Repairing Best Welded 2pc Lips

I bought a set of Lexion x503 wheels for a steal. The two fronts were curbed hard and bent the stainless steel lip jacket. The only option I had was to remove the lips and refinish the wheels. I spent about 1 1/2 hours ripping the jackets off... literally. Used two tools in the process, a hammer and a screw driver. I've gotta take em to another shop to see if I can get the hardware taken off. I'm hoping that they are screwed in and not pressed in cause if they are pressed in I will have to have them drilled out, tapped and new hardware installed. After that they will go to the powder coaters to have any damage straightened and refinished. Still have to decide on a color though. Heres the pics. Specs are 19x9 +20 and 19x10 +20 going on an 04 TL.

Rear Wheel
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-07_23-03-59_731.jpg[/IMG]
Rear Wheel Tag
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-07_23-04-14_403.jpg[/IMG]
Front wheel damage
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-16_00-41-42_936.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-16_00-41-53_865.jpg[/IMG]
Wheel after jacket was removed
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-17_19-40-17_875.jpg[/IMG]
Glue residue
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-17_19-40-35_167.jpg[/IMG]
Destroyed Jacket
[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/2011-03-17_19-40-26_354.jpg[/IMG]

If anybody has any suggestions let me know. Thanks

Hi toddy :wavey:

Hi Adrian:biggthumpup:

looks like its gonna be quite a project for somebody. good looking wheels though. i'd expect the bolts to screw in. even if they are press in you should be able to remove them without drilling. any pics of the backside of the wheels where the face meets the barrel?

[QUOTE=OG;377647]looks like its gonna be quite a project for somebody. good looking wheels though. i'd expect the bolts to screw in. even if they are press in you should be able to remove them without drilling. any pics of the backside of the wheels where the face meets the barrel?[/QUOTE]

Shouldn't be too bad. I thought peeling the lips off would be harder but once i got the first one done it was easy. I had to order the Triple Square Socket I need to fit the hardware since nobody sold it locally and I didn't feel like paying $50 a rim to have a shop remove the hardware. Ill shoot a pic in day light of the back side of the wheel.

I'm debating between gloss black with chrome hardware or matte black with gold hardware right now.

i was referring to the lips, just assuming you were going to have them polished.
 
what about gloss lip, matte face, gold hardware? actually, what's the car look like?

I saw those pics of the wheels when they were for sale. I was tempted to pick them up but they need a lot of work to save them. Good luck though! I can't wait to see them repaired and on your car. You should come out to a local meet and get to know the local VSC members.

[QUOTE=OG;377794]i was referring to the lips, just assuming you were going to have them polished.
 
what about gloss lip, matte face, gold hardware? actually, what's the car look like?[/QUOTE]


I considered polishing the lip and being done with it but I don't know how it will turn. Ill talk to my repair guys. Gloss black lips and matte face sounds interesting. Im not sure where I can source gold hard ward that will work for these wheels. 
Know anywhere?

[QUOTE=mex lex;377831]I saw those pics of the wheels when they were for sale. I was tempted to pick them up but they need a lot of work to save them. Good luck though! I can't wait to see them repaired and on your car. You should come out to a local meet and get to know the local VSC members.[/QUOTE]

They were actaully not as bad as I thought. Most of the damage was cosmetic. There is a slight bend in the lip but it still holds air.I couldn't pass it up cause I got em for half the asking price. Local meet sounds good to me but I wanna get this project done first.

Heres what they are going on my Deep Green Pearl TL

[IMG]http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l127/toddy_968/IMG_2521.jpg[/IMG]

i have the same with my eurolines. most shops wont be able to fully polish the lips as the cant get to the very edge(lip meets face), the bolts should come out and be able to polished, my shop hand sanded the entire wheel, then painted it, and clear coated.

[QUOTE=BLKVIP;379009]i have the same with my eurolines. most shops wont be able to fully polish the lips as the cant get to the very edge(lip meets face), the bolts should come out and be able to polished, my shop hand sanded the entire wheel, then painted it, and clear coated.[/QUOTE]

Ya. Im waiting for the tool I need to get the bolts out. They are an M9 Triple Square and I could only find an 8 and a 10 locally. Hopefully it will be here in the next few days so I can work on em on my days off. Gonna test fit them on Wednesday. The rear I know sticks out an inch and quarter. Not sure how the front will sit yet.

So I found these and I'm considering using them depending on the size of the screw that I take out. What do ya think?

[url]http://www.titanium-touch.de/shop/product_info.php?info=p21_Rim-screws-M7x24-Lanza-Vita.html&XTCsid=ce49217249536b4e2abdf0225014dc58[/url]

gonna stab ppls when they get to close lol

[QUOTE=Toddy;379329]So I found these and I'm considering using them depending on the size of the screw that I take out. What do ya think?

[URL]http://www.titanium-touch.de/shop/product_info.php?info=p21_Rim-screws-M7x24-Lanza-Vita.html&XTCsid=ce49217249536b4e2abdf0225014dc58[/URL][/QUOTE]

Won't you cut yourself cleaning the wheels?

[QUOTE=mex lex;379475]Won't you cut yourself cleaning the wheels?[/QUOTE]

Lol. Just considering them. I have the feeling the bolts will be pressed in and be a pain to get out

Hit a snag today. The M9 triple square I ordered too big and the M8 is too small. So looks like they either don't come out or I have to find a Rays bolt tool to get them off. I know on shop that has it but they charge 50$ a wheel to remove them and replace them... Anybody know where I can find one to purchase or borrow?

I decided since I can't get the wheel bolts out to have the wheels powder coated I am going to go ahead and polish the lips. The down fall is the amount of time it is going to take but i think the end result will be worth it especially since I have time to kill till I can get my suspension ordered. 

The hard part will be right at the point where the face and lip meet so I'm going to have to be very careful but I will be happier than if I have to coat them black. Im going to start tonite on stripping the rest of the glue off of them. Since the lips have grooves cut in them from when the wheel was manufactured I will have to start at 80 grit and I will work my way up to 3000 grit before starting to polish. 

I'll be using a high speed angle grinder with 8 inch pads starting with a cotton spiral sewn buff and brown tripoli compound and I'll finish with a loose cotton buff and white compound for the finish. I'll use a cone buff to get right up against the edge of the face. I may try to find something to put on the face to protect it from losing it's grey finish. There is a clear spray available that is used by painters that can be peeled off afterwards. 

Let the work begin!

can't wait to see the end result :biggthumpup: