No matter how much you want, not all car rides are smooth and comfortable. Some can get bumpy, not only affecting your driving experience but also damaging your vehicle. If you usually drive on relatively rough roads, you might notice this attrition percolating into your alloy wheels.
While some mechanics say repairing a defective SPEEDLINE Alloy Wheels is not possible, others disagree. In fact, we can fix most wheels, given that there are no cracks and fractures.
Things to keep in mind before starting the repair
Evaluating the amount of damage Before you get started on the repair, it is vital to check the level of damage. Correctly assessing it requires sending it for an X-ray which costs way more money than it is worth.
Instead, you can work off of a few assumptions. Most I made new wheels from an alloy of aluminum and nickel, the content percentage of each of which may vary. Relatively cheap rims contain a higher amount of aluminum, making them easier to fix.
Premium Rims
Premium rims with higher proportions of nickel are usually not suitable for repair. They tend to crack or split when you attempt to straighten them out. So if you are considering repairing the faulty wheels by yourself, figure out the aluminum to nickel ratio first. If they are nickel rich, it is best to leave the work at the hands of a professional repair shop.
Repairing the car alloy wheels yourself: I generally recommend it to go to the garage for repairs, but you can try straightening out your alloy wheels yourself. A wheel repair kit comprising sandpapers, filling material, and some paint, is all you need for the job.
Before we get into the general instructions, there is another thing to note. It is crucial to keep your safety gear ready before getting started. Wear a pair of gloves, preferably made of rubber. These will protect your skin from the chemicals used during the repair. In addition, put on a proper mask when you are working with spray paint. All that fume is not good for your lungs, so you must work in a well-ventilated space.
Here is a step-by-step rundown of the complete procedure.
- Clean out the damaged rims using some soap and water to get rid of all the dirt.
- Take some sandpaper to scrub off the ruined paint and even out the nicks.
- Make a putty mixture and apply it to the faulty areas in a uniform manner.
- When the filler is complete set and it until it looks ready to go.
- After rinsing off the affected area, coat it with some primer.
- When the primer layer is dry, you can move on to covering it with the paint. Try to get the closest colour match possible. That way, it will blend seamlessly with the rest of the wheel rim.
- You can put on an additional lacquer layer for extra shine and protection.
Getting the repair by a mechanic: The above procedure works if the damage to the car alloy wheels is minimal. But in critical cases, it is best to trust the experts. They use an instrument linked to a computer to determine the level of damage. Once they figure that out, the wheel can be clamped up and heated.
The heat helps in straightening out the bends when they use the hydraulic rams. With the help of this method, the rim is flattened both radially and sideways. While the output of this approach is very satisfactory, it is not cheap. That is why there are some other methods in place.
One of these includes rolling the wheel between two rotating pieces. These press down on the distorted sections of the rim to bring back its original form. While this technique is cost effective the repair is only done along the radial plane not laterally. That can create some imbalance, resulting in premature wear of the tyres.
If you have a set of Alloy wheels fitted on your vehicle, you should know how to repair them if they are damaged. You can do it yourself or send your car off to a repair shop. Also, you need to be careful with vehicle maintenance. We should do regularly all the services to avoid unnecessary damages.