Do-it-yourself restoration and repair of alloy wheels

Comments: no Published: 11/16/2019

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Seasonal wheel changes are a good time to renew and restore wheel rims. During the operation of the car, cracks and chips often appear around their seats, at the base of the spokes. Correcting defects in a timely manner can prevent the occurrence of more serious problems. Additionally, restoring these wheel bases enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of the entire vehicle. This type of work is not particularly complex, and therefore does not require special knowledge and skills from the performer. The main thing is patience, accuracy, attention to detail.

How is disk editing done?

Wheel rims can be straightened for absolutely all types of wheels, regardless of the material they are made of. Subject to editing:

stamped steel wheels;
alloy wheels;
forged wheels.

However, depending on the metal used to make the disks, the method for straightening them is also selected. So, for example, if using a machine equipped with rollers it is possible to return stamped disks to their ideal geometric shape, then this method is absolutely not suitable for cast and forged disks.

Wheel straightening is carried out only after a thorough diagnosis of the disks on special stands using equipment with software. Preliminary diagnostics makes it possible to identify the slightest damage, because, for example, having complained about radial bends, the driver may not even be aware of other complex problems, such as microcracks or axial displacement of the wheel.

Wheel beading machine: how to make it yourself

You can make the machine equipment yourself. To create the frame part that will serve as the base, experts advise using metal profile pipes. There must be at least 700 mm between them.

Two tubes are arranged in parallel and welded with a steel angle. The profile of the smallest standard size is also suitable. As an additional component, you can build adjustable legs.

When the base is made, you need to attach the tube to the frame part. Its radius is sufficient within 10-15 mm. Before welding, the flange part must be welded in advance at 400-600 mm from the floor. Vertically you need to make fasteners, which are created in the form of a steel plate. It will be needed to mount the device as a lever. The main purpose of the lever is to remove rubber from the disc rim. The lever part is a pair of shoulder and paw elements, which acts on the rubber itself.

You can also dismantle the wheel in a garage with your own hands. The main thing is to do everything correctly and not to rush. Only by listening to the advice of experts can you guarantee the success of the tire removal event.

Stages of straightening cast wheels after deformation

Editing alloy wheels includes several stages of work in a car service:

cleaning from dirt and paint residues to identify defects that are invisible at first glance;
in the presence of cracks - argon welding, which allows you to “fill” the place of deformation until a single structure is formed;
straightening the surface to a smooth and even state;
diagnostics using a computer to identify geometric irregularities and thoroughly correct them;
powder painting to create a durable protective layer;
disk balancing.

No responsible professional car service technician will undertake to repair a wheel if it has cracks at the base of the spokes or near the wheel mounting holes.

Nature of damage

Let's figure out whether alloy wheels can be repaired. Different compositions and production technologies give products an unequal degree of strength, and naturally, it will not be possible to restore them using one recipe.

The proposals of some workshops to repair castings by welding are, to put it mildly, unprofessional. For steel, welding is the ideal repair method, and simple stamping can be combined into one whole from even pieces.

However, it is of great importance what metal the cast disk is made of. It is easier to melt it and mold it again, because aluminum alloys do not tolerate local heating. They have completely different molecular bonds than steel, the structure of which is disrupted with increasing temperature and changes the technical characteristics of the product.

This type of repair is still carried out using argon welding, and sometimes a person is simply forced to make such a decision. But we note that the repaired disk actually loses its ability to resist loads, and therefore will remain the Achilles heel of the car.

That is, the casting cannot be completely restored. But car owners do this because, as a rule, it is almost impossible to replace one disc without replacing the entire set - especially if the model is rare, and even imported. And this is the cost of the disk multiplied by 4.

Even if you find the same one on sale, one disc is unlikely to be sold, so as not to break the set. After all, an odd number will then be impossible to sell, and the seller can also be understood. At best, they will offer to place an order that can take as long as you like.

