6ULs Wear and tear prevention?

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Tue May 24, 2011 4:43 pm

OK, so any one else with 6ULs showing chips in the coating?
Mine are about 6 mths old, and have been looked after pretty well.
I havent even tracked these yet.

But i just noticed they have a few chips starting to appear in the Nickel coating.
Several on each rim.
Is this just normal wear, is the nickel coating soft?
And any suggestions to prevent the chips, peeling, or getting bigger?

bigdog · Postby **bigdog** » Tue May 24, 2011 4:54 pm

Is it actually nickel coating Minx? Looks like paint in the photo - the Hyper-Black type process is achieved with a black base colour and then a very thin semi-transparent coat of metallic silver over the top. My old wheels had this coating and it was indeed very fragile - high pressure hose took it off

Either way, unless you coat it with something harder it's inevitable that damage will occur through use. Nickel is soft and doesn't handle wear very well - that's why it isn't used as an external surface coating very often. I had a nickel plated flute when I was learning and the coating wore through very quickly on the finger pads and head joint.

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Tue May 24, 2011 4:59 pm

Bigdog,
It is just called 'Nickel', I assume it is a paint.

Maybe I am just being fussy.

rwf · Postby **rwf** » Tue May 24, 2011 5:57 pm

MINX wrote:
Maybe I am just being fussy.

if your not happy with them sell them to me for cheap ill put lots of chips in them and not care lol

they do look good on race cars

MINX · Postby **MINX** » Tue May 24, 2011 6:05 pm

Thanks Rob,
I will keep your offer in mind. :roll:

Postby **NitroDann** » Tue May 24, 2011 6:07 pm

rwf wrote:
MINX wrote:
Maybe I am just being fussy.

if your not happy with them sell them to me for cheap ill put lots of chips in them and not care lol

they do look good on race cars

>look good on race cars
>on race cars
>race cars

Man up. Clear coat if you have to weight them down.

Dann

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Tue May 24, 2011 6:08 pm

The mags on all our cars have chips here and there. Very annoying :frown:

.

I use sunlight silver touch up paint to camouflage the chips.

bigdog · Postby **bigdog** » Tue May 24, 2011 6:10 pm

If it's paint don't pressure clean them or use anything abrasive on them, and hit them with wax regularly. I think if you try and clear coat them with a 2 pack paint that is hard enough to protect them the colour will change significantly as the finish relies on the way light hits it for the effect.

Tony · Postby **Tony** » Tue May 24, 2011 7:23 pm

I have a set of the bronze wheels and I use them predominantly on the track.

There aren't any chips similar to your photo, but I have noticed that on the back of my wheels the bronze surface coating has begun to peel/flake off in several sections on the outer rim portion.

At this stage the sections in question are probably not more that 8-9mm long by 3-4mm wide, but it looks as through they could keep peeling. Thankfully the outside face of the wheels haven't yet showed the same signs.

I've also noticed that the coating on the inside of the rim section has started to fade in blotches. It looks like they've been hit with a heavy duty wheel cleaner; which they haven't been of course.

Sorry I don't have any photos, but I will have the wheels off again on the weekend and could take a few shots then if anyone is interested.

I've also had problems with the centre caps; most are fairly loose and I've already lost two. Yes, I have tightened up the spring/circlip, but they keep coming loose. James reckons it's due to differential cooling etc.

Notwithstanding the above issues, I'm still happy enough with the wheels; but for the money I would have expected a bit better finish and durability.

CheyneX5 · Postby **CheyneX5** » Tue May 24, 2011 7:31 pm

NitroDann wrote:
rwf wrote:
MINX wrote:
Maybe I am just being fussy.

if your not happy with them sell them to me for cheap ill put lots of chips in them and not care lol

they do look good on race cars

>look good on race cars
>on race cars
>race cars

Man up. Clear coat if you have to weight them down.

Dann

Don't be a moron Dann, MINX likes his car to look nice, he is simply concerned about the paint. Telling him to man up is not forum etiquette. Keep stuff like that to your self if it's not positive input.

Postby **NitroDann** » Tue May 24, 2011 8:08 pm

I gave him the only advice anyone can which is to deal with it, or to clear coat them. These seem to be the only 2 choices, and because the clear coat WILL affect the finish, maybe deal with it is a good option?

Dann

CheyneX5 · Postby **CheyneX5** » Tue May 24, 2011 8:44 pm

I thought it just came across as a bit brash. Pardon me if I miss read what you wrote.

Postby **NitroDann** » Tue May 24, 2011 9:10 pm

Sorry about the bluntness. Allgood.

Dann

CheyneX5 · Postby **CheyneX5** » Tue May 24, 2011 9:20 pm

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Wed May 25, 2011 9:20 am

The Nickel plate you have to be the least durable of all the 6UL finishes. Especially if you live near the beach or indrustrial zones. Unfortunately clearcoating them would be the only way to go to protecting them.

And without knowing the 6UL manufacturering process, I'm guessing the low price 6ULs are offered at, that some quality issues may arrise with the wheels. If they are making the light, strong and cheap. Money has to be saved somewhere else.

I have a set of silver w/ machined lip still in their boxes in the garage. Might check out the finish on the back edge of the rim.