Alloy wheels can make a big difference in a car or motorcycle with improved handling and a beautiful appearance. Because of this, enthusiasts have been upgrading to big wheels for many years, replacing the main steel wheels and hubcaps to set the car apart from others and provide a smoother ride.
Intermediate site at the repair facility. To capitalize on this trend, manufacturers began to change their style to satisfy consumer demand for larger and brighter wheels, equipping even everyday cars such as SUVs, compact cars, minibuses and motorcycles with a larger diameter alloy wheel.
While they look great, alloy wheels pose a problem. Wheels from European manufacturers such as Volvo, as well as wheels with 2 and 3 parts, such as BBS, tend to be softer and more easily damaged. When they are damaged - curved or bent, among other potential problems - do you need to completely replace them?
Replacing wheels — through a dealer or local wheel drive store — can cost hundreds of dollars and take days, depending on the severity of the damage.
Repair against to replace
Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. Because the replacement of the factory wheel can vary from $ 350 to $ 2,000 per wheel (for some Porsche wheels), those who did not want to invest in the replacement of the wheels from the dealer started asking if they were bent back and the rim wheel was born repair.
As long as safety is not a problem (that is, when the wheel can be repaired by a professional without jeopardizing the lives of passengers relying on the wheel to do their job), then repairing wheel disks is an excellent choice for saving and cosmetic restoration. But when the wheel is badly damaged, Metro Wheels will not jeopardize your safety: if you have any questions, we are mistaken without eliminating something that could lead to serious injury.
Our team of experts
Metro Wheel Repair. One of the most famous wheel repair companies in the country is Metro Wheels, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Metro has one of the largest wheel repair capacities in the world and the capacity of wheel pairs in the country, and a team of experts quickly and safely repairs alloy wheels.
At Metro Wheels, we have teamed up with the sharpest engineers to create modern wheel repair equipment. Our repair work guarantees the accuracy of wheels 95-100% at the completion.
In many areas, a wheel is installed, in many companies it is claimed that they can fix any wheel. But the truth is that many of them are “flying at night” with a sledgehammer and torch. This is not the right way to fix any wheel. Some of them may make the wheel unsafe by not applying proper pressing in a certain way with precise heating. They emphasize that the wheel goes beyond safety standards and calls it a repaired wheel. But you can jeopardize your safety and that of your family by using someone without proper experience.
Since we have been working for more than 15 years, our experience in repairing wheels has exceeded most stores. Our aluminum wheel repair technicians can repair most wheels that have been bent, scratched, cracked, or chemically damaged, providing excellence in both structural and cosmetic repairs; and our professional certified welders are second to none.
Wheel Check Metro Wheels uses its own engineering equipment and guaranteed processes to return damaged, scraper and, in most cases, cracked wheels back to their original factory specifications. Since your safety is our highest priority, we will not repair an alloy wheel that cannot be safely turned on after repairs.
Metro Wheels & # 39; Repair process
The repair process is simple. First, we carefully install the wheel on the vehicle's simulator. With proper heating, constant hydraulic pressure and vibration under pressure, the alloy wheel will move - without cracks - back to its original state. If the crack is not visible to the naked eye (under chrome or paint), it will instantly pop up; Our certified welders will fill and repair cracks. After cooling the wheel, it will retain its original strength. Heat, constant pressure and vibration are key to superior wheel repair.
Detailing the area When the wheel is delivered on Metro wheels, it is either landed by the owner, or sent, or delivered to Atlanta Metro from our wholesale customers. We create a work order for each individual wheel, which describes in detail the customer information and any special instructions. Each wheel is assigned a unique work order number, which is engraved on the inside of the rim, so Metro can accurately track its history. This number also greatly facilitates wheel tracking during the repair process.
After identification, each wheel is thoroughly rinsed to remove all brake dust, as dust can hide additional scratches, pits or cracks. Metro uses a pressure washer system with a dilute acidic cleaning compound that will not damage the existing wheel trim.
wheel washer. This is especially important because the removal of brake dust is necessary to determine the level of damage to the wheel. But this must be done correctly, because the wheels with a polished or anodized surface can be damaged if the wrong wash connection is used. For example, a two-component wheel with a bright lip that is not chrome-plated is usually an anodized finish, a chemical treatment that is very difficult to see. If the wrong cleaner or acid is used on this finish, the surface of the wheel will be sieved; However, this anodized finish can be removed and any scratches sanded.
After thorough cleaning, one of our expert technicians conducts a full wheel check for radial and lateral runout.
Radial runout is vertical, and Metro measures how far the wheel is outside the circle with a micrometer sensor that measures up to 1/1000 of an inch. If the wheel has a radial runout of 5/1000 inches, you can place the dial indicator on the wheel, and then rotate the wheel. The distance traveled by the wheel up and down during rotation should be 5/1000 inches in both the upper and lower position - or swing.