If there is not a crack in the rim, but it is simply bent, they can offer a service such as disc rolling. You may not even know that there was such a deformation, but it turns out, for example, during a seasonal change of tires, when the wheel just doesn’t want to balance, and no amount of weights helps to stop the runout.

Is it possible to roll alloy wheels?

You can roll a stamped disc without any problems, but cast discs cannot be subjected to this procedure! The thing is that it will not be possible to straighten cold metal, and local heating, as we have already found out, reduces the strength of the alloy and worsens its performance characteristics.

When the deformation is not very severe, the cast disc can be straightened by very light tapping, and only then lightly rolled.

To be sure that the disk has not been subjected to heat, you must supervise the alignment procedure yourself. If you haven't seen the process, do a simple check.

The burner used for heating leaves characteristic stains. It is impossible to wash this off, so it is hidden under a layer of paint.

This stain can only be painted over

By the way, not every master undertakes the correct repair of alloy wheels. The services of a good specialist are very expensive, and if your disk does not have much aesthetic or material value, it will be much easier to buy a new one (if you can find it).

Tip: When buying a used car, perform a visual inspection of the rims. If they are deformed or have signs of repair, do not take risks - be prepared to either immediately purchase and install a new set, or already refuse the purchase.

Everything that has been said about casting repair is also valid for forging. Minor defects can be corrected, but cracks in the hub hole area, large chips and serious geometry violations cannot be repaired.

Important: Whatever disk you repair, even if it is well balanced after that, place it only on the rear axle!

Quality painting is an art

Painting alloy wheels is a service that is provided in the AutoSpa network of beauty salons on the most acceptable terms. High-quality powder coating, short deadlines - this is what the employees of our network of centers can guarantee you today.

What paint to paint the wheels

Modern car care products, including wheel rims, with constant use can maintain the color and integrity of the rim paint coating, but after a certain time, it is still better to repaint the rims completely, without spending additional costs on partial repairs of the coating.

For self-application of paintwork, conventional automotive paints and enamels and high-tech coatings are mainly used. Most often used for painting wheels:

Acrylic paints;
Nitro enamels;
Liquid rubber.
Powder paint.

Each type of coating is successfully used when painting wheel rims independently. However, when choosing the type of paint coating, it is necessary to take into account the properties of the paints and the features of the application technology.

Acrylic automotive enamels are the most common today and are widely used for painting body parts and rims. They are produced both in the form of ready-to-use compositions in aerosol cans, and in the form of separate color forms of paints that require further mixing to obtain the desired color. When dry, the paints form a durable film that is resistant to external influences. Painting with acrylic paints today is the most common and easiest type of work to master on your own. Acrylic-based paints are suitable for all types of discs.

Acrylic paint for car rims

The once popular nitro enamels are today used mainly in the form of aerosol cans. The popularity of this type of car paint lies in the ease and speed of work. The paints are sold ready-made, easy to apply to the surface, and dry quickly under normal conditions. This paint is usually used for express painting and is suitable for all types of rims. However, this paint holds up worse than others.

Nitro enamels for cars

Liquid rubber is a relatively new type of protective coating. The main form of release is ready-to-use paint in aerosol cans. It is easily applied to the surface, ensures reliable adhesion, and has excellent resistance to external influences. The downside of the paint is that it is difficult to select the required color, since it is sold in cans in a ready-made composition. Suitable for painting all types of discs.

Examples of liquid rubber colors

Powder paint is a new high-tech type of coating that provides reliable metal protection and at the same time excellent appearance. Powder paint makes it possible to create any color composition, including using several color transitions. The disadvantage of this dyeing technology is the need to use special equipment and great care when working. In addition, it is not recommended to use powder technology for application to light alloy cast wheels, especially from unknown manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom.

Powder paint

Powder coating technology for wheels

The process of painting wheels using powder has its own specifics. So, it consists of the following stages:

preparing the area where the paint will be applied;
painting;
firing in a specially prepared chamber;
applying a protective varnish coating.

