How to straighten a cast disc with your own hands

DIY alloy wheel repair

Every vehicle owner prefers cast wheels when choosing wheels. They give the car a more respectable look and come in many varieties of shapes and patterns. Unfortunately, alloy wheels are more susceptible to deformation and chipping. To do this, just one blow and falling into the hole is enough - it can completely burst. But you shouldn’t be immediately disappointed in such discs. Their integrity in most cases depends on the speed of the vehicle and the terrain. You can straighten alloy wheels of any complexity by turning to specialized service stations for help or doing it yourself.

Disk before and after repair

Drivers should not forget that they always need to be on alert on our roads, especially in new regions and areas. Potholes and potholes on the asphalt can be found in the most unexpected places. Of course, a wide variety of situations can arise. To avoid a more serious accident, sometimes you have to sacrifice your alloy wheels. And if you do notice cracks, chips or an irregular shape, the question immediately arises, what to do now? In this case, there are two options to solve this problem:

Purchasing new disks.
Repair them at a service station.
Self-correction of a damaged alloy wheel.

Types of damage and malfunctions of an alloy wheel

Due to the condition of our roads, even the most experienced motorist can accidentally hit a hole or pothole. This will lead to deformation and cracking of the cast disc. The most common disk failures are:

cracks;
scratches;
chips;
dents.

If you do not pay attention to the damage in time and do not fix it, this can lead to complete failure of the disk, corrosion, and further repairs will simply be useless.

Damaged disk

There are also damages that are simply impossible to repair - these are chips and cracks in the hub area. And even experts strongly recommend not to try to correct this type of damage, but to send the disk for scrap. Unqualified repairs can lead to an accident and further disastrous consequences. Changing shape and geometry is also a serious problem that is very difficult to correct. In such cases, professionals also advise refusing repairs and further use.

Methods for repairing alloy wheels

Today, alloy wheels can be repaired in several ways:

Now let's look at each type of repair separately.

Welding is the most common and simplest repair method. With its help, an experienced specialist can eliminate many problems. As a rule, such repairs do not last long, and after several months of driving the driver again experiences problems while driving. Also, the manufacturer itself does not recommend heat treatment - subsequently the disk will change its shape and geometry. Accordingly, when operating a car with such discs, you may get into an accident or become the culprit. Therefore, it is worth considering how much it will cost you to buy a new car or major repairs if you save on purchasing a new set of alloy wheels.

Welding process of a damaged cast disk

Rolling (straightening) is used for minor damage and dents. The rolling method and equipment can be used the same as for steel. The only exception is thermal treatment. As was said earlier, alloy wheels should never be heated. This process also does not involve large financial expenses. But before you take your car to a service station, it is better to find out how much it costs to roll a cast wheel.

Disc before and after straightening

Manual editing is the easiest and most affordable way to restore car wheels, which you can do yourself. To level out the dents, we will need a hammer, sledgehammer and hydraulic jack. Before straightening, you should evaluate how many times and with what force it is necessary to hit the damaged area so that the disc acquires its original shape. If you don't calculate your strengths, you can only make the situation worse.

It is also possible to partially deposit metal on damaged areas using argon welding. After surfacing is completed, the excess metal is cut off, and you get your disk without cracks or scratches.

Repair of alloy wheels should end with the painting process. If you find stains that won't wash off or clean up, you can be sure that your disc has either been heated or used some other heat treatment, which is not acceptable for this type of material. You can carry out the painting process yourself in your garage. To do this, you will need several cans of paint, a degreaser, masking tape and protective equipment (gloves and a respirator). Initially, the discs are removed from the car, thoroughly cleaned and wiped. After this, the paint is applied in even layers over the entire surface.

In conclusion, I would like to say that repairing alloy wheels with your own hands is quite possible, but the only taboo is their heat treatment - it is unacceptable.

To protect yourself, your loved ones and your car, it is better not to skimp on purchasing a new set of wheels. But in case of minor chips and scratches, you can remove these defects yourself or seek help from specialists.

Straightening a wheel rim - a sledgehammer to help

A headache for car enthusiasts are roads in the pseudo-Japanese style “ToYamaToKanawa”. The result of a trip along such a road, and even disguised by puddles after the rain, is very deplorable. Bent rims are the smallest problem that can happen on a track like this. We can say that we got off easy. In spring and autumn, wheel rim straightening is on the agenda.

Some car enthusiasts do not consider it necessary to fix bent wheels and throw them away immediately. This is also a reasonable approach. A severely bent disk, even in a car service after rolling, can be even more damaged: microcracks will appear, from which, if the wheel is hit again or in the cold, the disk can simply crumble. In this case, even welding will not help.

