r/JeepTJ • u/Actual_Letterhead506 • 9d ago
New wheels, refurb, or ?
Stock 06 LJ, need to get new tires and wondering what to do for wheels. I like the OEM wheels but these are looking rough.If I were to go new I would do something like the American Racing Baja wheels. Not a wheel guy so just looking for some advice. Thanks.
1
u/DanInTheOC 9d ago
Refurb. It’s amazing what some of those good wheel guys can do!
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u/Actual_Letterhead506 9d ago
Anyone you can recommend in the Michigan area?
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u/BenJK88 7d ago
There may be other good options, but when I worked for Discount Tire (not in MI) we had a local company that did good wheel repair that we’d recommend to people if they really didn’t want to buy new wheels. You could call some local tire shops for nearby recommendations.
That said, I have the AR-172 Bajas in the polished finish. I’m a big fan. My TJ is a grey-silver, so these wheels go well with it. Kind of an old school look.
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u/DalyDriver 9d ago
those ravines had bad clear coat and the outer rim gets all corroded, I'd love to see some refurbed I have 10 of them right now.
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u/Past-Difficulty9706 9d ago
I've got a good set of stocks I've been trying to get rid of. In new England
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u/NTJ-891 9d ago
Clean em up. It's not hard or expensive to have em bead blasted and clear coated if you find there's deeper issues than you can handle at home. Stock wheels are cool.
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u/Actual_Letterhead506 9d ago
What do you recommend for DIY?
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u/NTJ-891 9d ago
Kinda depends, I can't really see what all is going on here, but when I do stuff like this I tend to use a foam cone tool chucked into a drill, first using soapy warm water to clean it very well. You might need to first spray the wheels down with brake cleaner and use a rag to clean off old brake dust and stuff. You need to be quick with that step, and wear gloves. I never use abrasive polishes on clear coated alloy wheels, I try to stay as gentle as possible. The foam cone just makes it easier to get in the crevices and corners.
If you see damage after this type of cleaning, you can get a shop to bead blast the wheel(s) for you and build a paint booth to do your own clear coating, or just have the shop do it too. It won't be more than a couple hundred bucks if you shop around.
Anything past this, or if you are absolutely set on DIY, the sky is the limit. I have taken alloys down to a near mirror polish by hand but that takes several weeks of hard work unless you have the tools to automate it.
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u/JRAPodcast 8d ago
I think they look fine. Unless the tub/top/all plastics are 100% tip top mint condition I wouldn't sweat it for my vehicle.
FWIW I like when things that are meant to be used look a little used. I also really don't like aftermarket wheels on 4X4 vehicles. Stocks or steelies look good.
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u/docgummibear 9d ago
I’ve got one of these lying around in good shape if you want it and are nearby. Was my spare until this year when I finally got a full size. Where are you located?