As part of the preparation, light alloy wheels are cleaned of dirt and dust with water, and then oil stains are removed with a solvent. Next, apply an acid solution to the surface of the disc and, using a sandblasting machine, get rid of the old coating. Rust is removed with brushes, and then iron phosphate is applied to the surface. At the end of preparation, the disk is additionally freed from dust.

Photos of the stages of painting wheels

Before starting painting, the specialist first puts on protective clothing. A spray applicator is used to spray the dye. It is worth spraying the paint at a distance of 30 cm from the disk. Thanks to the electrostatics that appears during the operation of the sprayer, the released paint particles adhere better to the disk surface. Coloring is performed in 2 stages. However, before applying a new layer, you should wait until the first one is completely dry so that bubbles do not appear.

Photos of our work on painting wheels

Heating in the chamber is called polymerization. So, the air containing the disk is heated to 200 degrees, due to which the paint applied to its surface begins to melt. All dye particles combine to form a thick mass that turns into a durable film. As soon as the temperature drops, the film hardens. Polymerization takes no more than 25 minutes. If the wheels are large, then this process may take half an hour. The disc cools down for 8 hours. If in the end the paint is not saturated enough or adheres unevenly to the disk, you will have to repeat the previous step and this one.

The protective varnish is applied in 2 layers. Once the varnish is added, it will become completely hard within 72 hours.

#	R-13 R-14	R-15	R-16	R-17	R-18	R-19	R-20	R-21	R-22
Painting the set (4 discs) in 1 color	4500 rub.	5500 rub.	6500 rub.	7500 rub.	9000 rub.	10000 rub.	11000 rub.	12000 rub.	15000 rub.
Painting the set (4 discs) in 2 colors	9000 rub.	11000 rub.	13000 rub.	15000 rub.	18000 rub.	20000 rub.	22000 rub.	24000 rub.	30000 rub.
Sandblasting disc	400/500r.	500 rub.	550 rub.	600 rub.	650 rub.	800 rub.	1000 rub.	1200 rub.	1500 rub.
Painting 2 calipers	3000 rub.	3000 rub.	3000 rub.	3000 rub.	3000 rub.	4000 rub.	4000 rub.	4000 rub.	4000 rub.
Painting 4 calipers	4000 rub.	4000 rub.	4000 rub.	4000 rub.	4000 rub.	5000 rub.	5000 rub.	5500 rub.	5500 rub.

You can also use a calculator to calculate the cost

Useful tool for car tire repair

Rasp from the set

If you can simply repair ordinary cameras with your own hands and without various kinds of devices, then for tubeless cameras you will need a special set of tools. To repair, you will need a rasp, an installation tool, harnesses, an awl, and a knife.

Do-it-yourself repairs should be done very carefully. Thanks to the listed set of tools, you will be able to restore the tire with high quality. The first thing you need to do is identify the puncture. Usually items such as nails or screws remain in the wheel and are obvious to the eye, but if not visible, then you need to use tips to detect damage. Blisters will appear at the puncture site.

Once the puncture is identified, the damaged area must be cleaned and a tourniquet placed there.

If the hole is very large, you need to buy a special repair fungus. It is better to buy it in advance, replenishing the repair kit in the car.

After the puncture is processed and expanded, the tourniquet is placed in a special tool and lubricated with an adhesive composition, which is usually present in the kit. Next, you need to carefully remove the tool so that the tourniquet does not stretch out. After the manipulations, the wheel must stand still so that the adhesive composition sets and the harness is properly fixed in the puncture.

A repair kit, which includes a set of tools and accessories, is sold in car dealerships at a reasonable price. It allows you to repair your car's tires yourself without calling a tow truck.

Even a beginner can do the repair, the main thing is to follow the recommendations and work carefully. Don't forget to equip your car with a tire repair kit.

*Prices are current as of February 2022.

