Alloy Wheel Refurbishment Process
Platinum Alloy Wheel Repair provide specialist alloy wheel refurbishment services to customers wishing to revitalise damaged car alloy wheels and are experts in supplying custom wheel paint finishes to diamond cut / machine polished, aftermarket, split rim and standard painted alloy wheels.
Some alloy wheels can be prone to lacquer blistering / corrosion and we have a number of ways to deal with this type of damage. It is important to note that whilst shot blasting the wheels with small particles of media can remove existing paint and corrosion damage, due to the fact that this tends to be a ‘ hard ‘ process, it can leave the alloy pitted which invariably reduces the uniformity of the exterior surface which will impair the quality of any subsequent refurbishment.
As a result, we utilise the latest techniques in chemical stripping techniques which remove all the paint and corrosion in a less aggressive and controlled manner, which means the wheels are not subject to pitting and ensures they are ready for our 7 stage CRR shuttle workshop alloy wheel refurbishment process.
Clients frequently ask if full alloy wheel refurbishment can be done on a mobile basis and the simple answer is No. Fully refurbishing an alloy wheel is an industrial process and our CRR shuttle workshop service enables us to collect alloys from client locations within London, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Kent or Essex and have them refinished and quickly refitted.
When alloys come in for full alloy wheel refurbishment, we can paint them to their original colour or if you have a custom colour requirement we can refinish them as needed which will help ‘ reset the clock ‘ and get your wheels looking even better than they did when the first left the factory.
Stage One: CRR shuttle workshop.
On the day of your agreed CRR pickup appointment, we attend onsite at your location and remove the wheel/s from your vehicle, carefully placing the vehicle on 3 / 6 tonne rated axles stands ( vehicle dependent ) where it will be left onsite at your location, so you dont have to worry about your vehicle being driven without authorisation during the typical 24 – 48 hour refurbishment period.
Stage Two: Pre inspection and preparation.
Once back to the workshop, your wheels and tyres are inspected for wear / damage prior to tyre being removed from the wheel along with any weights and valves, which will present us with a single aluminium block to process.
Stage Three: Chemically stripping the alloy wheel to base metal.
When an alloy come into the workshop for full alloy wheel refurbishment, they are placed in a chemical solution to fully remove old paint and lacquer and then thoroughly washed to remove any stubborn debris. At this point, the alloy is ‘ raw ‘ and any secondary repairs such as welding cracks or straightening buckled wheels is completed. When secondary repairs are completed, the alloy is then subjected to low pressure blast media to provide a smooth substrate.
Stage Four: New primer application.
At this stage, the alloy wheel has been ‘ stripped and dipped ‘ and it progresses through a hot oven, prior to its arrival into the booth for powder coating primer application. The wheel is then passed through the hot oven again to promote the curing process, which then readies it for the next stage of the process of paint / lacquer application or diamond cutting on an industrial CNC lathe if required.
Stage Five: New paint / lacquer application.
The alloy wheel is moved into a sealed booth and professionally painted to the existing wheel colour or to a custom paint schedule. Dependent on requirement, the alloy/s can be diamond cut full face or just the rim lip and then subject to full paint /lacquer application or just base coat. When the wheel has been painted, dependent on requirement, the inside and outside of wheel is lacquered which acts as a protective barrier that helps protect the wheel from external elements such as brake dust, moisture, salt and other debris which erode and degrades the appearance of your alloys over a period of time whilst you are driving your vehicle.
Stage Six: Quality control and balancing.
Every alloy wheel is logged when it comes into the workshop and when the refurbishment process has completed, it is matched back to the corresponding tyre, which is then put back on. If your old tyres were damaged and you have ordered new wheels through us, the new tyre will be fitted and the wheel and tyre balanced. The wheel then undergoes its final quality control check and it is then readied for despatch back to the client.
Stage Seven: Express return service.
On the day of your agreed CRR delivery appointment, we will attend onsite at your location and refit the fully refurbished and balanced wheel/s to your vehicle, ensuring the new pristine finish is undamaged, the wheels correclty torqued and any centre caps are refitted leaving your wheels looking as good as the day they were shipped from the manufacturer.
Please call 0203 642 1663 or send us an enquiry with images of your damaged wheels ( allowing us to see the full circle / circumference of each alloy wheel ) along with your diamond cutting or powder coating requirement and we shall assist.
