if required.

There are a number of companies offer repairs to wheels, the link was just he first one I found.

As you, I would expect them to know their business, if it was felt to be unsafe not they would find it very difficult to obtain insurance.

http://www.alloywheelrepairs.net/WheelRepair.html