Cheap wheel rebuild - WARNING!!

[Doug Baker]

I have had the regrettable experience of being suckered through eBay I wish to warn other would be buyers.
 
The following link is to the seller; 
 
[/url][url=http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BRAND-NEW-36-SPOKES-CLASSIC-CAR-WHEEL-RIM-AUSTIN-A7-10-12-16-20-AUD-/282628032563?hash=item41cdf18833]http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BRAND-NEW-36-SPOKES-CLASSIC-CAR-WHEEL-RIM-AUSTIN-A7-10-12-16-20-AUD-/282628032563?hash=item41cdf18833
 
Having bought the advertised A7 wheel for $290 Aust as per the attached link upon receipt it looked the business, I thought I was on a winner. 
 
I had the wheel powder coated black and then a new tyre fitted. It was at this point when it was attempted to fit the wheel to the car I discovered the pitfalls of the purchase simply I had bought a lemon.  The old expression of if it is too good to be true then it most likely is, come flooding in with vengeance. 
 
• The first fault is the hub center is 31tho to small in diameter and will not fit the diameter of the mounting hub being 3”diameter.
 
• The laced indexing of the spokes was incorrect with the spokes crossing over in front of the mounting stud. This fault will not allow a socket to be used to tighten the nuts. 
 
• While an easy fix the hole for the valve spigot is too small.
 
• The last being there is six hole witness centers drilled that must have been wrong and these were disguised with a filler.  
 
I have included photos in a hope these may make the preceding clearer, The telescopic gauge was set from an original wheel hub 
 
Regards,
 
Doug Baker


  IMG_7428.JPG (Size: 79.53 KB / Downloads: 765)


  IMG_7429.JPG (Size: 77.07 KB / Downloads: 761)


  IMG_7439.JPG (Size: 37.2 KB / Downloads: 760)


  IMG_7441.JPG (Size: 32.17 KB / Downloads: 762)


  IMG_7440.JPG (Size: 55.42 KB / Downloads: 761)
 

[longchap]

Hi Doug,

Ebay purchases are covered by the ebay money back guarantee and you should contact ebay with your concerns.

I understand that at best, you will only probably get a refund on the wheel and not the extra work you have done, but it at least will help and ebay may even take action against the seller to block further sales.

Too late now, but always test fit any components before painting, etc.  

Good luck,

Bill

[Bob Culver]

The local VAR were donated so many wheels they cried no more!

If  Oz and UK prices prevailed here I would make a more serious effort to dissociate from Auckalnd property and polish my Seven spares instead.

Probably even a market for cracked cranks. After all someone sold them to me one way or another.

And some website seems to have attached to my posts. How do I shake it off?

[Jeff Taylor]

Bob,

Bring the website issue to the attention of one of the forum administrators - Timothy or Ruairidh, though it appears to be a New Zealand based 'Spark Email' site, so could be an issue at your end rather than the forum.

Jeff.

[Timothy P]

Sorry to hear about your experience Doug, good of you to post to warn others.

Bob, I hope you don't mind I have edited your profile to remove the website, and it appears to have disappeared from your posts. 
If your interested in how to do it in future, feel free to PM me.

[Bob Culver]

Thanks Timothy

Dunno how it got there. The ultra simple old website was about  the limit of my abilities in that area.

[Phil Kingdom]

Hi Doug,
What car are you trying to fit the wheel too, I believe and somebody correct me if I am wrong,  that the old closed centre wheels are slightly smaller diameter hubs than those on later Rubys and the like, I have a set of 15 inch rims with these centres whilst they fit the rear hub nicely they need to be cleaned of all dirt and paint to fit a Ruby front hub and they need a light tap to remove them!

[peter burton]

Hi Guys,
Now that we are feeling down with wheel problems I may as well join in with my few pence worth. Yes closed type wheel centres are a slightly smaller diameter so when fitted to Semi Girling drums for instance these will have to be skimmed in a lathe to make a good fit (clearance) between drum and wheel. I can remember a tight fit on some, and wobbly wheels on others with lots of head scratching until 'sussed'.
Thanks to all who warn us of  manufacturing 'mistakes' and other pitfalls out there.
Oh the joys of sevening.
Peter.

[GK5268]

Doug

Is the spoke pattern the same as an original wheel, looking at my 19" wheels, the spokes do indeed cross the nuts but the wheel brace can still fit over this.

Does the wheel spin true?

Sounds like the biggest issue is down to the powder-coating.

I know when I had my 17" Ruby wheels re-built by a well-known specialist, the powder coating that they applied meant that the wheel was a very snug fit onto the brake drum, so much so, that when I tried to remove the front wheels, they would not come off, excessive force was required, I was not happy about that at all. Ended-up sanding back all the powder coating to bare metal and then applying grease to prevent corrosion, fit ok now, but having spent a lot of money having the wheels done properly only to find that they haven't done it quite right.

In addition, the wheels did not sit squarely on the hub due to the variable thickness of the powder coating, all had to be sanded off to bare metal.

I would not have wheels powder coated again, a waste of money, the specialist should have known this and yet they are still providing this service.

Presumably, you had to pay import charges on the wheel from India?

[Hugh Barnes]

Not wishing to hijack this thread, but this enquiry is related. Does anyone have any experience of this chap in Southampton?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TUDOR-WHEELS-L...2249901448?

I'm considering having a set of wheels done on my Riley.

Positive comments here, negative ones as a PM would seem best..

thanks in advance...