KATOOM

Well its been way to long since I rotated my tires and against all my better judgement I took it to the tire shop to have them rotated and balanced. Low and behold I come home with some new scratches on my nice shiny aluminum rims. If I could mount and balance my own tires I would. I hate tire shops. So I was wondering if anyone knows how to remove sractchs on the stock rims or possibly if anyone has had them polished. I really like the look of these rims. One of the better looking stock wheel I think. I had some car rims polished once. Looked great but the down time was hard.

Shaders 24v

KATOOM try having them replace the wheels or something. Raise hell if it is not tooo late. Yes these are nice factory wheels. I repair alloy wheels for a living. BUT I am a mobile opperation. We really cannot "repair" forged alluminum due to the mirror finish. Wheels like that usually get sent out to a factory. Meaning you will be without your wheels for about 7-10days. Polishing them will do nothing if the finish has been punctured.........meaning gouges or deep chips. I have a nasty scratch on one of my spokes from a stone,can't really do anything about it. I have seen tire machines do the same thing to a wheel that a can opener does to can.

A Dodge dealer wanted me to fix one of those 20" wheels on a 1500. COuldn't do anything for them. The other area that gets damaged are around the lugnuts. That can be avoided if you are careful.

Good luck!

KATOOM

You are so right about the lug nut area being sratched up easy. Maybe that has something to do with the star workers behind the air gun. Like I said before, I almost feel like I'm watching someone tryout for Nascar. Do they get paid by the wheel or by the hour? Back to the question, my main concern was the clear coat finish.

magnum

KATOOM,

There are a ton of aftermarket wheel repairers around, usually amount to shipping them your wheel, them making the repair, and you getting it shipped back. Some even have enough stock that they will simply charge you a core fee, and you get it refunded when you ship back your old wheels.

I know that you are aware of this, but I'll say it anyway...The clear coat prevents us from polishing up the aluminum. You are correct to be concerned about the chips/gouges in the clear/aluminum. I see lots of older uncared for aluminum rims that have galvanic corrosion from aluminum and steel in contact with each other.

I would suggest that the shop either arrange for a set of reconditioned wheels, or compensate you for the damage. Last I heard was about $125.00 per wheel plus shipping.

Shaders 24v

It is scarry once you leave your car to a dealership service center. What I have seen..................


Magnum is correct about the repair facilities. Sometimes though they have an exchange where you trade yours in on a reconed set BUT you never get your other set back.

The biggest problem with the clearcoat that I have come across is the lifting process. Just say you get a stonechip that leaves a nasty gouge. Well anytime it rains,gets wet or you wash your car,water is getting up and under the clearcoat on the wheel. Time goes by and you little chip has now spread across 3/4 of the wheel. It sometimes looks like veins or just pieces of plastic hanging off. I see it everday.

Try this site
www.wheelcollision.com This is who my dealerships send the wheels to if I cannot repair them. They do excellent work.

Good luck

Tom.