If you are determined to straighten the disc, you can always contact the service. But if the disc deformation is small, welding is not required, there is absolutely little money to buy a new disc, and there is more than enough strength, you can carry out this procedure in your own garage.

Straightening a bent alloy wheel - procedure

We will need: a jack, some kind of weight, a hammer, a sledgehammer, water.
First, remove the damaged wheel. We will lift the car using a jack. Remove the wheel from the mounts. The damage to the disc is minor, so removing the tire is not necessary.
Place the wheel on a horizontal surface. It will be more effective on the floor, since you will have to place a heavy load on top of the wheel. Otherwise, powerful blows with a sledgehammer will cause the wheel to throw and jump.
The wheel is pressed to the floor. First, we perform “rough” straightening. You need to straighten the dented area on the disk with a sledgehammer. This is very difficult to accomplish, because a cast disc is difficult to process. You have to put in a lot of effort to achieve results.
Next, take a hammer and place it on the edge of the rim along the inside of the disc. We use a sledgehammer to hit the hammer, carefully correcting rough work defects. We perform these actions until the rim takes the shape of a regular circle.
You also have to find out if the tire is leaking water. You need to pour water on the wheel and monitor the condition. If there are bubbles on the surface of the wheel, there is only one conclusion - depressurization. We straighten the disc with a hammer until the bubbles disappear. There are no bubbles, which means that the procedure for straightening the wheel is completed and you can mount it in place.

It is not always possible to notice that a wheel rim is damaged. But in this condition, driving a car is dangerous. When a disk is damaged, the following points appear: while driving, the car skids to one specific side, therefore, the damaged wheel is there. There may also be discomfort when driving, and strange “jumping” of the car. In this case, the wheel rims should be checked for visible defects.

Restoring alloy wheels: how effective is it?

Every car owner at least once in his life is faced with the need to buy rims. Such a need may arise from a breakdown, a desire to change the design of your car, or the need to replace a set of tires. At the same time, one question always arises: what is so good about alloy wheels, and how they can be repaired if necessary.

The appearance of alloy wheels is an order of magnitude better than that of competitors.

Why do car owners most often choose alloy wheels?

Today you can find a huge number of types of products on the car market. It is worth noting that the durability, reliability and other properties of disks depend primarily on the material from which they are made. One name - alloy wheels - can say a lot about this product.

If funds allow, then it is recommended to buy alloy wheels. The manufacturing technology of this wonderful product is as follows: an easily flowing material is poured into the finished mold using the classical casting method. Thanks to this manufacturing technology, the boundary between the disc and the rim is practically absent - this fact significantly increases the durability and reliability of cast wheels.

Surprisingly, such wheels are rarely damaged, since their deformation limit is much higher than that of other types of wheels. It will take at least five direct hits to the wheel for it to be damaged, but you must admit that, as a rule, no one has encountered such a situation.

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If you are interested in knowing what the advantage of such wheels is, pay attention to these points:

Small mass.
Suspension durability.
With such discs, the ride becomes very comfortable, and the car runs smoothly.
Economical.
Alloy wheels are not subject to corrosion.
The advantage of such wheels is also the precision of manufacturing. This, by the way, is very important, since the quality of driving directly depends on this indicator.

For what reason can alloy wheels deteriorate?

Unforeseen situations on the roads can arise for any car enthusiast, regardless of the type of wheels.

Cast wheels, like others, can deteriorate. This is primarily due to bad roads or, for example, an unscheduled drive onto the curb. In this case, you will have to repair alloy wheels yourself or with the help of the company’s service station. This is the only way to return the disks to their original appearance,

Here are the most common defects of alloy wheels: a dent, a chipped rim, a break in the edge of the circle.

Repair and painting of alloy wheels

Currently, you can fix alloy wheels using several options, which we will describe in turn.

Wheel repairs must always end with painting. If indelible stains are identified, the only way to return the disc to its original appearance is by painting. The painting procedure itself can be done independently in your own garage. All you need is a few cans of paint, masking tape, degreaser and gloves. First, the discs are removed from the car, cleaned well and wiped dry. After which the paint is distributed in several layers around the entire perimeter.

If the discs have already been painted, then first you need to remove the previous layer with a special solution.

Apply the composition with a brush to the entire surface of the disc and leave for twenty minutes, after which the paint should begin to swell. Now the old layer will be very easy to remove with a thin spatula.

