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I purchased my 2009 Meteor Gray C4S, with Porsche OEM Silver Sport rims/wheels, with 11,000 miles, in 2014.
I brought my car into Porsche, due to vibration above 70mph. They found one of my Porsche Sport OEM rims has a dent and there are minor dents in 2 other rims. Probably happened in NY potholes before I moved to Florida. Porsche says a new set of Sport wheels would cost approx $6,000, maybe $5,000, not sure since I may have blacked out for a few seconds. And, Porsche doesn’t fix the rims. I know very little about wheels, so I am coming to you all for help figuring out my options.
1 - Does it make sense to bring these wheels to a rim repair/truing shop and have them attempt to true these rims. I think this would cost approx $250 per wheel. If I did this, I would also have them powder coated, possibly a little darker color, giving my PCar a different look. Or am I wasting time having 11 year old rims trued on such an amazing car.
2 - Purchase used rims, hoping they are true. I have seen what looks like good prices, in the $1,500 to $2,000, some including low mileage tires, which I will be needing too soon.
3 - Purchase new rims. I like the look of some of the BBS and AG, wheels and some other brands, but I would like to avoid spending $3,000+ on wheels.
it depends on how much you pay for them, and yes take them to a qualified wheel shop and have them reconditioned, probably full cut and refinish Thats what it costs for complete recondition.
If you buy more used ones they have scratches and chips already.
Crazy, my dealer will straighten rims. Is there another dealer or an independent shop nearby. May also be able to Google and find somebody to straighten them.
A repair is the way to go. Even if you decide to sell them down the line it's better if they're true. I like the idea of powder. I've seen some good combinations with MGM on this board. I'd reserve buying new BBS or similar if the wheels are not repairable or if you want a different look or sizing.
I prefer having the OEM rims repaired and have a rear Carrera Sport wheel in need of some love. I’m going to wait until tire replacement time to have it done, so I’ll have less down time.
Perdido
Crazy, my dealer will straighten rims. Is there another dealer or an independent shop nearby. May also be able to Google and find somebody to straighten them.
A repair is the way to go. Even if you decide to sell them down the line it's better if they're true. I like the idea of powder. I've seen some good combinations with MGM on this board. I'd reserve buying new BBS or similar if the wheels are not repairable or if you want a different look or sizing.
Wow, not knowing much about wheels, I was expecting different responses. I guess truing wheels can get them darn close to 100% true. Great news! Thanks.
Now the hunt begins for a quality wheel repair shop.
Any comments on what color to Powder Coat? I like the Silver contrast against the gray, but thinking of heading in the gray direction. Also, I assume I should also have them do the lugs. Mine are a bit beat up, so may need to buy new ones.
You're wasting your time asking a dealer. They don't do this work themselves anyway. They will send the wheels to a wheel shop and mark up the price.
If you are considering getting the wheels trued, find a shop and take the wheels there yourself.
For $250 per wheel, I would expect that to include refinishing. $250 to true a single wheel is outrageous.
I just had my wheels trued, stripped, powder coated, the tires mounted and road force balanced and the center caps painted to match the new wheel color for about $300 per wheel.
You're wasting your time asking a dealer. They don't do this work themselves anyway. They will send the wheels to a wheel shop and mark up the price.
If you are considering getting the wheels trued, find a shop and take the wheels there yourself.
For $250 per wheel, I would expect that to include refinishing. $250 to true a single wheel is outrageous.
I just had my wheels trued, stripped, powder coated, the tires mounted and road force balanced and the center caps painted to match the new wheel color for about $300 per wheel.
You are correct, the $250 price included the refinishing. I got the budgetary quote from my local auto repair shop, so he was going to probably charge me additional to remove, install and balance. I figured I would go direct to a wheel shop, so didn’t get into the details with him.
Again showing my wheel ignorance, is “road force balancing”, something I should confirm before choosing a wheel shop?
Been there, done that. Here are my thoughts based on personal experience with a similar problem. You can also read about my experience in more detail in the thread below. Cliff notes version: I went ahead and bought used wheels and had them refinished. Not only do they look brand new (no curb rash, perfect finish, etc.), no more vibration.
