ALLOY WHEEL REPAIR INSTEAD OF RENEWAL

Alloy wheel repair is a far better option than replacement. It is always less costly to repair what you already have over buying a totally new wheel. Alloy wheel repair specialists can restore car rims with quick service and turnaround time, and be much more affordable than a whole brand new wheel. Even your more complex custom rims can be repaired and refinished, not just the stock ones that included your car.

A good specialist will be able to take your scratched, chipped or gouged rims and make them look as good as new, without the cost of getting new ones. It will be just a fraction of the cost of all new wheels, in fact. You’ll likely never find anyone who are able to tell the difference, you could call it a secret between you, your wheels, and your repair technician. They will do this particular by inspecting, cleaning, and recoating your wheel to obtain it back to which showroom condition.

If you want that fresh from the factory look constantly, but your rims are peeling or flaking, you know that your vehicle does not meet your factory fresh standard. If you’re tired of how it looks, or just worried that it may be damaging the metal of the rims, than you really need to get them repaired. For your own peace of mind, and for the long term value and usefulness of your car, you should have your own wheels repaired. This is because when it comes to cars what may seem like a purely cosmetic repair is actually a repair to a vital part of your cars protection. Your wheels looking chipped and scratched not just looks bad, it lets the environment attack the metal of the wheels which leads in order to rust, corrosion, and faults in your own wheels. A faulty wheel, let me tell a person, is something that no one wants. Do not just think of this type of repair as pure vanity, it is also an essential aspect of caring for the safety of your vehicle. So having them restored for their original factory look is not only visually appealing, it is the sensible and safe move to make.

This doesn’t just affect personal vehicles either; fleet managers have to look out for this as well. It reflects poorly on the quality of the vehicles you rent to customers if the wheels are in bad condition. That age old image from the car renter ‘kicking the tires’ isn’t to date off. I’ve kicked a fatigue or two before leasing and given the tires a look. If they look poor I’m not renting it. Same goes for companies with company vehicles, every aspect of your company will be scrutinized. From the paint and decals on your vehicle, to the rims and wheels you’re showing off, your vehicle is your own public statement of what you’re about. Don’t be the one who shows a poor front for your customers; get an alloy wheel repair done to your company car before it reflects poorly you.

BUYING USED RIMS – BUYER BEWARE!

We have had customers who bought used rims on Kijiji, Ebay, or Facebook. They either put them on their car and felt a vibration, or the tire installer noticed that a wheel was bent when balancing the newly mounted tire.

When we check out the wheels, at least one of them has a lateral bend, thus it’s not repairable.  Sometimes the buyer has recourse but most of the time the excitement of getting a great deal turns to the disappointment of getting screwed.

The moral to the story is BUYER BEWARE!  Never purchase used rims without first seeing them spin on a wheel balancer.  There are two types of bends:  The first is a radial bend whereby the wheel is bent around the radius, thus the tire “hops” when spun.  This type of bend is almost always repairable.  The second type of bend is lateral whereby the impact was hard enough to bend the spokes, thus the wheel “wobbles from side to side” when spun.  Lateral bends are not repairable.  Sometimes radial bends can make the wheel look like it is also laterally bent, when in fact removing the radial bend renders the wheel 100% useable.

The Shop Alloy Wheel Repair will check out your wheels for you.  Just call to schedule an appointment.  You’ll be glad you did.

WHY ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS CRACK

Impacts from pot holes, road debris, and other road hazards are the main reason why alloy wheels crack and bend. Aluminum is a brittle metal, which is why they crack. About 80% of the cracked wheels we see are also bent. The impact that caused the crack also caused the bend. We also see many cracks that were a result of someone trying to straighten a bent wheel using a sledge hammer!

The most common crack is on the inside lip extending from the edge of the lip into the barrel 1 to 1 ½ inches. Most of the time, this type of crack can be repaired by welding. Cracks in the barrel are usually also repairable. Cracked spokes or cracks where the spoke meets the barrel is on a structural part of the wheel, thus we don’t feel that it’s safe to weld in these areas.

Proper prep, welding, and finishing will usually restore full functionality to the rim without sacrificing safety. We have successfully welded 1000′s of rims,  so we know it’s a viable repair option.  The key is knowing how to properly accomplish the repair.

Weekly, we see wheels welded by others that re-crack. This is due to improper prep and poor welding techniques. We’ve even seen an aluminum wheel that was welded using steel because the person doing the welding didn’t know what they were doing!

The Shop Alloy Wheel Repair Technicians have been thoroughly trained on proper wheel repair techniques. We can complete the repair and get it right the first time!

How do you know your rim is bent?

Indicators of a bent rim vary based on the severity of the bend. Wheels that are bent badly won’t even hold air and they are considered non functional – thankfully we can fix these!

