Alloy Wheel Refurbishment in Thatcham

What is Alloy Wheel Refurbishment?

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment is a service which restores an alloy wheel to as close to its original condition as possible.

An alloy wheel refurb is the best service to get if you simply want to remove any alloy damage which has caused scraping and scratching. This is often caused by the alloy wheel scraping the curb of a pavement. Even though the damage may not be as extreme as a full crack, scrapes on your alloy wheel can lead to serious problems as corrosion can easily set in once the top layer of an alloy wheel is removed. An alloy wheel refurbishment should not take a long time to complete. However, it is entirely dependent on the extent of the damage.

Mobile Alloy Wheel Repair

We have many mobile mechanics that can perform a mobile alloy wheel repair in Thatcham to save you having to take your car to a garage. Mobile alloy wheel repair offers convenience without sacrificing on the quality of work, which is why many choose it over taking their car to a garage.

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment Cost

Prices will vary depending on how many wheels need repair and the extent of the damage. Small wheel scratch repairs will cost considerably less than a severely cracked alloy wheel. Expect to receive quotes between £85-£135.

As shown at the top of this page, costs will also differ by brand of car. However, the only way to get a personalised estimate is by getting in touch with the best alloy wheel repair specialists using WhoCanFixMyCar.

Alloy Wheel Welding

A brand new alloy wheel will cost you a lot, so you are much better off getting a quote for a repair if possible. If the damage to the alloy wheel is restricted to a hairline crack, this can be resolved with a welding service which many mobile mechanics and garages offer.

The cost and time taken to undertake an alloy wheel weld will depend entirely on the extent of the damage to the car alloy wheel. However, you will have to consult the mechanic directly.

Diamond Cut Alloy Wheel Repair

Some mechanics offer a specialised service called diamond cut alloy wheel refurbishment which is the most accurate method of refurbishment.

However, mobile mechanics cannot offer this service as the use of lathe is required which is a large machine that weighs about a ton!

The process is essentially removing a thin layer of alloy from the wheel. This is done using lathing equipment, which isn’t possible to move around with ease – hence why mobile mechanics not offering this service.

As you can imagine this process can only be carried out a handful of times, as removing too much alloy will result in the structure of the wheel itself becoming unstable. This is why a powder coating is the much more popular method used by both garages and mobile mechanics.

Alloy Wheel Powder Coating

Powder coating is a service which is used to change the colour of the alloy wheel, or refurbish a wheel using colour matching.

The alloy wheel powder coating process includes the following steps:

·        The wheel is blasted by hand or is given a chemical strip to remove the top layer of lacquer and paint.

·        The wheels are then dressed and filed in order to deal with potential damage to the edges of the wheel rim.

·        The wheel is then gently heated to remove air from the alloy before the first layer of powder coat finish is applied.

·        The wet-in-wet procedure can then be applied before further thermal treatment.

Cracked Wheel or Bent Rims

If the air is going down quicker than you think it should on your tyre, this can be a sign that you have a crack on your alloy wheel.

If your alloy wheel has a crack, you need to get the problem seen to immediately. A crack in your alloy will certainly affect the structural integrity of the whole wheel and put you and your passengers in danger.

Alloy wheels can sustain cracks with ease and are especially at risk when a car is driven over potholes and speed bumps.

As the overall rolling height (wheel + tyre) remains the same on all cars, larger alloys requiring tyres with lower-profile sidewalls are more susceptible to crack damage. This is because a tyre sidewall flexes to absorb bumps and impacts, so a tyre with less sidewall (low profile tyre) has less ability to flex and absorb impact on our roads.

The good news is that you don’t have to replace an alloy wheel if a crack does appear.

An alloy wheel crack can be repaired by initially grinding the crack from both sides before the weld takes place, so that there is no contamination.

The weld of the alloy wheel is carried out and then a refurbishment of the alloy follows to restore the cosmetic integrity and structural integrity.

However, if an alloy wheel has more than three cracks, it is likely that you will need to buy a new alloy wheel.