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What's the story with diamond-cut alloys?

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  • 17-01-2017 1:40pm
    #1
    Comhrá
    Registered Users Posts: 4,767 ✭✭✭


    I was in an Audi showroom this morning and was admiring a new A6 with 20" diamond-cut alloys which looked magnificent.

    I've heard stories about those diamond-cut wheels being problematic and very hard to keep in as-new condition.

    What's the issue with them? Is it the finish or are they more fragile than regular alloys?


Comments

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    #2
    Four Phucs Ache
    Registered Users Posts: 1,017 ✭✭✭Four Phucs Ache


    Kerbs.


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    #3
    EndaHonesty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,544 ✭✭✭EndaHonesty


    Even without kerbs water ingress causes corrosion.

    Not suitable for wet climates IMO.


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    #4
    grogi
    Registered Users Posts: 8,615 ✭✭✭grogi


    tippman1 wrote: »
    I was in an Audi showroom this morning and was admiring a new A6 with 20" diamond-cut alloys which looked magnificent.

    I've heard stories about those diamond-cut wheels being problematic and very hard to keep in as-new condition.

    What's the issue with them? Is it the finish or are they more fragile than regular alloys?

    White worm.


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    #5
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,248 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Four Phucs Ache wrote: »
    Kerbs.

    Drivers


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    #6
    Four Phucs Ache
    Registered Users Posts: 1,017 ✭✭✭Four Phucs Ache


    From what I understand they are cut finer so under a microscope the grain is not as porous or jagged leaving less surface for a good adhesion to a coating which is not as tough as non diamond cut surface from a standard milling bit.


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    #7
    Special Circumstances
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,569 ✭✭✭Special Circumstances


    Cracks me up that they are on every heap of sh1t going now. And fugly designs too.

    Expensive first day, likely to need expensive specialist repairs, and FUGLY. Why?
    pn_9794.jpg
    kadjaaaaaar



    Audi do have nice wheel options but the good has been taken out of the "diamond cut" look with some of the awful awful options from other manufacturers IMHO.


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    #8
    jca
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,585 ✭✭✭jca


    Four Phucs Ache wrote: »
    From what I understand they are cut finer so under a microscope the grain is not as porous or jagged leaving less surface for a good adhesion to a coating which is not as tough as non diamond cut surface from a standard milling bit.
    Wha??? Obviously written by someone who wouldn't know a milling bit if it dropped on his head...


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    #9
    hi5
    Registered Users Posts: 3,105 ✭✭✭hi5


    The problem is they are clear coated over straight metal, once the clear coat is broken there is no primer or zinc to stop corrosion like you would have on normal painted metal, the metal then oxidizes and creeps under the clear coat, given whats known as white worm


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    #10
    Odyssey 2005
    Registered Users Posts: 21,065 ✭✭✭✭Odyssey 2005


    Look great in the showroom. Too much grief in everyday use though.


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    #11
    JoeA3
    Registered Users Posts: 7,421 ✭✭✭JoeA3


    As per above. Looks great (not all the time - there's some horrible designs out there) for the first few weeks/months after the car leaves the showroom. Then it's only a matter of time before whiteworm corrosion sets in and it looks absolutely cat. Even with the most careful ownership, it's almost inevitable. All it takes is a stone chip or two or a careless tyre fitter. Hitting a kerb will obviously speed up the process...

    Getting them repaired is a very specialist job. Only 1-2 places in the entire country that I've heard anything good about and even then the quality of the repairs varies, not to mention how long it takes before they look sh1t again.

    They're just not a practical wheel finish in most cases imo.


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