Author Topic: ACS Z-Rims Project (Read 15761 times)

Kaner · « **on:** January 17, 2010, 05:16 PM »

God this project has tried my patience, but I'm getting there now though!

I started with these faded NOS Blue Rims

Cleaned them, rubbed them down lightly with wet and dry and tried to dye them black with Dylon. This was the result:

Gutted.

So bleached them for 3 days and they came back out the original colour, still gutted.

Tried RIT dye 'Pale Blue' they came out Cadburys Purple but in this photo they look just as I wanted them, but when seen in real life they were completely different colour, if they were actually this colour I would have been SO happy, alas no! (I have no idea why they came out different colour in the photo?)

So time to start start again . . . after another 8 hours of rubbing down and removing the new Cadburys purple with 600 grit wet and dry (being very careful around the raised lettering) I dyed them again with RIT Black dye and here they are:

Finally they came out the way I hoped and I'm dead pleased with the result.

I have got some large FLANGE ACS Hubs and 184mm Asahi Spokes and just need to have them built up and decals applied.

I thought this saga was worth sharing as a lot of Z-Rims posts have been made but didnt show a full story of the process, this might just fill that gap.

pickle · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2010, 05:18 PM »

nice finish on those mate....top work

monkian · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2010, 05:39 PM »

Proper job

meticulous · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2010, 07:10 PM »

well done for giving something a new lease of life, instead of just buying new....

trasher · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2010, 07:23 PM »

nice results ben ,,,i had the same colour zeds tried the blue ,but then decided on the black rit dye ,,,blinding results

Redline · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2010, 07:32 PM »

If they are USA made PAT PENDING RIMS and they don't say MADE IN ENGLAND on them, then ya shouldn't put the decals on the rims... Only the MADE IN ENGLAND rims had the printed rims

The USA made ones had the reflective red/blue/chrome decal on the rims topside

Peter J · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2010, 08:30 PM »

Do you have a picture of how the USA ones should look

Redline · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2010, 09:46 PM »

Quote from: Peter J on January 17, 2010, 08:30 PM

Do you have a picture of how the USA ones should look

Here ya go fella

Kaner · « **Reply #8 on:** January 18, 2010, 06:56 PM »

Thanks for the positive comments guys

Quote from: the gay pensioner on January 17, 2010, 07:23 PM

nice results ben ,,,i had the same colour zeds tried the blue ,but then decided on the black rit dye ,,,blinding results

RIT Dye is definately the one to go for, the Dylon didn't work for me. . . so to speak . . . gave me brown rims!

Regarding the decals though, I really wanted the Rim positioned ones I think they look really great and identify them as ACS rims properly. Hmmmmm

DIRTBIKER250F · « **Reply #9 on:** January 18, 2010, 07:13 PM »

Nice one Ben, looking good

trasher · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2010, 07:19 PM »

are they pat pend made in america or made in england ,,,mine are the made in england ones ,,,,

put the decals on mate its ur choice ,,,they'l come off easily enough if you decide against them

bobafett · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2010, 10:37 PM »

Persistence paid off there Ben - well in, they look nice mate

Kaner · « **Reply #12 on:** January 18, 2010, 10:43 PM »

Quote from: the gay pensioner on January 18, 2010, 07:19 PM

are they pat pend made in america or made in england ,,,mine are the made in england ones ,,,,

put the decals on mate its ur choice ,,,they'l come off easily enough if you decide against them

They are American made. Rim decals will only rub off I suppose?

pickle · « **Reply #13 on:** January 19, 2010, 11:27 AM »

i did warn you what would happen once you'd bought my old street beat...............1 bike is NEVER enough!

MartyC · « **Reply #14 on:** January 19, 2010, 11:38 AM »

Quote from: cheekythirtysix on January 17, 2010, 07:32 PM

If they are USA made PAT PENDING RIMS and they don't say MADE IN ENGLAND on them, then ya shouldn't put the decals on the rims... Only the MADE IN ENGLAND rims had the printed rims

The USA made ones had the reflective red/blue/chrome decal on the rims topside

I think they may have had a single decal in the early days John but by 82/83 ACS had Z-Rims in the US with the sidewall logo's, I have a Jan '83 BMX Action with an ACS advert that has the logo's sidewall shown.

Redline · « **Reply #15 on:** January 19, 2010, 12:14 PM »

Quote from: MartyC on January 19, 2010, 11:38 AM

Quote from: cheekythirtysix on January 17, 2010, 07:32 PM
If they are USA made PAT PENDING RIMS and they don't say MADE IN ENGLAND on them, then ya shouldn't put the decals on the rims... Only the MADE IN ENGLAND rims had the printed rims

The USA made ones had the reflective red/blue/chrome decal on the rims topside

I think they may have had a single decal in the early days John but by 82/83 ACS had Z-Rims in the US with the sidewall logo's, I have a Jan '83 BMX Action with an ACS advert that has the logo's sidewall shown.

Ya could be right Marty... I just remember when I got my USA ones BITD they just had the decal on the top.... maybe once they started production in the UK and the "PAT PENDING" had been sorted then they all had the sidewall logos worldwide... just a guess that though buddy!

Also I do seem to remember reading an article BITD that suggested that the non "PAT PENDING" rims were a lot more flexy than the early ones.... something to do with the strain of nylon zytel or somethin?
I remember a friend of mine had some black non PAT PENDING rims on his gen 1 Haro and to be honest they did seem a lot more flexy than my early rims.... had some fun bending them all over the place

NORTY40 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 19, 2010, 12:17 PM »

They came out great in the end Ben

Top job !

COZZFATHER · « **Reply #17 on:** January 21, 2010, 04:34 PM »

DO THE Z RIMS THAT have decals on the rims where the brakes rub still say z rim moulded in on the rim right by the spokes or do they have no other moulded in markings and only decals that rub off eventually

Ta.

Kaner · « **Reply #18 on:** January 21, 2010, 05:50 PM »

All this info is great.

So these ones are def 'PAT PEND' USA Made.

The actual raised lettering below the valve opening reads:

"ACS - Z RIM - PAD PEND."

there is no other raised or indented markings at all, one of them is ink stamped on the inside of the rim with:

"Sep 7 1982 C"

and I would say, as rims go they are quite stiff.