The Detailers Cafe
General Category => Car/Truck Mod Talk => Topic started by: Kitzy on January 10, 2014, 02:37:04 PM
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Earlier this week I attempted to purchase American Racing ATX Shackles from a guy on eBay that had a killer price on them. There was no bolt pattern listed and I wanted to make sure they were not blemished in any way. I shot him a message asking him for the bolt pattern and if they were blems and be replied with they're new and as of that day the price went up, $40 to be exact. I replied with if he honored the earlier price and the bolt pattern was correct that I would buy them. He replied with CALL NOW. I called him and explained who I was and he says " OK so do you want em?". He said he couldn't do the original price, knocked $15 off (still a great price but can't blame a guy for trying) and started going off about how no one else is going to include free center caps, lug nuts and valve stems and that it wasnt Obama giving this to me but he was. I started cracking up on the phone. Kind of told him to relax, I had to try. He was cool after that. Next day however he called, two of the wheels were damaged from the factory and there were no replacements anywhere to be found. He offered to refund the money but said that Wheel Pros (company that makes most of the wheels out there, ie Moto Metal, American Racing, etc.) felt terrible and I could kill them on a deal if I went with something else thy make. Gave me a few websites to look over and said he would refund me later in day if I couldn't find anything. After looking I found the American Racing AF901s. I liked these even more, called him up for a price, he said he would call me right back and did with a price $40 less than the others including the caps, lug nuts and stems. This was at 2:45pm. 2:45pm the following day they were on my door step. Awesome! We had a rough start but he ended up being a great guy to deal with.
New wheels, crappy lighting. They look like black chrome in the pictures but you get the idea. They are 20x9 in PVD Chrome. They shouldn't be an issue in the winter like real chrome.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/11/e3u2a8u5.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/11/e3e2esy7.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/11/evepavu7.jpg)
I plan to run a 295/55r20 Toyo Open Country AT II. Its the extreme version with deeper tread and more aggressive sidewall. Here is a picture of a 285/55r20.
(http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w513/fx4pitrone/2012%20Ford%20F-150%20FX4/P7232204_zpscffdddfd.jpg)
The original wheels I was trying go get and had my heart set on.
(http://www.treaddepot.com/prodimg/atx-atx-shackle-pvd-large.png)
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They look great but those ATX's dayum :redneck:
I went with black this time around screw crappy chrome .... but interestingly enough PVD has a two year warranty and painted still only has a one year so they must be doing something right with it haha
Does it feel any different than chrome?
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Feels like powder coat which essentially it is. At least the part you're touching.
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Sweet looking wheels Mike! Man, are you going to hate cleaning / polishing them though. :hp:
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Those wheels look awesome! PVD seems to be the way to go these days. Curious to see how they hold up for you.
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Thanks guys.
I'm curious how they hold up as well. Pockets let me down. He was supposed to be my guinea pig and buy PVD first.
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well Mike those are awesome looking....
You get the benefit of getting PB Wheel Sealant on them before you even mount them....that puts you way ahead of the curve.
Better get like 4 coats on those. :redneck:
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well Mike those are awesome looking....
You get the benefit of getting PB Wheel Sealant on them before you even mount them....that puts you way ahead of the curve.
Better get like 4 coats on those. :redneck:
I would think a application of Opti-Coat 2.0 may be in order.
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I would think a application of Opti-Coat 2.0 may be in order.
Not to poke Chris in the eye in this thread, that would be my suggestion.
Sorry dude, still love and just got done using PB products on the SIL's new to her 2010 Stang
- thank god she ditches that rat trap, single stage hot iron job red one she had before.
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I still have some original Opti-Coat left. I was thinking about doing three wheels and leaving one unprotected as a test. If they don't hold up without the protection at least I only have to buy one new one.
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I would think a application of Opti-Coat 2.0 may be in order.
Not to poke Chris in the eye in this thread, that would be my suggestion.
Sorry dude, still love and just got done using PB products on the SIL's new to her 2010 Stang
- thank god she ditches that rat trap, single stage hot iron job red one she had before.
I'm with you on that one. I love my PB Wheel sealant, great stuff.