How to paint wheels

To paint cast wheels (stamped ones can be painted in a similar way), you need to strictly adhere to the technological process. As for materials, you need:

wheel paint and primer;
varnish and sandpaper;
solvents and putty;

You should also prepare rags, gloves, a mask or respirator, etc. in advance. By the way, when choosing paints and varnishes, it is optimal to purchase varnish, paint and primer from one manufacturer.

As you can see, if the task is simply to tint the wheels, then it will be enough to clean the surface and paint it with a spray can. With the right approach, you can get a good result. If you have experience in painting work, then you should not limit yourself to surface treatment.

In other words, it is recommended to completely paint alloy wheels, since only in this case can we talk about the durability of the new coating. For high-quality paint application, it is better to use a compressor and a spray gun.

You also need a drill with attachments to remove the old coating and remove corrosion. Separately, you can sandblast the discs, which will save time and completely remove dirt, paint residues, rust, etc. from the discs.

To dry the discs faster, you need at least a household hair dryer, although it is better to immediately prepare a construction hair dryer or use a heat gun. You also need to make a special hanger for the disc in order to paint and dry it. This type of suspension is made of wire.

Having prepared the materials and equipment, you can proceed to the painting itself. The general process begins with preparing the wheels for painting. To do this, you need to remove the tires from the rims, then wash the rims (you can use car shampoo or active household detergents). Now you need to completely remove dirt, bitumen, and rust.
Next, you need to troubleshoot the disc, within which chips, scratches, blistering paint and other problem areas should be noted. If there are cracks, the discs need to be repaired (boiled) and rolled if necessary. This can be done in a professional workshop.
Then, in an accessible way, the old paintwork is mechanically removed, corrosion (including under-film corrosion) is removed. Afterwards you need to degrease the surface with a solvent. Severe defects (chips, scratches) must be removed using putty. When the material has dried, you need to sand it. If necessary, the putty is applied in several layers to obtain the desired result.
Next, the disc is degreased again and can be mounted on a suspension. Now you can proceed to applying the primer. The primer is applied in 2 or 3 layers (each layer is dried). To speed up drying, use a hair dryer or other devices.
Now you can apply paint, which is sprayed from 45-50 cm, you also need to apply at least a couple of layers (preferably 3). Each layer must dry well. When painting, you need to carefully paint hard-to-reach areas (corners, edges, etc.).
After waiting for the paint to dry, you can proceed to applying varnish. Varnish is applied to discs in the same way as paint. The only thing is that you can apply a couple of layers. This is quite enough for protection and shine. Now the varnish needs to be dried; it will completely cure in 48-72 hours. The disks are now ready for use.

Tire installation

Before work, check the technical condition of the wheel and tire. They must not have any damage. Also be sure to remove any old balancing weights from the wheel. Installation is carried out in reverse order. Before work, lubricate the edge of the rubber with soapy water.

The most difficult thing is to inflate the tire. With tube tires it is a little easier; just inflate the wheel with high pressure and the tire will fall into place. It is impossible to seal a tubeless tube in this way; services use a compressor for this. If it is not there, you can use another wheel; it is inflated to 3 atm

., after which they connect the hose to the newly assembled wheel, the excess pressure will be sharply released, and the tire will fall into place.

conclusions

. Despite the inexpensive tire fitting services, knowing how to remove and put on tires from a rim yourself can help you out in a variety of situations. Therefore, it is advisable for every car enthusiast to master this simple skill.

