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Thread: How to refinish LTW wheels

  1. #1
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    How to refinish LTW wheels

    Hey guys, I just picked up a 95 and with it came 3 sets of wheels. One of these sets are the original LTW wheels. They are not stamped with "BMW motorsports" on them, but I did find on the back the numbers 850 and 860, which I believe means they were polished. Please correct me if I am wrong. Someone painted these things black at one time, and it is all peeling off. I want to restore these back to original. I am looking for some advice on how to do this? Sandblast? How do I get them polished? What part of the rim was polished, the entire thing or just the ring?

    Thanks in advance.IMG_4537.jpg

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    IIRC, the front face and lips were polished, the 'dips' between spokes (non-very front face) surfaces were painted (although possibly could just be non-polished al?). This is based on my oem set...which I think are still original finish.

    I have a spare set in similar condition (currently my wife's winter wheels). Someday I plan on refinishing them, first getting them blasted, then polish them up myself (lips are easy, do it on a running car that's jacked up). Faces can be done with a polisher. Not sure what I'm going to do about the painted/non-polished sections...might just mask them after sand blast and leave that finish. Then lots of clear.
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    You want to use a non-abrasive blast such as soda, that lifts the paint and almost polish the surface as apposed to sand that eats away the surface.


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    If my wheels say 850 and 860 on the back, does that mean just a polished lip? What’s all polished on it?

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    If it it plastiDip (which is likely to be the case), there are methods of taking it off without harming the finish underneath (which may be in acceptable shape). I would verify whether it is plastidip or "regular" paint first. If you see 850/860 by the valve stem - they are genuine BMW wheels.

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    It is definitely paint. I can’t see the numbers by the valve stem probably because of the paint. It looks like there is something there. But on the back is where I found the 860 and 850 numbers.

  7. #7
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    How to refinish LTW wheels

    Lips, center, and face of spokes are polished. The spoke sides are lightly polished but show forging marks.


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    Last edited by bluptgm3; 02-09-2018 at 02:38 PM.

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    What does it mean by, “850-later polished front rim”. I m confused by what later means.

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    Where in this thread are you quoting that from?


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    It’s not in this thread. I found it on a BMW site that clarifies if you have OEM wheels or not.

  11. #11
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    Like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, put em in the dip....

    There were the early ltws that had ‘Motorsport’ stamped into the face. Early

    then two kinds of later types, neither had Motorsport stamped on them. Painted and polished. I think the painted wheels had a polished lip, and the other was fully polished. Iirc both of those are still available new. (At least one of them)

    very few 95s came with them, unless they were ordered. Most of them were dealer installed, and were 7.5 ft and 8.5 rear, and had 235-40-17 MXX3 tires on all wheels with a 7.5 spare. 95s came with the DS1 wheel 7.5 on 4 corners, 96s+ came with the staggered DS2.
    Last edited by RRSperry; 02-10-2018 at 09:49 AM.
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  12. #12
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    The stamped painted and non-stamped polished are still available - its the GT stamped/polished that are NLA and rare.

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    How to refinish LTW wheels

    Quote Originally Posted by crc13 View Post
    It’s not in this thread. I found it on a BMW site that clarifies if you have OEM wheels or not.
    If they are 7.5 X 17 ET41 and/or 8.5 X 17 ET41 they can only be BMW wheels.
    The fully machined aftermarket cast wheel only came in 7 X 17 as far as I know.

    Quote Originally Posted by RRSperry View Post
    Like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, put em in the dip....

    There were the early ltws that had ‘Motorsport’ stamped into the face. Early

    then two kinds of later types, neither had Motorsport stamped on them. Painted and polished. I think the painted wheels had a polished lip, and the other was fully polished. Iirc both of those are still available new. (At least one of them)

    very few 95s came with them, unless they were ordered. Most of them were dealer installed, and were 7.5 ft and 8.5 rear, and had 235-40-17 MXX3 tires on all wheels with a 7.5 spare. 95s came with the DS1 wheel 7.5 on 4 corners, 96s+ came with the staggered DS2.
    The early (1995 for US) LWT wheels are “BMW” “MOTORSPORTS” embossed and fully painted split 5-Spoke. Offered as an ‘option’ on the 1995 M3.
    For 1996+M3 the staggered Polished Forged non-embossed wheels were offered as an ‘option’.
    In Europe, the M3 GT cars were fit with staggered MS Embossed Polished Forged split 5-Spoke.



