It’s very frustrating to have brand new wheels on your car only to hit a curb and cause damage. It not only makes you annoyed, but it means spending a possible whole Saturday fixing them and making them good again. It is not an easy job and can prove expensive, so the best thing is always to try and not damage them. However, if you already find yourself in that sad boat and need to spend time fixing up your rims you will need to learn a little about alloy wheel repair.
Ways to Damage your Rims
As we already mentioned in a previous post, one of the most common ways to damage your alloy wheels is to scrape the curb. This is often done in a moment of carelessness or lack of concentration, but it can be really costly to put right.
Other ways to damage your wheels would be in accidents or collisions with other vehicles. However, the curb side thump is always going to remain the favourite—or rather the least favourite, yet most common—way to ruin your rims.
How fix them
Well, let’s see. Alloy wheel repair is not always possible, depending on the level of damage and the cause. However, cosmetic damage can be fixed by taking some fine sandpaper, such as 150 grit and very carefully sanding down the edge where the rim has been damaged. It will be rough and coarse so mind your fingers. You should also mask off the undamaged areas before you start so that you don’t make the damaged area any bigger with the sanding motion.
If you have dents and the wheel is no longer flush to the rim, you will probably have to use the right kind of alloy filler to make it flush to the surface again. Any kind of polyester type filler should suffice, and you should use the right level of hardener. You might find that polyester filler will set perfectly well and shrink far less than other types, but you might also find it will be harder to sand back down. You can also use glazing putty but watch the amount of shrinkage when it dries. You will also need multiple applications that need at least 24 hours between coats. This makes it more time-consuming and you have to do the project over a few days.
When you are done with the coats you can use a really fine sandpaper like a 400 grit, or wet and dry to get it down a very smooth finish. The better you sand, the better it will paint up when you reapply the paint match.
Don’t forget to prime it before you apply the paint match. What paint you use will be dependent upon the actual finish on the current rims. You might have a chrome finish, or a matte finish, so use the same kind of paint to match it as close as possible.
Taking Precautions
You might think it’s an easy job, but take all the right precautions and don’t forget protective wear and masks so that you don’t inhale the paint spray back when you refinish the wheels. The project is a long one but is very satisfying when done correctly. Good luck.
http://www.platinumwheelrefurb.com/
Ways to Damage your Rims
As we already mentioned in a previous post, one of the most common ways to damage your alloy wheels is to scrape the curb. This is often done in a moment of carelessness or lack of concentration, but it can be really costly to put right.
Other ways to damage your wheels would be in accidents or collisions with other vehicles. However, the curb side thump is always going to remain the favourite—or rather the least favourite, yet most common—way to ruin your rims.
How fix them
Well, let’s see. Alloy wheel repair is not always possible, depending on the level of damage and the cause. However, cosmetic damage can be fixed by taking some fine sandpaper, such as 150 grit and very carefully sanding down the edge where the rim has been damaged. It will be rough and coarse so mind your fingers. You should also mask off the undamaged areas before you start so that you don’t make the damaged area any bigger with the sanding motion.
If you have dents and the wheel is no longer flush to the rim, you will probably have to use the right kind of alloy filler to make it flush to the surface again. Any kind of polyester type filler should suffice, and you should use the right level of hardener. You might find that polyester filler will set perfectly well and shrink far less than other types, but you might also find it will be harder to sand back down. You can also use glazing putty but watch the amount of shrinkage when it dries. You will also need multiple applications that need at least 24 hours between coats. This makes it more time-consuming and you have to do the project over a few days.
When you are done with the coats you can use a really fine sandpaper like a 400 grit, or wet and dry to get it down a very smooth finish. The better you sand, the better it will paint up when you reapply the paint match.
Don’t forget to prime it before you apply the paint match. What paint you use will be dependent upon the actual finish on the current rims. You might have a chrome finish, or a matte finish, so use the same kind of paint to match it as close as possible.
Taking Precautions
You might think it’s an easy job, but take all the right precautions and don’t forget protective wear and masks so that you don’t inhale the paint spray back when you refinish the wheels. The project is a long one but is very satisfying when done correctly. Good luck.
http://www.platinumwheelrefurb.com/