Diagnostic methods

So, if your engine is smoking, how can you figure out whether the rings or caps are faulty? It is not necessary to resort to computer diagnostic methods. There are two simple tests to identify the source of the problem:

Worn oil seals can be easily identified by watching the car in motion using the rear-view mirrors. Once you have gained speed, release the gas pedal, allowing the car to slow down naturally. Then, sharply press the gas while watching the rear of the car in the mirror. If, when you press the gas, blue or bluish-white smoke comes out of the pipe, then the culprit is the stiff valve caps, which have ceased to cope with their function. For the second method, you will need to wait for the engine to cool down. Then, in neutral gear, begin to gain engine speed. Blue smoke from the chimney = replacement of caps. The least painful option for the wallet.
Failure of the rings can only be recognized when it is hot. As a rule, they show themselves when the load on the engine increases. For example, when driving uphill or suddenly accelerating when overtaking. If, when performing these actions, you are left with a persistent oily trace of black or bluish color, everything is very bad. In the best case, if the piston rings are faulty, you will need to add engine oil more often than usual. Then the rings can lie down and repairs of this kind are commensurate with a major overhaul of the engine. An indirect sign of ring wear is a weakening of engine power when the car begins to “go hard”.

Welding Aluminum Wheels: Canadian Regulations

Some provisions from these Canadian Rules that may be of interest to aluminum wheel welders [3]:

The minimum material thickness of an aluminum disk element that can be repaired by welding is 1.5 mm.
The repair shop must always have an insurance fund specifically for the repair of aluminum wheels in the amount of at least 2 million dollars (you must understand, Canadian).
The workshop must have a welding machine of at least 250 amps.
The workshop must have a weld repair supervisor who has at least 5 years of experience in aluminum welding.
This master is responsible for: a) the decision to repair the disk by welding or send it to scrap; b) repair method for each aluminum disk being repaired; c) quality of welding of the repaired aluminum disk.
A workshop that repairs aluminum wheels must keep a special log in which information about each repair of aluminum wheels is recorded.
Each welder must pass an examination on knowledge of test methods and acceptance criteria for welding repairs of aluminum wheels.
An aluminum wheel repair shop must undergo a certification audit every two years to ensure it has the proper equipment, a qualified welding repairman, and a qualified welder.
Permitted structural welding repairs are limited to the rim, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Cosmetic repairs are permitted on the entire wheel, including welding repairs of surface dents and protrusions that do not affect the structural integrity of the wheel.
Disc repairs that use welding in combination with limited hot and cold straightening are permitted.
Hot straightening temperatures should not exceed 204 °C (400 °F).
Repair welding should only be performed using approved TIG or MIG welding procedures and materials.
Welding can be performed on wheel rims made of aluminum cast alloys and wrought alloys of the 5xxx and 6xxx series.
Acceptance criteria for aluminum welds shall be in accordance with the Canadian Aluminum Structural Welding Code.

Figure 1 – Main elements of a typical wheel rim [3]

Figure 2 – Permitted and prohibited welding zones of a typical wheel rim [3]

Methods for restoring and repairing alloy wheels

To solve problems associated with the repair of alloy wheels, the help of qualified specialists is required. You can only correct the protective coating with your own hands. Often, high-quality casting repairs require expensive equipment and tools, as well as the knowledge and skills of personnel.

Any wheel rim undergoes a thorough inspection before repair. To do this, the inner and outer surface of the disk is cleaned of dirt. After this, you can detect even defects that are invisible at first glance.
If cracks are detected, the cast disk is sent for argon welding. Cracks are sealed with a special electrode in an inert gas (argon) environment. For light alloy wheels based on aluminum, AG electrodes are used, and for repairing magnesium alloys, AMG electrodes are required.
After welding, the disk is cleaned of sagging and splashes of molten metal.
Now it is necessary to check the geometric characteristics of the casting, and, if necessary, correct them on a special machine. The disc is centered and mounted in a rotating chuck. Using a hydraulic cylinder with a set of attachments, the surface of the disk is straightened. As a result, the disk geometry is restored and radial and axial displacements are eliminated.
Next, the surface of the cast disc is sanded, degreased, and a layer of acrylic or powder paint is applied. Parts coated with powder (paint) are sent to a polymerization chamber, where a durable protective layer is formed at high temperatures.
All that remains is to check the balancing of the restored disk and make a final verdict. After repair, experts recommend installing some alloy wheels only on the rear axle.

