Alloy Wheel Repair

[ivegotcclass]

With today's heavy snow and terrible conditions in Scotland I slid my front wheel into a kerb and now have a decent sized chip out of it.

Anyone recommend a place in Scotland central belt who can do a decent job of alloy wheel repair?

I heard of a company once before in West Lothian but I can't remember the company name or what town they were in.

I hope someone has some good advice!!

 

[fionanallan]

We got the wheels on the Jeep refurbed...and they've never been right since. Can't seem to get them to balance out correctly. I'll look out the paperwork and tell you where not to go! It was between Lanark and the Lothian area. At the time, we had a list of two or three places in that area. I'll look out the names and get back to you...but I would not recommend the place we went to.
Just our luck! We've since learned that there is a lot more to the refurb process than blasting and painting, and that there is a science to it! We've got a small chip in one of the Merc wheels, and we're scared to attempt a repair after this experience.
Anyway...get back to you soon.

 

[ivegotcclass]

I found this with a Google search, not sure if anyone has used them before?

The website looks semi-decent although that can go for nothing nowadays...

http://www.wheelservices.co.uk

 

[Silver Arrow]

Alloy wheels on performance cars have to be perfect.
Any distortion makes them useless. I had one on my Lotus, the spare, which was OK to get home with, but dangerous at speed. It looked nice and shiny but could only be balanced with HUGE weight corrections. I bought one from a Lotus Club member who said it was perfect, only to find my wheelman to consign it as scrap! I got another which was excellent.
My researches taught me that all the refurbishers were really cosmetic. Any distortions couldn't be removed, and the impacts which remove lumps also distort the running dynamics.
All professional teams of my aquaintance scrap any suspect alloys.

Our 4 x 4's run steel wheels! ('cept the quattro)

 

[mioba]

You also have to be careful what these ppl use to clean them up with.
My cousing chipped the alloy on his 7 series BM (i know its a merc forum), he took it to some place in edinburgh and they sorted the chip but prepared the wheel that made it a differnt colour from the others, it looked really bad actually,
In the end the place had to fork out for a new wheel.

 

[Speedmaster]

I am also looking at this and found a place in edinburgh if that is handy for you?

 

[ivegotcclass]

I am also looking at this and found a place in edinburgh if that is handy for you?

A place in Edinburgh would be good.

My mate had a wheel straightened and cosmetically repaired in Edinburgh for his Subaru recently and they done an OK job, he is trying to remember who done it.

Any leads would be appreciated for this as I would like to get it repaired soon. I'm pretty pedantic about near perfect alloys!!!

 

[Yosser]

I am also looking at this and found a place in edinburgh if that is handy for you?

I'd be interested to hear who this is too.

The standard alloys on my '98 C class elegance are needing refurbed - not repaired.

I really need them blasted and recoated.

 

[Sanny]

Western Mercedes in Colinton have a specialsit who comes in to repair wheels. I had my S class repaired and you could not tell the difference.

Can't recommend them highly enough.

 

[ivegotcclass]

Western Mercedes in Colinton have a specialsit who comes in to repair wheels. I had my S class repaired and you could not tell the difference.

Can't recommend them highly enough.

I'm seeing them next week to get some warranty work done on my car, I'll ask them about the specialist.

What was the rough cost for a repair??

 

[Speedmaster]

I am being told that gary at Howard-Johnston Cars is well-known for doing Mercedes alloys in Edinburgh. They are on Ferry Road
0131 553 6276

let me know what the chap that goes to western says?

 

[Sanny]

The cost was around £30 per wheel and for that I got a repair that you cannot detect. When I had tyres replaced, I checked the rim and couldn't see/feel the difference.

They have a guy that comes in to do wheels and also minor bodywork/trim repairs.

My father auto opened the boot on his S class a couple of years ago in a car park, and banged it on an overhead pipe. The resulting dent was repaired so well you couldn't tell the boot lid had ever been damaged.