​Wheels with moderate bends will leak air, causing the customer to need to fill the tire with air daily, every other day, weekly, etc. The bend will also cause steering wheel vibration while driving. Minor bends won’t necessarily cause the tire to leak air, however, the tire can develop irregular wear due to the bend, decreasing the lifespan of the tire. Also, vibrations in the steering wheel can occur, especially at highway speeds.

Not all bends are visible to the naked eye. More times than not, the wheel must be spun on a balancer to see how “true” it is, or it can be measured on our machine and we can use dial indicators to read the run-out and determine if the wheel is bent or not.

Straightening your wheels is the right thing to do no matter how severely bent they are. By having your wheels repaired, you can prevent spending money on associated future expenses and an inevitable replacement wheel. You will also save valuable resources, making our planet a greener place!

What is a Top Lip Bend?

Rim Repair Direct has the ability and equipment to straighten top lip bends that are flared up, but when top lips are compressed inwards (bent in towards the center cap), it is difficult to completely remove this “flat spot”. Usually this does not affect the ride but it can be visibly noticeable and unless we manage the expectations of the customer, sometimes there can be a lack of customer satisfaction.

Every wheel is designed differently and comprised of various alloys, which leads to certain rims being more or less malleable than others and often determines the ability for Rim Repair Direct to straight top lip bends. In most cases with moderate to severe top lip bends, there’s a likelihood that there will be damage to the finish which may include chipping, peeling, or flaking during the rim straightening process.

What is a Centre Bend?

The difference in location and severity of your bend is key to learning if your bent rim will be able to be straightened back to factory specification. Let’s first establish what exactly a center bend is. And maybe more importantly, how to diagnose it!

A center bend is when the wheel is actually bent at the hub of the wheel. These types of bends typically occur when a wheel runs into an object laterally, like a street curb, as opposed to vertically running over something like a pothole. Although you don’t necessarily see a bend in the wheel, a good visual indicator of a center bend in curb rash along the edge of the face of the wheel – most likely caused by brushing up against a curb while driving.

The most effective way to know if a center bend has occurred is putting the rim on a balancer to see if there’s any imperfections, or bends, in the wheel’s shape.

Avoid Mobile Rim Repair

“Mobile Units” don’t have the space inside their trailers to properly straighten wheels – there’s not enough room for the necessary equipment. They attempt to straighten wheels with the tires still on the rim! Which is definitely not the best practice to achieve results.

When a wheel is bent, more often than not, a low spot/dent/inward bend is created and on both sides of this “low” spot, two high spots are created. When someone tries to straighten a wheel with the tire still on (mobile units), they push out the low spot and in turn make the high spots higher. In short, you can’t properly straighten a wheel when the tire stays on because there is nothing you can do about the high spots since the tire impedes pushing them back inward.

Mobile units generally do great cosmetic work but should be avoided if you’re looking for high quality wheel straightening.

Damaged rims? When to repair

Keeping your wheels in good condition is important for the overall health of your car. Damaged rims can lead to more costly repairs down the line and can even pose a safety risk, so keep these five tips in mind when giving your wheels their regular checkup.

Warning signs

Rim issues can often be easy to notice. Depending on the damage, you may hear a thumping sound when you drive or feel a constant vibration through your steering wheel. If you miss these cues but notice problems with your car’s handling or changes in your gas mileage, take a look at your wheels. Look for unusual wear on your tires and check each wheel for a cracked, broken, dented or bent rim.

Repercussions

On top of causing uneven wear on your tires, damaged wheels can make your car harder to handle and may reduce your gas mileage. In a best-case scenario, this means that you will need to replace your tires sooner; in a worst-case scenario, you risk a potentially deadly tire blowout. Avoid these risks altogether by being proactive about rim maintenance. If you find that your wheels are damaged, they will have to be either repaired or replaced.

When to repair

Your mechanic can generally repair a bent or broken rim most of the time. If your rim is bent, getting it straightened shouldn’t be an issue. But if it is cracked or the lug holes are damaged, you may not be able to repair it. Check with your mechanic anyway before you rush out to buy replacements: he’ll be able to give you a definitive answer about whether your rim is fixable.

When to replace

Once you have repair quotes from reliable mechanics, you should compare that cost to the price of new rims for your car. In general, if it costs more to repair a wheel than to replace it, go ahead and buy a new one. If the cost of repair is less than the cost of a new wheel, have it fixed. Repaired rims are generally just as strong and reliable as new ones.

The price tag

Straightening a bent rim is a fairly simple process, and it should cost $75 or less. If your rims need welding to repair a break, or if they will need repainting or refinishing after the repair, your repair bill may be considerably higher, from $200 to $480 per wheel. Some repair jobs may require the removal of your tire, which can mean an extra labor charge. And if your rims must be replaced, expect them to cost between $200 and $500, depending on the make and model of your car.