Thanks to modern restoration technologies, many damage to alloy wheels can be successfully repaired. Important components of the complete restoration of casting performance will be the professionalism of service station workers and the availability of high-tech equipment.

When is it necessary to flange wheels?

There are several reasons when you need to replace any component or disassemble tires on wheels:

deflates the wheel between the disc base and the rubber part;
severe wear of tire treads;
camera punctured;
The disk is damaged.

Wheel disassembly methods

To trim wheels yourself, you can use the following methods:

Impact method. This method is the oldest. To disassemble a tubeless wheel yourself, you will need a small set of tools and physical strength.
Impactless method: using a second car. This is a safer way. It will require a second vehicle and a wide board.
Impactless method: using a vehicle lifting mechanism and some necessary tools.

Experienced car enthusiasts know how to disassemble a tubeless wheel at home using homemade tire mounting equipment.

Straightening alloy car rims

If you find a disc on your car that is deformed, it can be restored using an operation such as straightening. Rolling of cast wheels on a roller stand is not carried out, as this can destroy the structure of the product. In this case, the pressing force of the rollers cannot be accurately calculated. Therefore, such restoration is not suitable for light alloy products.

Some craftsmen use a hammer to straighten cast wheels for minor deformations. Light tapping straightens the shape, and the maximum possible restoration of the shape of the car wheel occurs, allowing it to be used. This method requires a lot of patience, as well as serious experience and relevant skills.

Why repair drives?

Severe operating conditions and the condition of Russian roads negatively affect the condition of wheel rims. Restoration work in relation to them can be divided into repair and restoration. In this case, the second option is more suitable for cast disc varieties.

Car maintenance becomes much more expensive, since you have to change tires and chassis parts more often. In addition, the vehicle's fuel consumption also increases due to increased rolling resistance.

Taking into account these factors, the feasibility of repair work becomes obvious.

When and why should you paint alloy wheels?

As it may seem, alloy wheels do not require maintenance. In fact, this is far from the case. First of all, they need to be regularly removed from dirt, washed and cleaned. At the same time, you should not use aggressive chemicals when washing, so as not to damage the protective varnish coating.

Further, in winter, varnish and paint are destroyed from the aggressive effects of salt and reagents. Also, flying stones and mechanical damage create microcracks in the protective coating. Then chips and other defects appear. The salt and chemicals that get there from the roads, already under the paint and varnish coating, actively destroy the paintwork and the disc material itself. As a result, large-scale paint peeling occurs.

To increase the service life of alloy wheels, painting is required at a minimum. This allows the protective coating to be restored. If the disc is severely damaged, a comprehensive restoration is needed, including repair of alloy discs.

What you will need

If you are interested in how to disassemble a wheel yourself, remember that you don’t need special professional equipment, but not every available tool will do. For example, using a hammer and pry bar can damage the tire and wheel.

A simple set for disassembling wheels

To remove a tubeless tire, you need to prepare:

solvent - after applying it, the stuck tire will be much easier to remove from the rim;
jack;
wrench;
steel corner;
hammer;
blades for installation.

After dismantling the tire, it is important to wipe the disc dry so that this does not interfere with the beading process in the future.

Types of alloy wheels

All light alloy wheels are divided into two main groups.

Alloy wheels are light alloy wheels that are made by hot casting, where molten metal is poured into molds. Therefore, cast wheels turn out to be quite fragile and do not have the proper elasticity. During impacts and collisions, impressive cracks and chips form on them, the geometry is disrupted and beating appears.
Forged wheels are made differently. The light alloy blank is heated and stamped. As a result of metal drawing, the structure of the product becomes fibrous, which significantly increases the strength and reliability of the forged disk. Such wheels are less likely to crack and deform.

What happens if you drive on damaged rims?