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    Last edited by bluptgm3; 01-12-2021 at 08:21 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RRSperry View Post
    Like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, put em in the dip....

    There were the early ltws that had ‘Motorsport’ stamped into the face. Early

    then two kinds of later types, neither had Motorsport stamped on them. Painted and polished. I think the painted wheels had a polished lip, and the other was fully polished. Iirc both of those are still available new. (At least one of them)

    very few 95s came with them, unless they were ordered. Most of them were dealer installed, and were 7.5 ft and 8.5 rear, and had 235-40-17 MXX3 tires on all wheels with a 7.5 spare. 95s came with the DS1 wheel 7.5 on 4 corners, 96s+ came with the staggered DS2.
    Stamped/Painted and Stamped/Polished are both “early” wheels.

    Stamped and Polished came on the 95 M3 GT. I’m not even sure what Blu is referencing with the GT3.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bluptgm3 View Post
    If they are 7.5 X 17 and/or 8.5 X 17 they can only be BMW wheels.
    The fully machined cast wheel only came in 7 X 17 as far as I know.



    The early (1995 for US) LWT wheels are “BMW” “MOTORSPORTS” embossed and fully painted split 5-Spoke. Offered as an ‘option’ on the 1995 M3.
    For 1996+M3 the staggered Polished Forged wheels were offered as an ‘option’.
    In Europe, the M3 Evo 2 cars were fit with staggered MS Embossed Polished Forged split 5-Spoke.



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    No Blu. The Polished/Stamped set are 1995 M3 GT wheels. Not GT3 and not your second edit to Evo 2.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by crc13 View Post
    Hey guys, I just picked up a 95 and with it came 3 sets of wheels. One of these sets are the original LTW wheels. They are not stamped with "BMW motorsports" on them, but I did find on the back the numbers 850 and 860, which I believe means they were polished. Please correct me if I am wrong. Someone painted these things black at one time, and it is all peeling off. I want to restore these back to original. I am looking for some advice on how to do this? Sandblast? How do I get them polished? What part of the rim was polished, the entire thing or just the ring?

    Thanks in advance.IMG_4537.jpg
    The problem with restoring these OEM wheels you have back to their original polished state is very few people are capable of doing it right. Most think a high luster diamond cut finish or mirror hand polish is correct. It isn't. Personally I think these types of restorations make Style 24 look cheesy AF.

    The process appears to be diamond cut and they hand dull the finish down. You can see the done by hand "scotch" pad marks. The spoke sides are the raw forging. You can achieve a similar pebbled finish by blasting with coarse media and then finishing with a very high grit glass (300-500) to bring back the aluminum luster. Clear seals everything in. Some say there is an anodizing process in there, but I don't know about that.








  17. #17
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    I wonder how they’d look with a diamond black finish?
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  18. #18
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    Braymond, how would you suggest paint removal? Glass blasting? Can it be polished if it is glass blasted?

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    What I would do is in this order;

    -Strip the wheels (acid most likely)
    -Have the wheels straightened (they likely need it and it is critical for diamond cutting)
    -Coarse blast (full wheel)
    -Fine blast (full wheel, should look bright alu)
    -Diamond cut the lips and faces with a dull finish
    -Scoth pad if not dull enough
    -Clear coat

    Technically the inside barrels are painted so mask off the front and paint them before clearing the entire wheel.

  20. #20
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    I bought the airplane stripper and that didn’t work. I can get these glass blasted fir 30 a wheel. If I do that, can I still polish? Or when you say acid, do I soak them in acid?

  21. #21
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    Every step I posted needs to be done and with full attention to details. It is not sounding like you are ready for what an OE finish involves. I would suggest just painting or powdercoating silver.

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    This process of trying to replicate the factory finish, once it's severely compromised, makes new wheels sound like a bargain!
    Current:
    98 M3/4/5 Alpine/Magma
    05 MazdaSpeed Miata

    Sold:

    00 Honda VFR
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ex36 View Post
    This process of trying to replicate the factory finish, once it's severely compromised, makes new wheels sound like a bargain!
    Agreed 100%

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    Quote Originally Posted by RRSperry View Post
    I wonder how they’d look with a diamond black finish?
    Me too. I'm considering trying that with my LTWs. (My E36 M3 is Estoril with medium window tint.)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Braymond141 View Post
    What I would do is in this order;

    -Strip the wheels (acid most likely)
    How about baking soda blast?
    Walnut?
    Dry ice?


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