Alloy Wheel Repair Guide

The Wheel Specialist can match your existing wheel finish with the help of our developed system. Our highly knowledgeable technicians will gladly be able to advise you on the finish that best fits your car. If you would like further information, do not hesitate to contact us or visit one of our branches.

We deliver the personalised look you desire, making your wheels unique and finished to the highest quality. Do you want your vehicle to stand out from the rest? You can match the colour of your wheels to your car. How about matt black alloys on a white Audi? Or a customised diamond cut colour contrast on a BMW? All these services are provided at The Wheel Specialist; your imagination is the only restriction. Visit your local branch for further information on all customised or bespoke finishes.

Powder coating is a process used in alloy wheel refurbishment. It is the process of coating the wheel with powder and paint in a colour of your choice.

You can bring loose wheels or book the car in.

We will remove and re-fit your tyres when you leave your vehicle with us. We'll also ensure your wheels are fully balanced.

The first step is to submerge your wheels in our specialist chemical formula, which strips them of previous coatings. Next, we shot-blast the wheel to help create a keyed surface.

At this stage, we deal with damage to the wheel rim and the face, which may involve filling, sanding or other techniques depending on what is required.

Our heating process removes air from the wheel. Then a first-stage powder coating is applied and cured for a set period.

Then a wet coat is applied if required for specialist finishes then a powder coat lacquer to enhance the finish and protect the wheel from environmental damage such as UV radiation, salt, moisture and dirt. A wide variety of colours and finishes are available on request for your alloy wheel refurbishment.

At The Wheel Specialist, we provide a 12-month guarantee on all powder-coated refurbishments (6 Month Guarantee on Diamond Cutting).

Costs depend on the size of your wheels, type of refurbishment and desired finish. Our staff members will be happy to look at your wheels and talk you through our finishes in the showroom. You can instantly obtain a quote online or visit one of our many branches nationwide.

Although powder coating is The Wheel Specialist’s most popular and most durable alloy wheel refurbishment service, diamond cut finishes are also very desirable. Corroded diamond cut wheels are very common. Applying the lacquer paint to a polished surface will not achieve a long lasting finish. Small stone chips would let water in behind the lacquer and would cause the lacquer to deteriorate and eventually become dull and cloudy looking. The diamond cutting process involves removing a thin layer of alloy from the wheel rim using specialist equipment. Diamond cut wheels have a limit on how many times that they can be refurbished as only a certain amount of alloy can be removed, so it may be worth considering a powder coat finish as a longer and more durable refurbishment. With our specialist equipment, we will be able to provide the highest quality finish possible and also with the quickest turnaround time. Diamond cutting can be applied to the full face and the lip of wheel and combined with an application of base coat paint, this will produce a fantastic finish.

At The Wheel Specialist we provide a 6 month guarantee on all diamond cut wheels. If you have any questions regarding your diamond cut wheels then don’t hesitate to contact us or come to your nearest branch and one of our highly knowledgeable technicians will be more than happy advise you. The overall cost of this procedure depends on the size of your wheels and which finish your wheels have. You can get a quote online instantly or just visit one of our branches. Our members of staff will be happy to look at your wheels and you can see our finishes in the showroom.

The process of Diamond Cutting is very similar to the powder coating process, with the addition of a machine cut finish to the front face of the wheel. As with our powder coating process, we fully refurbish the alloy wheel, with the tyre off. You can bring your wheels to us without the tyres or we can strip and re-fit the tyres and re-balance the wheels as in the powder coated finishes, then the weights will be fitted to the inside of the rim in order to not spoil the appearance. The benefits of rebalancing the wheels are the same as described in powder coated finishes and will ultimately save you money. The initial procedure involves preparing the wheels by blasting to remove the lacquer and paint, chemical stripping to prepare a smooth surface. This means they are able to deal with damage to the rim and face of the wheel. They then undergo heat treatment to remove air from the wheels. Then a first stage powder coating is applied and cured for a set period of time. Once cured, the wheels will be allowed to cool before being introduced to our state of the art computerised numerical control lathes, ready to be diamond cut. There are many points to consider before having your diamond cut wheels refurbished such as:

• Have your alloy wheels been cut before? Remember there is a limit on how many times your diamond cut wheels can be re-cut.

• What is the current level of damage or corrosion?

• Does the wheel have imprinted wording? As this can be lost when the metal is re-cut.

Lastly a clear lacquer coat is applied and the wheel is returned to the oven for further curing. The lacquer paint is applied to enhance the finish but to also protect the wheel from environmental damage.

Cosmetic or Smart repairs, are repairs to a small to medium section of the wheel. The damage would have to be minor and the repair would blend into the undamaged area of the wheel, leaving your wheel as original as possible. However, the original finish is not removed unlike the powder coated finish. Cosmetic repairs do last but are not as long term as total alloy wheel refurbishment and here is the reason for this. When a wheel is fully refurbished then the whole wheel is sealed, totally painted and then totally lacquered. With a cosmetic repair however, the seal has been broken from the damage to the wheel and however well the repair is performed there has still been a break on the original wheel finish. However here at The Wheel Specialist, we have developed a system that will give you the highest quality cosmetic repairs possible. We do all types of alloy wheel refurbishment so we will always be able to advise you on the most suitable finish for your car. If you have any questions regarding your alloy wheels then don’t hesitate to contact us online or come to your nearest branch and discuss things with one of our knowledgeable technicians.

The first step is to assess the damage of the wheel and the appropriateness of a cosmetic repair, otherwise known as a smart repair and then our highly knowledgeable technicians will be happy to advise you on the best solution. Once it is decided that a repair of this type is appropriate we will remove the tyre from the alloy wheel to discover the full extent of the damage. The wheel is then carefully cleaned to remove any traces of wax or silicon from the affected area and this will ensure a superior quality adhesion when the final paint is applied. The next stage is the careful removal of the damage using a range of sanding media. This is where a piece has been knocked out of the wheel and metal fillers will be used to repair the profile before being sanded back to match the colour of the alloy wheel. Following this, a fully colour matched wet paint is applied and blended into to the rest of the wheel to show no visible edge. Lastly this is then sealed using a lacquer which is applied to enhance the finish but to also protect the wheel from environmental damage such as UV radiation, salt, moisture and dirt.

Finally the tyre is refitted, the wheel balanced and then fitted back on to your vehicle. Re-balancing your wheels will benefit you because your vehicle will have reduced vibration, less chance of premature tyre wear and this in turn, will save you money on buying new tyres. To find out if your wheel is suitable for a cosmetic repair then please contact one of our highly trained technicians.

The Wheel Specialist also offers other more specific services. More recently, we have noticed a large increase in the number of people who have damaged wheels. This could be due to the amount of pot holes in our roads. If a wheel hits a pot hole or a kerb, then it can cause the wheel to bend or buckle. We are able to straighten your wheels to stop ‘wheel wobble’ when you drive above or below a certain speed and this will make your car more comfortable. Visit one of our branches to see if your wheels are suitable for straightening.

It is very easy to scuff and chip your wheel rims if you kerb your car when parking and this can ruin the appearance for your wheel and your car. Fortunately for you we repair scuffs and chips for a reasonable price. Just ask one of our staff members for more details.

When the inner surface of your alloy wheel is corroded from road salt and wintery weather, it can cause air loss in your tyres. We can cure this problem by refurbishing your alloy wheels and this will consequentially leave you with great looking wheels as a result. Don’t hesitate to ask for more details.