Many drivers wonder what can happen if they drive on a damaged disc. In fact, there can be a lot of options for problems and unpleasant situations. It all depends on the nature of the damage and some other situations. It is worth noting that you should not continue driving if the disc is seriously damaged. This can cause very bad consequences, which begin to manifest themselves in the following indicators:

when driving on a flat road, a rhythmic twitching of the steering wheel occurs, the nature of which changes as the speed increases or the intensity of the trip decreases;
the tire pressure is constantly decreasing, this can be a fast or slow process, but it will definitely happen, so you have to constantly monitor the pressure;
the car pulls in a certain direction - when you let go of the steering wheel on a flat road, you will immediately understand that it’s time to go to a tire shop and get the wheel repaired;
confidence in the trip disappears, at high speed the car can be thrown several centimeters to the side, this is especially felt on uneven road surfaces;
There are problems that are invisible to the naked eye, but in the general state of affairs they add trouble to the driver in the process of using his iron horse.

As you can see, there are a lot of troubles associated with uneven rims. And this is not a complete list, but only the most common manifestations that may seem to be the consequence of other breakdowns. Often people go through the entire chassis to understand the cause of the problem, and do not find any problems. All this wastes your time and costs money, so you should check the disks right away and not waste money on other processes.

Bent disk | "rolling" the disc

Another unpleasant surprise happened to me and my Ford Fusion.
I flew into a hole because it’s autumn and there are only puddles. And as usual, the disk was bent. There was a lot of swearing towards our valiant road services. I think the situation is not new for anyone, with our roads. It’s okay that I have it made of metal, but if it were cast or forged, what should I do then? Let's figure it out... First of all, guys, I'll show you a short video showing a straightening machine. I’ll say right away that straightening my case is the easiest task, because the blow was not strong and only a small part was crumpled.

So, a bent contour definitely needs to be straightened, or in professional language, it needs to be “rolled” or “rolled”. Why this name, everything is simple, as you understood from the video, when the edge rotates there are special shafts that straighten it, and the balancing is almost restored to 100%. But you won’t straighten it yourself, don’t even try, no, of course you can hit the bend with a hammer, but nothing good will come of it. By the way, here are photos of my case.

By the way, I didn’t lose the cap, because I fastened it according to these instructions, by the way, it helped. Now I can say with confidence that it works great. But in the photo there is a wheel without a cap (collective farm). Such a wheel can hit the steering wheel, because the balancing is off. No, of course, if you don’t care for your tires, then you may not “roll” (straighten) the wheel, then if the balancing is not correct, your tire will quickly wear out and you will simply throw it away. If it’s still expensive for you, like me, I have a 15-inch Yokohama C.Drive and it costs about 3,500 rubles, then you need to straighten the dent as soon as possible. As I did. We look for signs in tire shops in the city and stop by there. There they will remove your wheel, remove the rubber and fix it on a special machine, here is a photo.

secured to the machine

Then the master asked me to move away, so I filmed from afar. In general, the machine straightens the rim with metal shafts in a circle. Afterwards it becomes smooth and without dents. Here is a photo of the machine in action.

After that, the master will put the tires back on, and balance the wheel, and accordingly put it in place in the car. The result is that the wheel does not break, the disk is restored, the tires are saved. This procedure is not expensive in our city, the price is 220 rubles.

If you have a cast or forged wheel, things can be more complicated. A forged or cast disc may crack, so before “rolling” it must first be soldered. But soldering will not restore its 100% strength. And you need to drive such a disc carefully.

This is where I will end the article, read our automotive website, it will be interesting.

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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.

Alloy wheels are deservedly popular among motorists. But along with the advantages of casting, they have one significant drawback. With strong impacts, the discs are damaged, creating a danger on the road. Repairing alloy wheels can eliminate some problems and extend their life.

We have already written about the differences between stamped and cast wheels, as well as about painting cast wheels yourself. This article will be a good addition to the previous ones.