Alloy Wheel Repair: Keeping Your Alloys In Top Condition

In this week’s blog our accident repair centre gives you the ‘ins and outs’ of how to look after your Alloy Wheels following your Alloy Wheel Repair. Being one of Kents premier car body shops means we know a thing or two about perfect alloys!

Most of us have been there, hearing that tell-tale scrape as your tyre gets too close to a kerb. Even if you haven’t experienced it, it’s a fear that most car owners have, especially when you’ve got expensive alloy wheels on your car.

Alloy wheel damage usually comes from brushing up against a kerb, getting too close to one while turning a corner, or hitting a deep pothole… ouch. While it’s possible to repair alloy wheels, some kinds of damage may need a full replacement. Supercar alloy wheels will set you back thousands per wheel or more if you have a rare or a very high-end car. 

If you want to avoid hefty costs, it’s best to protect your wheels against damage especially after an alloy wheel repair! Or if you are worried about your paintwork trying plasti dip might just be your answer.

The Jenkins & Pain’s Guide on How to avoid alloy wheel damage while driving:

Changing your driving style is a good first step, although not soundproof. If you’re worried about your wheels, avoid having to park alongside a kerb. If you’ve got no choice like some of us, you need to work on your parallel parking technique. We recommend doing this in a car with less valuable wheels or in an area with a dropped kerb (although don’t leave your car there as a dropped kerb usually means access is needed).

Of course, there are times where a scrape against a kerb is unavoidable. Maybe you’re avoiding a collision when another driver veers into your lane, hit a hidden pothole, or you have to take drastic measures to get out of the way of a dangerous driver. 

You could be the best driver in the world and those kerbs will still jump out at you. You might also have diamond-cut alloy wheels. Read about them here.

After an Alloy Wheel Repair Why Not Use Rim Protectors?

Alloygator is perhaps the best known alloy wheel protection. It’s a nylon strip that’s attached to the surface of the wheel near the tyre. This creates a barrier between your precious alloy wheels and whatever hazards you might come up against. 

In order to fit these you need to jack your car up and deflate your tyre so the protector can be attached at the edge of the rim. If you’re unsure what’s right for your car, pop into your local accident repair centre or vehicle superstore.

A cheaper brand is Rimblades and they’re much easier to fit yourself. Although, because they simply stick to the outside of your wheel to create a barrier, you may go through them pretty quickly.

Whichever brand you choose, rim protectors come in a variety of colours so you can match them to your wheel or tyre colour. Or you can choose a bright colour that matches another element of your vehicle, such as the paint work. You might want to consider using our plasti-dip service if you are after an exceptionally bold colour! Either way after an alloy wheel repair you want to keep them safe. Being a premier Car Body Shop we have all the colours you need!

Watch how you wash

If your wheel cleaner of choice tells you to wash it off within a few minutes, it’s acid-based and this can cause damage to your wheels by eating through the lacquer that protects them. If you insist on using these kinds of cleaners (they are wonderful at lifting off brake dust), make sure you wash them off within the recommended time to avoid damage to your wheels. This is especially important as you could be doing damage again to your alloys the moment you get your car back from an alloy wheel repair!

If you take your car to a high-end detailer, your alloy wheels are usually safe but beware of cheap side-of-the-road hand-wash services. While this will get your car clean, they don’t necessarily focus on quality and many use cheap products that may not be suitable for a beloved car. Sometimes its worth mentioning you have just had an Alloy Wheel Repair and they might be able to offer advice.

Prepare for winter

Winter is hazardous for cars from slippery roads that can send you veering into a kerb or to hidden potholes caused by the cold weather. You also have to contend with low temperatures and salt on the roads.

Make sure your wheels (and paintwork) are prepared for winter. Most alloy wheel manufacturers will have a preferred sealant. This is a product that will help to protect your wheels from the salt and dirt on the roads during winter. 

These sealants work much in the same way that wax works on the bodywork of your car and are great at protecting your alloy wheels. They create a barrier against harmful contaminants to reduce corrosion.

If you have very expensive alloy wheels but don’t want to store your car for the winter, consider a winter set of wheels. A set of steel wheel tyres might not look great but the extra weight will help with grip and you won’t be too upset if you do come across an inconsiderate kerb or pothole. 

Make sure you drive carefully, watch what you’re putting on your wheels, use the right kind of protection, and prepare for the conditions you are driving in. 

Use Jenkins & Pain, Award-Winning Accident Repair

If you do find yourself with damage to your beloved alloy wheels you can count on us to repair your alloys using industry-standard processes. We offer free quotes and with our exclusive repair service, we are sure you will be happy with the results. Contact our Car Body Shop today. Jenkins & Pain are a vehicle accident repair centre based in Dover, Kent. We are proud to call ourselves an award-winning accident repair centre.

Ready to get an Alloy Wheel Repair?

We understand how costly and inconvenient it is for a vehicle to be off the road and therefore we use processes that ensure your vehicle is repaired quickly and efficiently. So whether you need minor scratch repairs, major body repair, or alloy wheel refurbishment, our van body shop and car body shop can guarantee a high-quality service. We also repair light commercial vehicles and motorhomes. Contact us today for an Alloy Wheel Repair at our Car Body Shop!