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I've gotta come clean to you fellers here ..... Mikey already knows what I did :nija:
When I got my my new rims after the lift I spoke with Mike about Opti-Coating them. Yes yes Steve was apprehensive about me putting on another manufacturer's product onto my ride, but my reasoning was we don't currently offer anything like it and I would like to see the durability and length of it lasting. Might be something that we would be interested in researching and developing.
So I contacted one of our distributors to purchase the Opti-Coat 2.0 and I spoke a little about it with them. I asked them if it was really permanent and how well is it going to hold up. I got my answers and decided to purchase it. I would not have purchased it if I did not get a wholesale price mind you.
Once I received the rims I did all the necessary steps to prep them (IPA wipedown, polish if needed, make sure it's perfect just the way you want it). I did this to two of my rims and applied the OC.
They beaded nicely when you washed them and I thought I was protecting my rims. They did not seem to shed off brake dust any better than the other rims that were not coated. While washing there was no noticeable difference in ease of cleaning with PB APC.
So fast forward about three to four months. My beading stopped and I feel that they were not protected anymore. This confirmed what I was told that it really is not permanent on rims, not even close. I was told a few months it would last down there and it did.
While applying it I was extremely nervous and stressed that I was going to fu*k up my rims and have them ugly with rainbows ... kinda like what Mikey did to one of his rims =p. I didn't feel like I was applying a special coating of anything it went on like a wax and buffed off the same, in fact I remember felling like I had buffed off everything that I applied for some reason. All this to last only a few months (also for a hefty price tag of $80 buckaroos)
So to sum it all up I don't think I will ever reapply it anywhere as it did not satisfy my needs and our little jar of Wheel Sealant for $20 bucks holds up just the same and is a pleasure to apply, remove, and reapply without all the worries of it being perfectly prepped. It wont break the bank and lasts just as long if not longer than the OC.
I just wanted to come clean somewhere as I've had this for a while and have kept my mouth shut ..... you guys are like family and I would never post this anywhere else other than here. I think you can all understand that I'm not putting OC down I just wanted to share my experience and I'm all about saving money. I have not tried it on paint or trim or glass or anything other than chrome rims so I cannot comment on that aspect of it.
I know the new rims will be getting a nice rubdown of Wheel Sealant =) .... I may even make a video ;)
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Well now I can stop saying I know a guy. Haha. Thats a relief as now "that guy" actually holds some weight. And I will confirm I got a rainbow affect on one of my wheels on the stang. Damn him for remembering that. I do feel that it lasts longer than any other coating on wheels, but enough to justify the cost just for wheels? Probably not. And I mentioned once before that I applied it to my front end on vertical parts facing forward and they now seem to spot up with dirty spots faster than before, at least on the plastic chrome.
Pockets, any noticeable difference in the pitting by chance?
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Well now I can stop saying I know a guy. Haha. Thats a relief as now "that guy" actually holds some weight. And I will confirm I got a rainbow affect on one of my wheels on the stang. Damn him for remembering that. I do feel that it lasts longer than any other coating on wheels, but enough to justify the cost just for wheels? Probably not. And I mentioned once before that I applied it to my front end on vertical parts facing forward and they now seem to spot up with dirty spots faster than before, at least on the plastic chrome.
Pockets, any noticeable difference in the pitting by chance?
No difference in the pitting it didn't slow them down at all .... that happened after about 6 months of the rims being on the road
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Well now I can stop saying I know a guy. Haha. Thats a relief as now "that guy" actually holds some weight. And I will confirm I got a rainbow affect on one of my wheels on the stang. Damn him for remembering that. I do feel that it lasts longer than any other coating on wheels, but enough to justify the cost just for wheels? Probably not. And I mentioned once before that I applied it to my front end on vertical parts facing forward and they now seem to spot up with dirty spots faster than before, at least on the plastic chrome.
Pockets, any noticeable difference in the pitting by chance?
No difference in the pitting it didn't slow them down at all .... that happened after about 6 months of the rims being on the road
And who said that would still happen? :dh:
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And who said that would still happen? :dh:
Tom ----> :blah: chrome pitting :blah: :ba: <---- Pockets
Tom ----> :beat: <---- Pockets
Tom ----> :blah: :drool: <---- Pockets
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And who said that would still happen? :dh:
Tom ----> :blah: chrome pitting :blah: :ba: <---- Pockets
Tom ----> :beat: <---- Pockets
Tom ----> :blah: :drool: <---- Pockets
Yea, I know how much you hate it when I'm right. Look at the bright side. It doesn't happen all that often!
