How to restore alloy wheels with your own hands

Do-it-yourself restoration and painting of alloy wheels: technology and photos

They don’t buy alloy wheels so that they will fade and become scratched and lose their attractiveness.
However, restoring such surfaces is a little cheaper than buying them, so painting alloy wheels with your own hands is no less common than repairing ordinary “stamps”. Often, but not always, a complete repaint is required to update the appearance and protective properties of the paint. Sometimes it is enough to renew the surface and repair chips, which means that the opportunity to save money appears even in such a sensitive matter. The first step is to level out, as far as possible without major losses, the dent that has formed on the paintwork. Use P280 paper to smooth out noticeable bumps, scratches, etc. Refinishing is done with P400. Use masking tape and film, as in the photo, to cover the rubber, plastic parts, and badges are removed if possible. The original paint on cast parts may swell - such a defect, of course, needs to be removed. The paste is prepared: the parts are mixed in the proportions specified by the manufacturer (usually you just need to mix them).

The paste is applied to the scratch with something soft, such as a rubber spatula. You need to remove excess and level the surface before drying begins, i.e. 20-30 minutes. Complete drying under an infrared lamp takes 2-4 hours; without a lamp you can leave it to dry overnight. Dried epoxy paste must be tidied up using medium-grain abrasives, i.e., standard preparation for painting. Sandpaper - P600 and finer (up to P1200), degreasing - white spirit (afterwards it is advisable to wipe the surface with a dry cloth).

We paint alloy wheels

The paint is applied in any available way: with a spray can or spray gun from a distance of 20-25 cm, with a brush. It is advisable to use the brush only for hard-to-reach places. Regular enamel is applied in 2-3 layers with intermediate drying for 10-30 minutes (depending on humidity and air temperature). The same time interval must be maintained before applying varnish, if there is any on the surface of the original paint.

Partial painting or restoration is usually not performed if at least 30% of the surface requires repair. Even the surface of 19-inch alloy wheels is not worth the effort of partially updating the paintwork, since for a normal transition you will still need to sand almost the entire part. However, if the need for this still arises, you can study materials on transition painting or look for enamel that matches the color of the previous paint well. In addition to the paint itself, an extended list of works will require the following elements:

• A brush for removing paintwork (it is advisable to use a drill attachment or paint remover, since manual mechanical removal can take a long time).
• Sandpaper of all types (P280-P2000).
• Primer (for cast wheels it is better to use with a hardener).
• Paint (spray cans are usually used, but a spray gun should be used if possible).
• Abrasive and non-abrasive polishing paste.
• Varnish.

The technology for processing cast and stamped wheels requires removing the wheels from the car. The work may take several days, so you should not use crumbling bricks instead of wheels. After dismantling and removing the rubber, the part is transferred to the garage, washed and cleaned of old paint, simultaneously getting rid of rust. Manual paint removal requires first using a knife or spatula to pick apart the paint and separate loose pieces. It is recommended to do this procedure when using a drill.

The result of the iron brushes, as can be seen from the photo, does not look very attractive, so a little modification with sandpaper is required. If everything is smooth, you can immediately bring the surface under the ground (P400, P600). If the scratches are deep, then there is no need to rush into painting and it is better to pre-treat the area to be repaired with P280.

The sanded surface is degreased and wiped with a napkin. Then apply 1-2 layers of primer. The primer, in turn, is sanded with P600-P1200 - at this stage you can use “wet” sanding, i.e. moisten the surface of the discs and skins with a small amount of water. The use of water reduces the likelihood of a defect, but is not mandatory. After sanding, the area to be repaired also needs to be degreased.

How to restore alloy wheels with your own hands

With roads like ours,
your car's brand new rims can turn into broken ones in just one season.
Restoring chips at a tire shop costs a lot of money, so I want to
tell you how you can return your car wheels to their former appearance with your own hands.
For this you will not need anything special, and the cost of materials will be simply meager.
Read the detailed instructions below.

