Frequently Asked Questions
These are just a few of the common questions that customers often have about alloy wheel repair. If you have any specific concerns or inquiries, don't hesitate to reach out to us!
In most cases our turnaround time is usually next day. In many cases we are able to offer same day service provided we receive your vehicle early enough. More complex repairs such as full wheel restoration can take up to a week depending on the specific requirements.
In most cases even badly bent or cracked wheels can be repaired. Once we have assessed the wheel we can advise on the best course of action and what the repair costs will be. In some cases, it may not be economically viable to repair a badly damaged wheel. Rest assured we will use our many years of combined experience to provide you with the best advice.
We can repair all types of damage to the wheel face no matter what the finish. Deep damage will usually be tig welded to replace the wheel material lost as a result of the accident damage prior to the face repair commencing. We offer painted and powder coated finishes, CNC machined (Diamond cut) finishes as well as wheel re-rolling (for bent or buckled wheels – a WOF fail item) as well as welding repairs to cracked wheel rims.
We have an extensive paint mixing capability and almost endless library of factory colour codes that provide us with the required paint formula. We also have a high-end digital spectrometer that can provide the required paint formula just by scanning your existing wheel colour.
All our work is guaranteed for period of 12 months or 20,000Km whichever occurs first. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for stone chipping, scuffing, or buckling of wheels that can occur from normal use within this period.
Wheels that have corrosion or peeling paint will need to be completely stripped back to the bare alloy substrate before repairs can commence. This is usually achieved by sandblasting or chemical dipping depending on the type of wheel and several other factors. This service incurs additional costs and will be communicated to the owner before any further work is undertaken.
The cost to refinish an alloy wheel can vary greatly depending on what must be done and the specific requirements of the customer. The most basic wheel refinishing repair starts at $230. We will always contact you with a repair plan geared towards the best outcome for our customer along with and exact costings before going ahead with the repairs.
We do not offer a mobile repair service as it is impossible to achieve the same level of quality in regard to the repair. We do however have a wide range of loan wheels available that we will fit to your vehicle, so you are not stuck without transport while we repair your wheel. This takes only a few minutes to complete to minimise the interruption to your day. For bigger jobs where all 4 wheels require repairing, we have a small fleet of loan vehicles available to our customers at no charge.
We always remove the tyre from the wheel when completing repairs. Once the repairs have been completed, the tyre is refitted, and the wheel rebalanced. This is all included in the quoted price. In cases where a wheel has been damaged due to a hard impact (a pothole for example) we can arrange to have the wheel alignment checked and adjusted once the wheel has been refitted to the vehicle to ensure the wheel alignment remains within specification.
Try to avoid coming into contact with the kerb! Avoid water blasting your wheels for at least 48 hours. Never ever use acid-based wheel cleaners, especially on a warm wheel as it will compromise the wheel finish. We do not recommend caustic wheel cleaners at all, but if you insist on using them, make sure the wheel is stone cold and is wetted down with water before applying the cleaner. Do not leave the cleaner on for prolonged periods. We recommend warm soapy water and a soft sponge to clean your wheels, it is worth taking your time and putting in the elbow grease to preserve the finish on the wheel.
Wheels that have undergone previous repairs will often require stripping back to the bare substrate before they can be properly repaired again. In some cases, a machined finished (diamond cut) wheel may have been repaired too many times before meaning the only option is to fill and powder coat the wheel and refinish the whole set of four in a solid colour. We will always take previous repairs into consideration before advising you of the best and most cost-effective course of action. Sometimes there may be no other option but to replace the damaged wheel with a new or second-hand item that still has capacity to be refinished.
Alloy wheels will usually be checked along with the tyres for damage during scheduled vehicle maintenance carried out at your preferred service centre. Wheels are also checked annually during a warrant of fitness inspection, if a wheel is buckled, deformed, cracked, or shows signs of a previous poor-quality repair where the integrity of the wheel has been compromised, the vehicle will fail the inspection and a new warrant will not be issued until the wheel(s) in question have been repaired. We frequently remedy bent, buckled, and cracked wheels that have been picked up during a warrant of fitness inspection – very often the driver of the vehicle would be unaware that the wheel was not in a roadworthy condition. In all cases like this – it is better to be safe than sorry.
In most cases it’s perfectly safe to repair an alloy wheel. In our opinion you are always better off with factory alloy wheels however, there are some very good quality aftermarket wheels available that will stand up to the rigours of our roads just as well as a factory wheel. Having said all of this, there are also a lot of cheap aftermarket wheels available that can be problematic to repair. These wheels are prone to warping, buckling, and cracking. They will often cause vibrations through the vehicle at higher speeds and will blow apart very easily if they require straightening or re-rolling. If you are unsure, please call and ask for our advice – we will be happy to help.
The structural integrity of an alloy wheel is of paramount importance. If we have any doubts whatsoever around structural integrity, we will not repair the wheel and will recommend a replacement. In cases where a replacement wheel simply isn’t an option, we will have the wheel x rayed to assess the integrity and make a repair plan based on the findings.