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Yea, I know how much you hate it when I'm right. Look at the bright side. It doesn't happen all that often!
Yes we finally can see bright, a picture got posted... :redneck:
- Hint think LED light, nothing in this thread. Just in case it was not clear... :slow:
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Yea, I know how much you hate it when I'm right. Look at the bright side. It doesn't happen all that often!
Yes we finally can see bright, a picture got posted... :redneck:
- Hint think LED light, nothing in this thread. Just in case it was not clear... :slow:
Yea, yea, yea. My son tells me that my phone even has a camera in it. As soon as I figure out how to load the film, I'll run right out and take some pics. Of course since they'll be at night, I'll need some flash bulbs ...
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I got the tires mounted and balance on to the new wheels. However they are still not on the truck because I have to do the brakes and possibly possibly modify part of the wheel well liner if there is rubbing. Weekend job.
Anyway, 295/55R20 Toyo Open Country AT II. Basically a more aggressive version of their AT. Deeper, wider tread and a more pronounced sidewall.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/31/5aqu5a6a.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/31/e4a6umad.jpg)
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Those are looking to look killer!
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Thanks. I really want to get them on the truck. I'm waiting for my brake pads to get here. I just ordered them yesterday with free two day shipping from amazon prime so hopefully by Monday. I also have to work on my girlfriends Jeep this weekend. We are replacing her track bar, sway bar bushings, headlights and trying to determine which sensor is tripping the ABS light. I need to get the work done to my truck though before the 13th because that's the day we leave for a short trip to Tennessee with the quads to visit her family. Brakes, oil change and wheels and tires for my truck. I also need to service both quads. Anyone have some free time they're not using? Did I mention we have storms coming again?
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I took the wheels to my work today because thats where I'll be doing the work and I'm working on the girlfriends jeep today too. I realized when I got there the owner had the regular Toyo Open country tires on his truck and he replaced two of them, not realizing it, before he needed to. He's not always the smartest. Anyway, he stored the two best ones here so I compared them to mine. The regular OC ATs vs the OC AT II extremes. You can see the aggressive sidewall and deeper wider tread blocks. Keep in mind there are also OC AT IIs in the non extreme versions as well.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/02/5evynaru.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/02/zaravaje.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/02/uzupymyb.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/02/genyveqa.jpg)
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So I put everything on this weekend. I was hoping to get a couple decent pictures but I can't even pull out of the driveway without trashing the truck. So here are a couple. They don't really look anywhere near as good as they do in person.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/11/a8y6asyg.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/11/yje6ahyt.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/11/e4udebad.jpg)(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/11/my6y6ehu.jpg)
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Those wheels look great on ! Nice toys too!!!
The wheels remind me of the Gunner 6's
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Looks really nice Mike!
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Looks great
Now it just needs to be lifted 6" :nija:
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Nice! I really like those :clap:
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So while washing the truck a few days ago I noticed one of the wheels had very significant peeling. I contacted the manufacturer and provided pictures. They seemed surprised but provided me with a listing for stores in the area where I could take them to have someone look at them and initiate the warranty claim. I also have an email in to the local powder coating company I use to get a quote on stripping and having them powder coated incase this warranty claim doesn't go as planned. They are talking about me possibly having to pay freight for the new wheels which is pricey and I think ridiculous.
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/04/04/46e4750bbf610f329b3e6c870dd94f87.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/04/04/a1be64ac318cf9f160ecd3f369e23137.jpg)
(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/04/04/a4f9a351ef50057ff24154d8e0964304.jpg)
The other three wheels don't have any peeling but do look like they are starting to peel around the bolts that run around the lip. One wheel has a decent chip out of it.
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Ugh, that sucks Mike.
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Yeah. The reaction of the guy at the shop when I told him they were PVD made me feel a little better about trying them again. I told him while walking out to the truck for photos and n as soon as I said they were PVD his reaction was a very sincere reaction of shock. Like he couldn't believe it.
Tapatalkin...