What we need:
1) chips on the disks
2) 2-component epoxy paste, its color is not so important.
But keep in mind that if the paste is red/green/gray and will most likely
show through the paint, you will need a primer (aka primer).
I have white epoxy, I did it without primer.
3) sandpaper with a grain index of 300-400.
And it wouldn’t hurt to have a smaller one with an index of 600. 4) masking tape, this is provided that we do not remove the rubber from the disk.
5) actual spray paint and varnish.
Einszett Silber spray, the color is very close to the factory one. You can also use silver spray from Wurth.
In this case, I have a varnish from Wurth. But if there are any difficulties in choosing a color, then it is better to contact a colorist - they will select it.

Use sandpaper (300-400) to clean the scratches and remove the bumps.

Cover the rubber with tape

Take epoxy paste, mix A and B in equal proportions, apply to uneven areas,
carefully remove excess paste.

We leave to dry (the longer the better) I put the wheels under the lamps for several hours.
Firstly, the epoxy will dry faster this way, and secondly, it will set better.

I was carried away by the work and missed the next stage in photographing =)
In general, we sand the dried epoxy with fine sandpaper, level it, everything should be smooth,
including to the touch, without flaws.
Next we paint.
I already have some experience with spray painting. I used to do car modeling. Shake the can well, paint from a distance of 20-30cm, in thin, soft layers so that there are no overflows
and transitions are noticeable.
2-3 layers are enough. Dry for about 30 minutes between each layer. Before painting, it is advisable to humidify the room so that dust does not fall on the freshly painted surface.

Once the paint dries, we varnish it.
2 layers of varnish are enough, drying for half an hour. After this, you can also put the wheels under the lamps for a couple of hours.
After all the layers have completely dried, we take the finest sandpaper with water and gently go
over the areas that were varnished to smooth the surface.
You can also polish the disc so that everything is intact and beautiful :)
That’s all.

About cosmetic repairs of cast car wheels

Reading time: 6 minutes

Car enthusiasts increasingly prefer alloy wheels over regular ones. Their advantage lies in their lightness and beautiful aesthetic appearance. Also, some of the materials from which they are made are used to cool the brake system while driving. But despite their advantages, they are still subject to deformation. And on today's roads with huge potholes, they are very easy to damage. The extent of damage to the disc directly depends on the speed of the vehicle at the time of the incident. The size of the pothole also plays an important role, and the larger it is, the more damage can be caused to the rim. If this situation does happen, then there are 2 options for solving the problem: either buy new disks or remove the damage.

Repair of alloy wheels

Before carrying out any repair work, it is necessary to understand the nature of the damage. There are some defects that can no longer be repaired, and there are very minor ones that can be easily corrected. Types of malfunctions of alloy wheels include:

Alloy wheels

• cracks;
• scratches;
• chips;
• dents;
• axial beats.

There is no way to save it, and manufacturers do not recommend performing any repair work on alloy wheels. This is because using even a repaired version does not guarantee complete safety when driving. And if the restoration is carried out by unskilled workers, then there is a big risk when using such a rim.

Repair of car wheels can be carried out using several methods:

• welding;
• straightening;
• coloring;
• surfacing;
• redecorating.

You can also restore scratched areas. But despite the assertions of tire service workers, there is no way to completely fix a cast wheel. After all, experts know that they cannot be heated at all. And besides, it is almost impossible to exactly replicate the chemical composition from which car wheels are made. In general, a rim repaired in this manner will not be able to withstand the load. Heat treatment can lead to changes in the geometry of the disk and its further use is not recommended.

Rim heat treatment

Straightening, or more commonly called rolling, can help remove minor damage to the rim. This has virtually no effect on the safety of operation in the future, unless heating was used during straightening. Small flaws can be removed with a hammer. By gently tapping the damaged area, you need to give the car disk the correct shape. This may take a long time, but you won't need to resort to heating.

Painting alloy wheels is considered a very common service in car repair shops. This helps hide minor flaws and extend the period of its use. The quality of coloring must be at a high level, so only professionals must deal with this matter.

Surfacing also involves heat treatment of the rim, which uses an argon-arc welding machine. This method is used to repair potholes on a car. But it is also not recommended to use it, like regular heating. In this case, instead of a high-quality disc, it turns out to be simply beautiful.

Cosmetic repairs include restoring gloss and, if necessary, painting. Such restoration has virtually no effect on the safety of further use.

