Boy, this looks strange! I have Detroit’s too.

If you emailed the photos to Steve he would likely have some sound advice. Also, I have purchased and had repainted several Detroit’s from CalChrome in Valencia, CA. Also great to work with and did fabulous paint job. Cannot tell the difference from their rework and my other wheels.

Caution…the Detroit’s came in two colors, Hyper-silver and a lavender. Be aware of this if you shop for replacements. CalChrome can of course repaint to match yours.

 

Had a similar problem on my 2002 XK8; My tire dealer here in Monroe, La. sent me to a company he recommended, and this guy - obviously had years of experience: Done in 2 hours, for $100, & you can't tell where the bend was
from the unseen pothole....absolutely no vibration from the new Pirelli P Zero tires...Sudrely you can find such a service in N.J.

Armand

 

Tmattson57
Cant get my head around what the shop did to your wheel! The photo shows 2 valve caps! And the lower RH 90 degree segment only has one bolt, the hollow valve stem bolt. I would say they are unsafe.

 

tmatteson57,

Whoever put the Face (Detroit) part on the Wheel has it in the wrong place.... the "Air Stem" HOLE should be on the "S" side of the BBS and it is not! That's why the Bolt Holes are not lining up! You need to take the Wheel off and remove the Face Plate....Then line up the Air Valve Hole with the wheel (Barrel)...Then the Holes should line-up correctly.....Then you need to replace all the Bolts with new ones...Be sure to use the proper sealant on the Bolt Threads before putting them back in.....

Do not Powder Coat your Wheels....They are made to paint.....Just spray them Silver then if you need to....You can repaint them and they will look like new...
Your Wheel is not set-up correctly, so don't drive too fast until you get it sorted out! Get the parts you need from SB Wheels in England or Coventry West in
Atlanta....I would get all new Bolts and a new Air Valve and Screw also a Tube of "Bolt Sealer"!!!! Also check out the alignment of the other Detroit Wheels and see if they have all their screws and if they are properly placed with the Air Hole.....Whoever did this didn't have all his
Ducks in a row!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco anch

 

Thanks BC...I also discovered that what appeared to be caps arereally another type of bolt they used because the beginning threads are gone and the 'replacement bolt' is longer then the normal bolt. Along with this issue the other 'missing bolts' from the other wheels are in fact broken off.

 

So the mystery unravels...it appears the previous owner mated a different barrel (he thinks it was from a Montreal) to the Detroit face because that was the only thing available to him. He claims he has been driving on it with no issues for over a year. I also checked the other wheels and all of the air valve positions are on the 'B' side of the BBS. It just keeps getting better and better.

 

Post deleted by author.

 

tmattson57 ,

Well, all I know is that I have (4) 20" "Montréal's" on my 2005 XKR and they all have the Air Stem on the S side of the BBS...Just checked to make sure....So, I really don't know where it should be on a "Detriot"! Guess I'm not much Help......Sorry! But for sure....I wouldn't drive too far or too fast until those Bolts are in place!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

Awhile back I bought a set of Sepang wheels in which one was damaged. Someone on the forum recommended Wheel Wizard in Atlanta. So I shipped it there for repair/refinishing and they did a superb job at a reasonable price. Then I ordered the trim rings from Jag Wheel Trims UK. Repairing one of these wheels isn't cheap but it can be done.

 

Got the wheel repaired and powdercoated all 4. New bolts as well. Cost 745.00 and they look fantastic!

 

tmattson57,
Thanks for highlighting this issue. It's not immediately obvious that the spoke face bolt pattern differs from each BBS wheel model meaning they are not all interchangeable. I do wonder how you solved this issue?

 

I ultimately had to replace the wheel with a refurbished one. I still have the 'old' wheel if anyone is interested

 

Yeah I also have a "spare" rear 20" Montreal wheel in my garage. A few years ago I was too close to a curb and ended up bending the chrome ring in one area. The insurance company actually covered replacement of the wheel at the time but, even then, they were as scarce as hen's teeth. I was thinking I might eventually bring this wheel into some local wheel repair shop to replace the trim ring but was never able to justify laying out a few hundred bucks to do so. Hence it sits in the garage.

 

Before

After

 

It seems these wheels have a cult following. Not being a purist or wealthy hell my XK has Arden taillights, which I don't like. I would replace the wheels with one of many more attractive after market sets, probably cheaper than one Montreal. And whats with them being bent all the time? Anyhow once you spend all that money on restoration install a set of curb feelers from the 50's, dorky but effective. Just saying. Sorry if I hurt anybodys feelings.

 

It the "after" photo reflective of removing the ring entirely or was a new ring installed?

 

Dear Mr. Terrific,

My wheels are "Montreal's" and they haven't been bent and they're 17 or 18 years old now! Hopefully, they will remain that way as I think they are absolutely Beautiful! I'm sorry about your Arden Taillights, I don't like them either! Why don't you get a set of Victory Edition Lens? I'm sure you would like them....but you never know about some people, do you? I hope Tomorrow is a better Day for you!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

Ring was repaired and center taken off and repainted

 

I was also going to reply to Mr. Terrific something to the effect "to each his own--that's what makes the world go 'round". When I was shopping for a used XK8/XKR back in 2008 I did not know all that much about the various wheels or other options available on these cars when new. Basically it was you take what you get when looking at previously owned cars. When I saw the 2005 XKR that I currently own, one of the things that really clinched the deal was the Montreal wheels on the car. I had seen a few other XKR's with the Detroits but those never really rang the bell like the Montreals. Out of all of the BBS wheel options, IMHO the Montreal wheels really look look the best on this vehicle, but I am biased. The ring problem is chronic on all of the BBS wheels and the problem is not really the ring but the sloppy driver. My damage was caused by a boneheaded move on my part when I misjudged where a curb was.

 

So in your photo there is actually a ring on the wheel but it has been powder coated along with the rest of the wheel since it clearly doesn't look chrome? Unless there is some technique I am not aware of I think my ring is too far gone to straighten/flatten so my only option would be another new ring or remove the ring. But both options would require disassembly of the wheel I suppose.