Alloy wheel refurbishment is one of the most popular ways of making your wheels look new again. Short of spending the money for new wheels, this is the least expensive way to keep them from reducing the quality and appearance of your car.
Most alloy wheels are painted and the scratches that are a part of the normal wear and tear from the road can make them begin to look really bad. Check the wheels once they are removed from the car and the paint is stripped off to see if they have any deep gouges that will need to be filled. If so, these may need to be filled. The smaller scratches can be filled with spot putty.
The presence of large gouges may need to be filled by finding a welding shop that does this type of work. Most people are not welders so finding someone who knows how to do this is your best bet. Once all the scratches and gouges have been filled, the wheels will have to be sanded so they are smooth once again.
This is a process that takes a while, because they may have to be sanded a couple of times with different grit sandpaper to make the surface smooth and consistent. This must also be done in warm weather, preferably in the sun. Cool or damp weather is not conducive to allowing the putty to dry.
Once you have the sanding completed and everything is smooth, clean the wheel thoroughly with mineral spirits. This is a very important step in the process. The wheels must be perfectly clean. Depending upon whether the tires have been removed (which is actually preferred) they may have to be taped off so this lessens the risk of spraying paint on them.
When you are ready spray a coat of primer on the wheels. This should be sprayed lightly at first and then spray using the back and forth motion that is recommended for spray paint. Once the primer is dry, it will need to be sanded using wet sandpaper. Typically a 400 grit is used first and then the 600 grit. You will need to put two coasts of primer on the wheels.
You are now ready to put the color on the wheels. Once you have sprayed the first coat, you should let it dry. A good time frame is overnight. You will need two coasts of color on the wheels and they must be completely dry before the clear coat is applied. If not, this may cause the color to come off while spraying the clear coat.
When the clear coat is dry it can be sanded using from 1500 to 2000 grit sandpaper. Polish your wheels with wax and they are returned to a former shine and brilliance you will be proud to show off. This is an option that can be used if you need your alloy wheels to look great again and money is an object. The professional process of refurbishing alloy wheels is done a little differently than what you would do yourself.
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