Restored car disk

Do-it-yourself restoration of alloy wheels

Despite the difficulty of performing professional repairs, car wheels can be restored yourself. But only if their damage is minor. Before starting any repair work, it is necessary to check the rim for runout and changes in geometry. To do this, you should go to the nearest tire shop and examine the disk on a special balancing machine. If during diagnostics no violations are detected, as well as deep cracks and nicks, then it is quite possible to carry out repairs yourself. But if the defects are still significant, then it is better to give the disk to a specialist.

If it happens that the disk moves a little when it hits a pothole, then only pulling it out on a special stand will help solve the problem. Moreover, this method should not involve heating. In this case, you will not be able to restore it yourself.

After this procedure, the disk should be examined for further suitability. Because, as mentioned earlier in the article, heat treatment is extremely detrimental to a cast rim. After welding, the disc should be painted, and you can also do this yourself. To do this you will need:

• epoxy paste identical to the color of the rim (two-component);
• masking tape;
• sandpaper (grit 300, 400, 600);
• dye;
• varnish

Painting the rim

When all the materials are prepared, it is necessary to dismantle the wheel and level its surface using sandpaper with a grit of 300-400. Next, you will need to seal with masking tape those areas that will not be painted. After mixing epoxy paste in equal parts, apply it to the treated surface. After drying, it will need to be sanded and can be painted. There should be several layers, each of which must dry for at least 30 minutes. After the paint has completely dried, the rim should be varnished. Ideally, the wheels should dry for about 4 days. Restoring a disk using this method is not difficult, the main thing is to do everything correctly.

How to restore the beauty of alloy wheels

When first purchased, car wheels look gorgeous, their shine attracts special attention. But over time, when driving on bad roads, they can be scratched or made potholes. In such a situation, it is necessary to restore car wheels and return them to their former beauty. If painting is done independently, then you need to do all the steps mentioned earlier. Just before starting work, the discs should be thoroughly washed and dried. Before priming, the rim must be degreased, and only then continue work. The discs can be primed with finishing putty, or epoxy paste can be used instead. An important point is to use paint and primer from the same manufacturer. This will help produce high-quality adhesion of the materials to each other. After final varnishing, the discs should dry for 4-5 days. To give a beautiful shine, you can use car polish.

Beautiful shine

Straightening steel rims

Steel wheels are easier to repair than cast wheels. Regular rolling will help remove not only dents and scratches, but also axial runout. Steel is a very malleable material, so even a large dent can be repaired with a hammer or sledgehammer. The price for repairing a steel wheel is significantly lower than for an alloy wheel. If the rim is severely damaged, it must be restored at a tire shop. There it is placed in a special machine and the grooves are rolled with rollers. This is the entire repair of a stamped disc. The painting of such a rim is practically no different from the painting of a cast one. The only thing is that you will need to process the disk using an electric drill with an attachment. This is necessary to completely remove the old coating and clean it of rust.

Despite the possibility of repair and removal of all sorts of defects, it is still better to replace alloy wheels with new ones. Not every tire service does its job well. Namely, the quality of execution affects driving safety.

Do-it-yourself disk recovery.

It was about 1mm deep.
so it was easily erased with 80-grit sandpaper. If the “score” is very deep, then there are 2 options:
1) Weld this place with argon and sand it flush.
2) Clean off the maximum permissible layer and polish.

Both options have pros and cons.
In the first case, after welding the repair site will still be visible. So I would stick with the second one. Because against the backdrop of shine, it will be unnoticeable.

That's how much patience you need. I also love cars, but I don’t think I would have enough patience for such a process)

I decided to take up polishing. Let's see what comes out of this)))

The easiest and cheapest way
. The sink should not be covered with enamel. :

1) We buy sandpaper with a grit of 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 at the auto store - a sheet should cost about 30 rubles.
2) Polishing paste for metals - 300 rubles.
3) Felt attachment for a drill (screwdriver) - 150 rubles.
4) We wash the sink with a composition in the style of Cilit Bang.
5) We begin to clean the sink with sandpaper from 1000 to 1500.
6) Then we apply the paste to the area that we want to polish - and go through it with felt with medium pressure (with a drill or a screwdriver if it has a drill mode).
7) remove the remaining paste - enjoy the shine.

Important: When working with sandpaper, try to apply even pressure so that it doesn’t turn out that half the shell is rough and the other is soft)