After removing the first layer of paint, an almost clean disk will appear in front of you. If the wheels have rubber, then you need to seal them around the entire perimeter with tape. Attention! Do not forget to degrease the surface before painting; this can be done at home with ordinary alcohol.

The most important point is coloring, which is divided into points:

Primer. Apply by spraying, you can apply either two or three layers, but not greasy. After the first application, you must wait fifteen minutes. I would like to note that in order for you to like the result, after final application you need to wait several hours.
Painting. The paint must be applied in several layers and wait fifteen minutes for the layer to harden.
Varnish. After the paint has completely dried, a finishing layer of varnish is applied; it is different for each manufacturer, so you may need two layers of varnish.

That's all the little instructions. Ultimately, painting with a disc, all three layers, will cost approximately 1000 to 1200 rubles. But if you decide to contact a service station to have alloy wheels repaired, the price will fabulously surprise you - from 10,000 to 12,000 thousand rubles, depending on your area of residence.

You can find detailed painting instructions here:

Summarize

Repair work on alloy wheels at home is possible; you don’t need any special skills, just watch a detailed video of painting wheels and follow our instructions clearly. The only thing that cannot be done in this case is independent heat treatment; it is very dangerous at home and can lead to irreparable consequences. To protect yourself, your family and your car, it is recommended not to skimp on buying new wheels. But if the discs only have minor chips, you can fix these minor defects yourself or come to a service station for repairs.

About editing alloy wheels with your own hands

Reading time: 4 minutes

Alloy wheels are not only a stylish accessory for a car, but also significantly affect the ease of driving it. This is because they are made of lightweight material, which promotes rapid acceleration and braking of the car. But sooner or later the time comes when an alloy wheel becomes deformable. This happens when you fall into a hole at high speed or have a minor accident. And in such a situation, the car enthusiast asks the question: buy a new one or repair the damaged one?

As a result of deformation of the rim, not only its appearance, but also its geometry can be disrupted. And this is very serious, since with such a problem both the car and the person can suffer. A stamped disc is easier to repair, since the steel from which it is made is very malleable. Rolling a damaged rim on a special machine is not difficult. But with cast it is more complicated - ordinary rolling will not work here. For this procedure, only editing is used.

Alloy wheels

Editing car disks

For such a procedure, a special hydraulic press is used, which is available in car services. If the damage is not severe, then the disc will not need to be heated. And if they are significant, then you will need to preheat the deformed area, and then straighten it.

These recommendations are explained by the fact that when heated to high temperatures, the structure of the metal is damaged. It is not recommended to use such a disk, since with significant restoration it will not last long. Hitting a large pothole at speed can completely break it. And besides, such a rim is unsafe for further use.

The editing technology is as follows:

The technician visually assesses the damage to the rim.
For small dents, it is straightened without heating using a hydraulic press.
When significant, heat, then adjust.
The autodisk is fixed on the steppe and a hydraulic press is connected to it.
The geometry is restored under the necessary force.

Microcracks may not appear immediately after deformation; they may become noticeable only after straightening. They are also fixed by welding.

Argon arc welding

Is it possible to edit car rims?

If we are talking about stamped models, then they can be corrected and restored, but only if the rim has not been severely damaged. But it is not recommended to repair cast ones, especially if they are severely deformed or cracked. Therefore, in some auto repair shops, masters ask the client to sign a consent to their repair.

This means that the person, knowing about all the possible consequences, still deliberately hands over the car disc for restoration. This procedure is not cheap, especially when it comes to cast models. If, despite all the warnings, the rim still needs to be straightened, then you should choose only specialized workshops with good equipment.

Do-it-yourself editing of alloy wheels

Minor damage can be repaired yourself. You can remove:

chips;
scratches;
minor integrity violations;

Then a thorough inspection is carried out. If cracks are found on the surface, it will have to be boiled. To do this, you will need to take it to a car repair shop or process it yourself if you have argon-arc welding. But a welding machine is not the only thing you need; you will also need the ability to work with it and an understanding of the entire process of welding a disk. Otherwise, you should not do it yourself.

If there are no cracks, then restoration can continue. Using sandpaper, you need to level the surface and remove all resulting dust from it. Then you will need to apply a two-component epoxy paste. After it has dried, you need to sand the surface again with fine-grain sandpaper. Next, the car disc should be coated with a primer in several layers, each drying for about 20 minutes. Professionals recommend letting the primer dry for at least 24 hours. This way it will dry completely and the disc will be ready for further restoration. And the next stage is painting it and opening it with varnish.