I purchased my 2009 Meteor Gray C4S, with Porsche OEM Silver Sport rims/wheels, with 11,000 miles, in 2014.
I brought my car into Porsche, due to vibration above 70mph. They found one of my Porsche Sport OEM rims has a dent and there are minor dents in 2 other rims. Probably happened in NY potholes before I moved to Florida. Porsche says a new set of Sport wheels would cost approx $6,000, maybe $5,000, not sure since I may have blacked out for a few seconds. And, Porsche doesn’t fix the rims. I know very little about wheels, so I am coming to you all for help figuring out my options.
1 - Does it make sense to bring these wheels to a rim repair/truing shop and have them attempt to true these rims. I think this would cost approx $250 per wheel. If I did this, I would also have them powder coated, possibly a little darker color, giving my PCar a different look. Or am I wasting time having 11 year old rims trued on such an amazing car.
I tried this and would advise against it. If it were just one wheel, it's definitely the easier and more cost effective option to try first. But since you're dealing with a total of 3 wheels, I would advise against it. There are some here (myself included) that are skeptical that a wheel can ever be perfectly trued again. Especially on the front end of our cars where it is so light and any slight vibration is amplified by not having a lot of road force (weight) on the front wheels. Also, if the bend is on the outer lip, they're going to need to apply heat there which could affect the finish or require a refinish all together.
2 - Purchase used rims, hoping they are true. I have seen what looks like good prices, in the $1,500 to $2,000, some including low mileage tires, which I will be needing too soon.
For not much more money and hassle, you could buy used wheels from a place like Wheel Enhancement in CA where they guarantee the wheels to be true. You could then sell your old wheels (obviously at a steep discount) to offset the price of the new ones. Depending on the cosmetic condition of the used wheels, you could have them refinished before you put them on the car. It's basically like installing brand new OE wheels for a lot less money. I found a guy locally that refinished mine for $150 per wheel and used PPG paint in Porsche Arctic Silver (same paint code as the factory) and they came out perfect.
3 - Purchase new rims. I like the look of some of the BBS and AG, wheels and some other brands, but I would like to avoid spending $3,000+ on wheels.
I considered this, however I was also concerned about price. I do like the HRE's FF04's and think they look good on our cars, but I still prefer an OE look.
Thanks,
Jeff
Here is what the Carrera Classics I bought from Wheel Enhancement look like after I had them refinished along with a fresh set of titanium lugs. They look factory fresh and more importantly, no vibrations!
Been there, done that. Here are my thoughts based on personal experience with a similar problem. You can also read about my experience in more detail in the thread below. Cliff notes version: I went ahead and bought used wheels and had them refinished. Not only do they look brand new (no curb rash, perfect finish, etc.), no more vibration.
Here is what the Carrera Classics I bought from Wheel Enhancement look like after I had them refinished along with a fresh set of titanium lugs. They look factory fresh and more importantly, no vibrations!
Wow, I read your entire thread, talk about a pain in the ****! It sounds to me like the final 1/2 turn adjustment is what made the biggest improvement - Not the new wheels. I think I am going forward with the repair and hope for the best! I can have this done for under a grand and my rims, which I still like, should look brand new. Now for selecting the color for the wheels!
Wow, I read your entire thread, talk about a pain in the ****! It sounds to me like the final 1/2 turn adjustment is what made the biggest improvement - Not the new wheels. I think I am going forward with the repair and hope for the best! I can have this done for under a grand and my rims, which I still like, should look brand new. Now for selecting the color for the wheels!
Haha, it sure was! I honestly think it was a combination of the wheels and the steering rack. The fact that you like your wheels (I wasn't the biggest fan of the Lobster Forks, although I didn't hate them) and that you can get them repainted/refinished at the same time while saving some money makes it more attractive. I think there are more people here that have had good luck getting wheels straightened than not, so you should be good. Good luck!
07-20-2020 | 10:46 PM
997.2 4S Need new Rims