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I sure hope it get's sorted out easily. You shouldn't have to cover shipping in this case. Definite flaw in the manu process.
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I agree. We will see. I heard back from tho powder coater. He doesn't know if his stripper will strip pvd or not so he can't guarantee a lasting finish. He was very upfront and said he can try but he can't stand behind it. He said he hasn't tried to strip PVD yet. He said it might work because ite a hybrid coating that's powder, metal powder. The powder being between the wheel and "chrome" layer may allow the stripper to work. It may not. $90-95 per wheel either way.
Tapatalkin...
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If it were me and they don't warranty it, I would send in the one bad wheel for the guy to try and powder coat. Not much of a loss that way. If he can do one, let him have the rest. If he can't, you're on the hook to buy one new replacement wheel.
Now if you have peeling on multiple wheels, I would hope you get warranty.
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It's major on one wheel and looks like it may just be starting on others but hard to say. But that's the exact same thing I told my girlfriend. I may just send in the worst wheel to see what happens. Part of me wants to just to see what happens. Ajdnalso because then I can switch up the wheel color just for the hell of it.
Tapatalkin...
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So they care going to cover the wheels, HOWEVER, they said I have to pay shipping for the new wheels AND to send back the bad wheels. $160 worth of shipping. Then I have to pay an additional $130 to have the tires remounted and balanced. I'll suck up the tire swap but te shipping is ridiculous. Basically I have to pay for shipping three times.
Tapatalkin...
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So they care going to cover the wheels, HOWEVER, they said I have to pay shipping for the new wheels AND to send back the bad wheels. $160 worth of shipping. Then I have to pay an additional $130 to have the tires remounted and balanced. I'll suck up the tire swap but te shipping is ridiculous. Basically I have to pay for shipping three times.
Tapatalkin...
I almost hate to tell you this, but I get all of my mounting and balancing (Hunter Road Force) done for free. It's nice having a Certified Lexus Technician in the house that owes me a ton of money!
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I used to have a buddy do mine for free too. He doesn't seem as cooperative anymore and I try not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I may ask him what it will cost. It's not the mount and balance that grinds my gears. It's the shipping when I bought them, the shipping to return them and then the shipping to get the new ones. It's not my fault that THEIR product failed.
Tapatalkin...
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I used to have a buddy do mine for free too. He doesn't seem as cooperative anymore and I try not to look a gift horse in the mouth. I may ask him what it will cost. It's not the mount and balance that grinds my gears. It's the shipping when I bought them, the shipping to return them and then the shipping to get the new ones. It's not my fault that THEIR product failed.
Tapatalkin...
Gotta agree with you there.
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So I've been in contact with the guy from wheel pros that originally responded to my email. This is the reason I was given for the shipping cost.
" The only time the warehouses request for shipping charges to be paid is when there is something out of the ordinary with regards to the claim which makes sense. Remember that I was shocked on how bad the PVD wheels were peeling in less than a year or so – well so were they. It’s very very unusual and never seen before that the PVD wheel was peeling that badly so it is considered as out of ordinary so that we can inspect the wheels."
Now, to me, that sounds like they are accusing me of causing this. Anybody else have a different take on that? Basically, just because it's not the typical failure that they are accustomed to seeing, they push the costs off on the customer. This leads me to question just how many issues they are seeing that this one seems so far out of the ordinary. And why is it only one wheel with major peeling?
Tapatalkin...
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That guys logic seems backwards to me. If it were an issue where they NEED to inspect the wheels, they should be on the hook for it.
It seems very odd. I never charge one of our customers for shipping I if am requesting a part back.
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The last response I received from them. I haven't responded because I haven't decided what I want to do yet. First part of it is referring to me explaining that hopefully I'm not coming across as rude.
"No, not at all... we are trying to make it fair for everyone because in the past – we have bent the rules a little bit to help customers out and then later on, we discovered after inspecting the wheels ourselves and found out it was a fraud. So we are trying to make it fair for everyone. I am not saying that you are one of them or anything but I hope you can understand our position and how and why we are doing it this way.
It is a very difficult situation but your feedback below is very important that we definitely will take that into consideration to make the warranty process much better for everyone."
Tapatalkin...
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What does the warranty state....
It really is that easy.