Do-it-yourself rim restoration

The most economical is spray paint; it is easy to apply. It is enough to spray it at a distance of 25 cm from the surface and let it dry. You will need to paint in several layers, since one will not cover the primer. Each layer should dry for about half an hour. After the latter has dried, varnish is applied to the surface. The discs should remain at rest for 5-6 days. If they are not dried well, you can scratch the paint when installing the rubber.

This coating will last for several years and the rim will not fade. All materials are cheap, so disk restoration will not cost much. But if you take it to a car dealership, then editing along with painting can be a big hit on your pocket. But high-quality processing is carried out there and expensive materials are used.

Wheels should be straightened only for minor damage and deformation. It’s not for nothing that manufacturers do not recommend repairing alloy wheels. First of all, you need to think about your own safety, and not about saving.

Editing cast car wheels

Content

What are alloy car wheels?

Types of damage

DIY alloy wheel repair

Repair procedure

How to paint alloy wheels correctly

Recommendations from the author

Absolutely all car enthusiasts are familiar with the concept of straightening alloy wheels. Wheels are not just an accessory with which you can decorate or highlight your car. This is an important detail that needs to be given enough attention to ensure safe driving. And simply beautiful, well-maintained car wheels look very nice and decorate the car. There are several types of disks:

The leaders in strength and service life are forged ones. Their light weight also gives them an advantage over others. If you use the discs correctly, they will serve the car owner almost forever.

Forged wheels are strength, beauty and lightness

The most popular rims are steel. They impress with their low cost and ease of repair. Almost all cars coming off the assembly lines of car factories have steel wheels. This type does not break when hit, but bends, so it can be easily restored and you can continue to use it. One of the disadvantages of these discs is their weight; they are much heavier than both cast and forged ones.

Alloy wheels are the most expensive, but how impressive they look on a car. Cast products are presented on the market in a huge range of various forms. Everyone can choose exactly what suits their taste. Among the disadvantages, it is worth highlighting their high cost and the fact that when damaged they tend to split, which makes it impossible to restore them.

What are alloy car wheels?

Alloy car wheels are very popular due to their impressive appearance and variety of shapes. They are very technologically advanced. When they ebb, there is virtually no production waste, which significantly reduces the cost. To produce cast wheels, special molds are used into which metal alloys are poured in a liquid state. They are very fragile in structure and not elastic. Cast wheels are more reliable than stamped ones, but they are susceptible to strong impacts, during which the integrity of the surface may be damaged, which leads to loss of the initial geometry.

Alloy car wheels are very popular due to their impressiveness and variety of shapes.

Types of damage

Wheel rims are very easy to damage. The front wheels are most often at risk of damage. They are the ones who take the main blow. There are many reasons for damage. This is a sloppy driving style, getting into various holes and potholes. The main types of damage to wheel rims include the following:

chips or cracks;
damaged coating;
broken attachment to the hub;
chipping of disk sections;
curved rim;
axis curvature;
displacements (lateral and axial).

There are many ways to damage the rims on your car. New drivers often scratch them on curbs because they don’t feel the size of the car. You can run into some obstacle without noticing it at high speed, which will cause scratches on the discs. These mechanical damages will very quickly cause corrosion.

As a result of an accident, discs can not only be scratched, but also bent, cracked or split. Do not neglect the repair of these wheel products, even if the damage is minor. Any defect must be corrected as soon as possible, because over time, even a minor nuance will lead to a big problem. Driving a car with damaged rollers is dangerous. Failure of the discs leads to damage to the entire steering mechanism and breaks the front part of the suspension.

As a result of an accident, discs can not only be scratched, but also bent, cracked or split.

DIY alloy wheel repair

In the old days, cars were fitted with stamped steel, so there were no serious problems with damage as such. Rolling stamped discs was a fairly simple and common procedure. In these products, the metal was quite plastic and when it fell, for example, into a hole, the disk did not break, but was simply deformed. The dents could be easily repaired at any auto repair shop. Rolling cast wheels is not a very complicated procedure and there are no problems with it.

With the advent of modern automotive parts made of different alloys on the market, damage becomes more serious and repairs become more problematic. And not all damage can be repaired. If it happens that a crack or chip has formed in the hub area, do not try to correct this defect and do not trust auto repairmen who are ready to repair it. Such damage cannot be repaired and the disk will have to be replaced with a new one.

Changed shape and geometry is also a reason to send wheel products to the landfill, since this is a very serious defect that is very difficult to correct. In this case, straightening the disks is impractical. However, some damage can still be repaired with your own hands, without resorting to the services of specialists.

