Alloy wheel refurbishment its not an easy job

Alloy wheel refurbishment….. it’s not an easy job!

Alloy wheel refurbishment is a work intensive and time consuming process which requires a fair degree of patience. If you decide that you’re not as they say up for this then you’ll be well advised to pay a professional to do the job. To give an indication before you even start you’ll need to remove the tyre and be absolutely clear about what you are doing before you even think about starting. In cooking preparation and timing is everything along with ready access to all the ingredients you need to produce you amazing culinary creation. Well it’s equally true of allow wheel refurbishment preparation, timing and planning is everything, so what do you actually need to do?

Cleaning the wheel If you’re doing a complete refurbishment of the wheel you’ll need to make it as clean as possible, this best achieved with a healthy bath in a bucket of warm washing up liquid laden water. At this point the weights and caps should be gently prised away with a flat head screw driver and glue residue sent the same way as the dirt with some paint thinners. Be aware that you’ll need to rebalance all of these when the refurbishment is complete. Unless you know how to do this, you have a reason seek professional help and you should probably talk to your insurer.

Filing Again this is going to be subjective, what you may consider light damage to the wheel could suggest catastrophe to someone else. For any rough edges use a metal file until it is smooth, take care not to actually start filing the wheel body, it’s just the rough edges you need to remove. If too much of the wheel is filed away, its shape and balance may be upset. The filler is there to well “fill” the deeper abrasions.

Sanding To make sure that paint sticks to the wheel evenly you need to sand it on both sides. Start with 400 grit paper and then move to 600 if you think it’s necessary. If you’re not sure ask! Any areas which are corroding under the paint will be easy to spot because of the characteristic (and obviously unwanted) bubble patches. These must be sanded down to the metal and will probably need a much rougher paper. If you’re refurbishing the whole wheel don’t forget to sand the insides as well.

Filler Again the wheel must be as clean as you can make it, so absolutely no grime, dirt or blemish anywhere, sand out any remaining dirt if it’s required. To ensure maximum dryness the wheel can be wiped with a microfiber cloth. Once you’re happy start to gradually fill in the damaged areas use a quality filler for this purpose. Whichever brand you choose follow the instructions to the letter and allow at least 24 hours for it to dry. So it might be a good idea to have this finished by late Saturday morning! Only then can you start the sanding, you’re looking for a smooth flat finish.

Spray filling and painting As required start with the smaller abrasions and move in one direction. The idea here is that you gradually fill them all in slowly and methodically and with 15 minutes between each coat, you’ll be looking at 3 coats minimum. By the time you apply the last coat of paint you should have a a wheel that is smooth and all one colour This is no easy task and may require you to back track to certain steps. In short unless you are absolutely confident in your abilities or you have the help of an expert, you’ll probably want to consider a garage.

However, only you can decide which the best option is. http://www.platinumwheelrefurb.com/alloy-wheel-refurbishment-process