Alloy wheel repairs take the scuffs and scratches out, puts the dollars in.

For decades wheels have been repaired at big machine and remanufacturing shops. Customers who did not live near the rim remanufacturing shop, would have to ship their wheels to that location, even for minor repairs. While most wheels could be repaired within a 24-hour period, clients still had two to three days’ worth of shipping time, leaving the customer without their rims for close to a week.

The convenience of mobile alloy-wheel repair came on the scene around 2000. Convenient, yes; however, in the beginning mobile wheel repair lacked the quality of the rim remanufacturing shops. Many early mobile rim technicians were using spray-can paints and clear coats. The rim repair would look nice temporarily, but the chemistry of the product was sub-standard for the various conditions wheels face, like road salt, hot brake dust, grime and numerous chemicals from detailers.

Rimguard Inc. had been in the mobile interior reconditioning business since 1996 and entered the wheel restoration side in 2003. We quickly realized that a product change for rim repair had to be made, so after researching and testing paints and clear coats for wheels we put together our own kits.

If you’re a beginner, your expense with rim repair is not in materials, but in your training. Professional training is key in any business. Rimguard offers daily training. Other companies are available that offer training, as well. We recommend a minimum of two days for someone with automotive painting experience, and three to six days for a beginner with no auto reconditioning experience.

Wheel repair kitThis how-to is just an example of the rim repair market. A wheel with this kind of damage should take no longer than 30 minutes to repair, at a charge of $55-$65 for a used car dealer, and $85-$125 for a dealer service department. Auto dealerships represent maybe one-fourth of the wheel repair market. The rest is made up of tire shops, auto body shops, insurance agencies, rental car companies, rim retailers, detailers and individual retail customers.

The following how-to, is a basic repair on a rim with minor curb damage. This is a 17" wheel on a BMW Z4.

STEP 1: Wipe down the wheel to remove any brake dust or dirt in order to reveal the true damage.

STEP 2: Use a right-angle drill.Determine what tools will be necessary for your repair. For this wheel we used a right-angle grinder and a DA sander. For the angle grinder we used two different surface-conditioning Roloc discs: The gold is a coarse grit and the thick burgundy Roloc disc is a medium grit. When using these two discs, work them in a back-and-forth motion over the damage until the desired shape is restored. Stay off the tire with the Roloc disc.

STEP 3:  DA sanderDA Sander. This is a three-step process: 1. start sanding with 150-grit, in a back and forth motion; 2. sand the wheel with 400-grit in a back and forth motion; 3. finish sanding with the 600-grit in a back and forth motion.

Blow the wheel with air between each step.

After using the 600-grit, inspect your work: Feel the area repaired; it should be smooth like the rest of the wheel. If you feel any depressed areas or paint/primer lines you may need to work that area with 400- or 600-grit again.

STEP 4:  Rough up sanded areaWith a gray Scotch-Brite™ pad, rough up the area of the wheel just beyond where you sanded; this allows for better adhesion of your paints.

STEP 5:  Clean and tapeClean and tape: Clean the entire rim and tire. We use lacquer thinner to cut any silicone on the tires and denatured alcohol to clean the wheel. (There also are many water-based cleaners on the market, as well.) When taping, go ahead and tape the face of the tire and, if necessary, tape the lug nuts, valve stem and center cap to avoid overspray. Also, place paper towels behind the rim to cover the rotor and brake caliper.

STEP 6:  Adhesion promoterAdhesion promoter: You always want a barrier between bare metal and your paints. If necessary you may choose an etching primer, but for this wheel a standard adhesion promoter will be sprayed on the wheel first.

STEP 7:  BasecoatBasecoat: After selecting the proper color, spray a light coat, then a medium coat and finally a heavy coat, ensuring all repaired areas are completely covered. To keep our repaired area small we are using an airbrush; a regular HVLP spray gun works well for larger damage.

STEP 8:  Clear coatClear coat: Apply clear coat first with a dust coat waiting two to three minutes, and then applying a gloss coat. When applying clear to only part of the wheel, you might notice a satin look where the new clear coat meets the original factory clear. After clearing the rim, empty your clear, add a blender to your paint gun and apply one to two dust coats of blender to this area. This will melt your clear into the factory clear coat, making a solid repair.

A wheel repair kit from Rimguard, like that used for this article, starts at $800.

A word about equipment and safety

Spray-gun equipmentChoosing the right spray gun: There are many types of paint guns on the market. You have airbrushes, large and small; high-volume, low-pressure paint guns; and turbine systems. Every technician is different, and so are paint guns. We have sprayed with $50 paint guns and $400 paint guns. Some technicians prefer the cheaper ones, and others prefer the more expensive. No matter the cost, the biggest key is your comfort level with that spray gun. We recommend having three paint guns: one for adhesion promoter, one for basecoat and one for clear coat.

Safety equipmentSafety equipment: Having and using the proper safety equipment is key in alloy wheel repair. Eye protection is most important when grinding on aluminum. You should also use both work and latex gloves, a dust mask, respirator, goggles, face shield and ear protection.

Ashley Hall is the owner of Rimguard Inc., Raleigh, N.C.