There are several ways to repair damaged disks:

rolling, also known as straightening;
manual editing;
disc welding;
surfacing.

Welding a cast disc

Rolling discs is used to remove minor damage and small dents. Welding is most often used for repairs. It eliminates many problems, but the effect of this method is short-lived. A very important point that should be taken into account when embarking on any repair method - cast products must not be heated under any circumstances! This process causes the disc to change shape, which can lead to an accident. Do not skimp on the health of yourself and those around you.

The easiest way to repair a cast wheel yourself is the manual straightening method. This is a common mechanical method in which the disks are returned to their original appearance using various tools (jack, hammer). It is important to correctly calculate the impact force so as not to aggravate the problem. You can also remove scratches, rust and peeling coatings in your garage without resorting to the services of specialists. To perform simple tasks with your own hands, they resort to leveling, grinding, anti-corrosion treatment and painting the discs.

Repair procedure

The first thing that needs to be done before repair is to remove the rims from the rubber and conduct a thorough inspection in order to identify absolutely all damage. You should pay sufficient attention to the inspection, since the elimination of not all defects will affect the operation of the car as a whole.

Before inspection, the discs should be washed and cleaned of all damage. If, as a result of the inspection, cracks are found, then you need to start eliminating them, and only then begin to repair other damage. To combat them, argon welding is used. To work on disks made of aluminum or magnesium alloys with defects in the form of cracks, electrodes should be used. Once these have been eliminated, you can move on to a separate stage of repair, sanding. Welding seams should be thoroughly sanded.

If, as a result of the inspection, cracks are found, then you need to start eliminating them, and only then begin to repair the remaining damage.

For the next step you will have to contact specialists. In order to check the geometry of the disk, the use of special equipment will be required. When you contact a car service center, rest assured that you will get this testing done as quickly and inexpensively as possible. If there are any violations, it is better to replace the disks with new ones. When everything is in order, proceed to the next step. Using a grinding machine and sandpaper, all damage in the form of unevenness and defects on the surface of the disk should be thoroughly sanded. Using a special spatula, apply two-component epoxy paste to the entire sanded surface. It needs to be matched to the color of the disc. To speed up drying, using a hair dryer is recommended. Sand the treated surface of the roller again, but with fine-grained sandpaper. The finish of all actions is painting.

How to paint alloy wheels correctly

The procedure for treating cast wheels with paint requires considerable professionalism and experience. If you still decide, then the first step is to prepare everything you need for painting:

paint for applying to wheels;
primer for metal;
finishing varnish;
sandpaper of different grain sizes;
solvent;

Solvent 646 0.5l GOST 18188-72

putty;
individual protection means.

The ideal option would be to purchase paint, primer and varnish from the same manufacturer. This will help avoid incompatibility and related problems. The best choice for painting alloy wheels is acrylic paint. They have good adhesion to the surface. Powder paints are a good choice, but it is not recommended to use them yourself. To apply this type of paint, expensive equipment is required, and the application process itself is quite complicated.

Processes for painting alloy wheels:

Remove the tires from the rims or protect them with any covering material to prevent paint from getting in.
Wash and remove dirt.
Inspect for damage and defects.
Remove corroded areas and remove the old paint layer.
Degrease the discs and, if necessary, putty the damaged areas.
Degrease again and dry well.

After quality preparation, they proceed directly to painting. Painting of discs is carried out in several stages. First you need to prime them twice or thrice. Let each layer dry. To speed up drying, use a hair dryer.

Powder paint for painting alloy wheels

The paint is also applied in several layers, making sure to allow the previous layer to dry. After painting, it is necessary to apply varnish. Before you start using the vehicle, be sure to wait until the varnish has completely dried and hardened.

Recommendations from the author

Rolling steel wheels is not such a difficult task, but it is important to consider that some damage cannot be repaired or corrected. You shouldn't risk your health and try to fix something that just needs to be replaced. Alloy wheels must not be exposed to heat. This will lead to their damage and the impossibility of further use. To find out whether the rollers have been heat treated, you need to inspect the discs for stains. They always appear when heated.

Where to roll alloy wheels is up to you. If you are sure that you can do it yourself, follow the instructions, follow the sequence of actions and the result will definitely please you. Provided that you have never encountered this type of work, the right decision would be to use the services of a service station. Masters will rent alloy wheels in a short time using special equipment. They will tell you how much it costs to roll alloy wheels directly at the station, after assessing the nature of the damage.