Split Rim Refurbishment

BBS RC042

BBS Split Rim, BBS RC 042 - Used on the BMW E36 328i Sport and Australian E36 M3 GT

1) Undo the bolts on the outer rim and remove complete bolt assembly. Then use a rubber mallet to knock through the centre section - this can require a lot of force.

2) Use paint stripper on the outer rims to remove the paint/lacquer.

3) Purchase wet and dry sand paper grades 400, 800, 1200 and 1500. Start with the most abrasive (400) and work your way up to 1500 if you are happy to polish occasionally, otherwise stop at 800 and lacquer for a more durable finish. If you would like an extreme polished look it is worth purchasing some G3 (rubbing compound) from a body shop and using a metal polish afterwards on the outer rim. The benefit is if you ever curb your wheels (so help you God), the metal is already bare and they can just be sanded down and re-polished.

4) The centres often remain in good condition, but if they are not it is worth sending them off to a local sand blaster and powder coater to have the centres and caps re-done. If you would like to give it a go, follow the same procedures as above to wet and dry grade 800, then apply a few coats of BBS silver spray paint (or alternative) and finally a few coats of lacquer.

5) Remember to use some liquid thread lock when resealing the wheels or alternatively you can pay someone else to do it all for you.

 BBS RS 301 - Designed for VW Corrado Motorsport

The same steps should be taken as above (BBS RC042's), however the BBS RS's are 3 piece split rims so extra precautions need to be taken. When disassembling these wheels a rubber mallet should be used to knock off the outer rim and the centre section. The most important part on these wheels is resealing. The two piece wheel will not affect the tyres because of the solid centre section, however the 3 piece wheel requires silicon sealant to join the outer rim, centre section and the inside of the wheel. You must make sure to use a proper silicon sealant available from automotive stores, it is usually black but some clear silicon is also available. It is important when resealing to do each bolt loosely and tighten up opposites to give an even fit, the same way you would do a gasket. 

Recommendations

It is difficult to find somewhere who will do a top job, but I can recommend BJV Engineering www.wheelrefurbishing.com who have a sample of this wheel on their site and would charge approx £200-£280 including picking up and delivering the wheel in a 40 mile radius of their base. I can also recommend Spit and Polish (Kent), Pristine and Wicked Wheels (Guildford).