Painted Alloy Rim Repair

[Die Frau]

As you can see, this is minor wheel damage with very little paint and metal repair required. It could be touched up with a paint touch up stick, but it would not look right.



Well, no need to fear. I've done this enough times to have an easy way to do home repairs with a few simple items. Note that this procedure only covers light scuffs. This isn't meant to be used to repair a damaged wheel or one where the scuffs cause significant damage to the rim. This is only for those annoying superficial scuffs, which seem to happened to me more times than I care to admit.

There are plenty of good services which can do this for very reasonable money. Many of you will happily use a service, but I'm inpatient and have the free time (generally) to spend a couple of hours on a repair. Plus, it really takes the edge off "donking" my wheels when I know I can simply fix it myself.

Here's the parts list you need:

Wurth Silver Wheel Lacquer

Wurth High Gloss Clear Lacquer

Primer

Bondo Spot Putty

240 and 400 wet & dry sand paper

Paint thinner

Masking tape & masking paper

I have a can of scratch-filler primer, the Wurth wheel paint and clear (got mine at Performance Products), some paint thinner, Bondo spot putty (or equivalent), sand paper and some 240 and 400 grit sandpaper (if you are REALLY anal, get some 600 grit paper).



PLEASE NOTE: Although this is a Porsche wheel, the Wurth Silver Wheel Paint is a perfect match for Porsche, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and some VW wheels. It can also be used to completely refinish any wheel. The following technique, explained in nice detail by "NASAraser of AudiWorld.com", is a good way to do a small area repair if you curb your wheel or otherwise damage a small area.

Step 1. Clean, Clean, Clean

This is one of the most important steps. Use paint thinner to thoroughly clean the entire area around the damage. You need to remove all traces of wax and silicones from the surface of the wheel. I'm going to remind you every step of the way to clean. I'll probably end up wiping down these surfaces 10 or more times before painting. If you don't do this, the rest is pointless because the repair will not work. Also, you should only work on the area of the wheel that is damaged. Don't go nuts and try to paint half your wheel on the car. For this technique to succeed we will only sand and paint the immediate area around the damage.

Use a lint-free cloth for cleaning your wheel. Prior to cleaning with paint thinner (Prepsol is even better), scrub the tire and wheel with dish detergent (Dawn) to remove as much silicone (tire protectant) as possible. Dry thoroughly.



2. Sand and Putty

I like to start by masking the tire from the wheel. Get the masking tape well behind the rim.

Next, lightly sand the area to a nice "feather" with 240 grit sandpaper and apply spot putty.

Important: this entire project will work best if its a nice warm day. The drying time of spot putty is minutes but if it's cold or damp, this project is likely to not work out too well. Work in direct sunlight if necessary to keep the work area warm (not hot).

Remember: keep your sanding to the immediate area around the damage. Trust me on this.

Use a sanding block (small wood block or rubber erasure) to get the best results. Although dry sanding works, wet sanding is best.







Once you've done the first round of putty, switch to the finer of your sandpaper (400 grit in my case) and sand and putty until it FEELS and LOOKS flush. Note that I use the paper wrapped around a piece of wood to make a flat sanding block. It's best to sand with a flat block to get a smooth, level finish.

3. Mask and Primer

Okay, here's where a bit of laziness is going to create an entirely new project. The silver metallic paint will get everywhere. I'm talking permanently attached to the fender on the opposite corner of the car. Mask carefully and cover the entire car with an old sheet or equivalent.



I've used the scratch-filler primer and sanded it and put a bit more putty on. Note that this is the first place where I use my special technique. Immediately after I spray the primer (or paint) I clean all of the overspray off the spokes of the wheel (clean rag and paint thinner) and the area around the inside of the rim. I do not want to try to get the paint to smoothly adhere to the entire wheel! We only want to paint the REPAIR. Only the clear coat will be sprayed without wiping off the overspray. Wait for the primer to fully dry and lightly sand it with 400 or 600 grit sandpaper.

Use a lint-free cloth for cleaning your wheel. Prior to cleaning with paint thinner (Prepsol is even better), scrub the tire and wheel with dish detergent (Dawn) to remove as much silicone (tire protectant) as possible. Dry thoroughly.



5. Painting

VITAL: Read the instructions on the can! If you try to use this paint in cold temperatures (or in damp conditions) it's going to be a mess. Shake the can for at least a full minute and push the spray nozzle as you sweep across and release at the end. Spray on, spray off. Spray on, spray off. Apply as a very fine coat. You're not trying to make it glossy. That's the job of the top clearcoat.

This is roughly the distance I used the can from the wheel. I highly recommend practicing on a scrap part to get used to the distances and thickness this paint sprays.



After the silver colorcoat dries (overnight is best), you can apply two thin coats of clear with about 20-30 minutes of drying time between coats. After the clear dries (another day) you can use 1500-2000 grit wet and dry or a fine cut compound to feather in any traces of the repair. Use a final polish to restore full gloss.



From Here: http://www.autopia-carcare.com/realwhda.html

[dubswede]

nice. thanks.

[bagpipe goatee]

Looks good. I'm going to probably do this with a set of snowflakes this winter.

[k-wood]

Hey, where did the pics go??? The nasty patch of unavoidable (yes, unavoidable if you have low-profile tires at all) pothole minefield by lake harriet just ate my wheels. I remembeer reading this thread before when there were pictures that you could see. But my wheels were brand new then.

[Dane]

^^ ill fix em for you.. 100 bucks

[mahoney]

^^ ill fix em for you.. 100 bucks

Kinda curious what your work looks like for $100 bucks. A pint of good basecoat these days is $65 my cost at the low end. Plus primer, sealer, clear, and misc other crap. Doesn't leave a whole lot of room for profit, if any. Though when I was starting out I did a lot of things for free and the same paint was like $40 a pint then. Just took it as a learning experience. My how times have changed and it's only been 8 years.

[vr6newb]

he is talking about fixing the pics