Curb damage often occurs in a subtle manner and consequently, goes unnoticed. Next I needed to gouge out the crack on both sides so I could fill the crack and not just lay weld on top. Repairing a curb rash or other damage to your car on your own might mean that you could save couple of hundreds of dollars. Aluminum alloy: Frequently found on newer models of cars, aluminum alloy rims, as the name indicates, are made from the alloy of aluminum and are typically painted with a clear coat. I have some pretty deep curb rash on two of them and they’ve created quite a few big low spots on the lips. Fast forward and now I’m ready to repair this wheel and share the basic process with you. This meant I had to add some weld as to those low spots. This is a bit scary at first, wailing on your wheel with a hammer, but it’s necessary. We wouldn’t suggest using a stick welder for this application. I have saved a few wheels this way over the years and I’ve repaired countless curb rash damage before mirror polishing the lips of a wheel and it really makes the difference, because wheels can make or break a ride! Whether your wheels have curb damage, front or backside bends* from potholes, corrosion from road salts, small cracks or missing metal, we can help with our wheel refinishing and aluminum wheel repair! if you want to do that yourself ,click on the image to discover today. The idea is to get the as small and controllable of a weld puddle as possible with the puddle staying clean. Shouldn’t the entire wheel be heated to insure no stress build up around the weld area? Damage can happen to wheels in a variety of ways: hitting potholes, scuffing curbs while parallel parking; even having your tire replaced professionally can come with unexpected consequences. What are the Advantages of Having Aluminum Wheels? if you think you might want to do the same ,click on the image to learn more now. Depending on how extensive your damage is and how long you’re hammering, you may need to reheat the area periodically. Curb Rash Repair. Allow the wheel to dry completely before... Soak an old towel in paint thinner and rub it onto the damaged area of the wheel. How to repair a damaged Aluminum Alloy Wheel. Thanks. You did not mention the filler wire used…. If the tire is severely damaged, don’t try to drive on it. This cleaning method is very effective and reliable. The process to repair a curbed wheel also can vary but typically involves removing all dirt, paint and protective finishes. Why do rims crack? A steel rim bent at the outer edge---usually after hitting a pothole or curb---can be repaired fairly easily. This article will talk about the pros and cons of the latter two. Such curb rashes are quite unsightly but you can get rid of them by learning how to fix curb rash. Grinding and polishing away curb damage on aluminum rims: fixing scratched rim, wheel repair refinish sanding. Aluminum alloys used for wheels usually contain 97% aluminum. I then came back with a 36 grit disc on the 1/4″ angle grinder and finessed and blended the weld seams into the wheel. Car wheels get the most abuse from the road than almost any other part of the car. After the paint has dried, use 1200 grit sandpaper to smooth the surface of the area repaired. Can i use my ac stick welder to repair my polished aluminum wheels? Contact a Rimguard technician today and we will walk you through every step of the repair process. The contents of this webpage are Copyright © 2021 Superior Industries International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We can revive the affected areas of curb damage, chips, gouges and corrosion with artistic precision. This process is the same to repair curb rash, dings, or other damage to a wheel and can even be used on a steel wheel you want to save. Aluminum or alloy wheels that are made with mostly aluminum can definitely be higher in price than other options, but you're getting something that's both stronger and lighter weight. The... We've added great new features and updated our content to bring you the most up to date information about our company. Switch to 2500-grit sandpaper for about a minute while it’s dry. Aluminum is a silvery-white ductile metallic element. In this part of the country (Mid-Atlantic), cars and wheels especially take a beating during the winter. First remove the paint with a Surface conditioning flap disc. Most painted wheels take 30mins - 1 hour to complete. Spray the clear lacquer on the painted area of the wheel and allow the lacquer to dry overnight. The cost to replace a damaged aluminum or alloy wheel on a new car can be VERY costly. It can also be used to completely refinish any wheel. Whoops, I did miss that sorry! Every wheel and damage situation is going to be different and may require you to adjust the clearance effect. Finally, make sure you wipe down any dust … I like to grind the area out a little bit and push larger than needed dips of filler rod into that area. The following technique, explained in nice detail by "NASAraser of AudiWorld.com", is a good way to do a small area repair if you curb your wheel or otherwise damage a … 3 Easy Curb Rash Fixes For Black Alloy Rims. Pre-heating also relieves some of the stresses in the wheel and most importantly helps the welding machine not work as hard to heat the area to be welded. Swiss Reparaturzentrum 24 in Birmensdorf specializes in the repair of high-quality aluminum wheel rims. The idea is to “overfill” the low spots so you have plenty of material to sand back and level out. These particular low spots only took one pass of filling and sanding, but yours may take more. Hitting potholes, curbs and other objects can cause “curb damage” to the sides of your aluminum alloy rims. It only takes a bit of snow, a dark night and a tight turn, or someone else driving your car and the damage is done. Not all curb damage is the same. I then lit the Oxy-Acetylene torch up and began heating the entire area that was damaged. You chose them yourself for the look of your car. PLEASE NOTE: Although this is a Porsche wheel, the Wurth Alloy Silver Wheel Paint is a perfect match for Porsche, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and some VW wheels. Get a professional opinion about the degree of damage if you're unsure. I started on the backside of the wheel next to where I’d be welding and dialed the clearance effect in. What I received was a wheel that more resembled a stop sign than a mag wheel for a car AND it had a TEAR in the rim! 2. Since aluminum is one of the softer metals, it responds quite well to polishing. 3 Tips For Cleaning Your Aluminum Wheel Rims, How To Keep Your Aluminum Wheels Looking New. Because aluminum is a relatively soft metal, aluminum rims are susceptible to severe mechanical impacts, such as accidental curb contact. Use a soft, dry cloth to apply aluminum polish to the entire wheel to blend the shine. 04-05-2020 - [SHOCKING] = my students learnt about how to remove scratches from alloy wheels pretty easy by spending few hours on this hack plus some money. But yours may take more and cracks are fairly common types of wheel the! Be put on aluminum rims: fixing scratched rim, we wouldn ’ t comfortable with your welding abilities work... Is best for this exercise this damaged area is filled and blended to point! My wheel only took a few whacks to get it back home and prep it and take back. No stress build up around the world following iron and rub it onto damaged. 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