On the other hand, the lateral runout is how much the damaged wheel will sway from side to side. On some larger-diameter wheels subjected to a blow or curb with a tight hollow, the wheel will be bent and, if it is hit hard enough, it will bend and twist the spokes. Most side beats can be corrected by pressure on the back of the wheel. But when the lateral runout cannot be fixed, the wheel is not repaired.
Side beating is the most difficult type of repair. This can also be the most deceptive, because, although the wheel may look like it has only minor damage to the rim, it can be quite significant and not easily seen with the naked eye without rotating the wheel. This is especially true for new cars with front-wheel drive, where most of the force is cantilevered on the back.
The next stage of testing is alloy defects, such as rashes and cracks. Metro recommends that tires be removed for this check, because most damage cannot be seen otherwise.
Cracks can be serious
Cracks are of particular importance because they are the most common type of damage that can leave a wheel without repair. When the wheel bends near the base of the spokes, sometimes traces of haze may appear at the finish and indicate cracks. Since wheel repair is not always better in a particular situation, it is important that the wheel be carefully checked.
# We value your safety above all else, and for this reason Metro Wheels considers the wheel irreparable if cracks appear: near the base of the spokes
# Next to the ledge area
# On the inner lip of the wheel from the spokes. (But if the crack is smaller, this type of damage is usually saved).
Cracks are commonly found on chrome wheels, where the chrome plating process tends to make the wheel more fragile than a standard wheel. Sometimes, if the chrome wheel is highly bent, the chrome must be removed, because there may be cracks under the chrome. In the case of a cracked chrome wheel, the Metro will grind chrome and weld it again.
Finally, we check for defects in finishes, investigate poor color or additional scratches and scratches.
After a full check, all information is added to the work order of the wheel. Metro then confirms the cost of working with the customer and oversees other items that may be involved, such as valve stem types, tire installation and any other details. After approval by the customer, work begins.
Color and ends the way you want
varnishing. If the wheel needs a paint coating, it is first separated using an acrylic medium like sand. This medium is superior to steel frame or metal oxide, which is more widely used. Although they remove the finish faster and cheaper, they also coarsely treat the surface and tear off some of the metal. This is especially destructive if you want to keep any original cast marks that have been shown by the manufacturer.
The wheel is placed in a blasting cabinet with circulating plastic balls, removing the finish without removing the metal. But we do not do this in any situation, because the old paint is always the best primer. Sometimes we will fill an existing finish, prepare the surface and cover it with a new paint.
The next step in this process is wheel straightening. This eliminates much of the damage, as well as any hesitation side by side.
After straightening, our welders restore the outer lip and restore any scratches or cracks. Metro uses a tiger welding process that corresponds to the base alloy of the weld seam. Then the weld is discarded or regenerated and returns the wheel to its original state.
Metro usually returns a wheel to 1-10 / 1000 inches, where factory tolerances typically are 15/1000 inches of radial runout. (For comparison, about 25/1000 inches can be detected by the human eye.)
Once the wheel is true, it is time to reprocess, reprocess or re-grind the wheel. Metro uses a computer color matching system that matches the factory color. If the color is not in the file, our artists can match each other, or deliver customized trim that is white, anthracite or meets the specifications of the owner.
Ink Mixing Area The Metro supports the back of the wheels with a limited lifetime warranty provided by the paint manufacturer. We guarantee that the wheel will have no material defects. Although this warranty does not cover previous wheel repairs or damage to the finish line due to the use of unsuitable cleaning chemicals or customer errors, it does discolor, fade, or flake off without reason.
If the wheel has a finished surface, it is put on the lathe. Metro has a wide range of CNC programs for most factory and many custom wheels. If we do not have it in stock, our programmers can write a program that is necessary to perform an exact cut.
Upon completion, each wheel is subjected to a final quality check. It is checked for beating, and the finish is checked for dirt or dust in the paint, unevenness or orange peel. If everything is checked, the wheel is ready to install or deliver the tire.
Mounting repaired wheels
A request for a bridge line, subway can mount your repaired tires. This is important because we can install low profile tires without damaging the wheel. Some wheels are more difficult to install than others, and for equipment for installing wheels, wheels are often damaged during tire installation. There were many times when we sent a wheel that looks great, but was damaged by inexperienced technical equipment.
Metro wheels can also repair your motorcycle wheel using the same process, but on different machines. We accept motorcycle wheels without a tire installed and containing constipation. As a rule, wire wheels are not repaired as easily as light-alloy wheels. Metro will do basic wheel repair, but we ask that if the wheel is badly damaged, the owners will instead replace it instead with it - for your own safety.
In addition to repairing wheels with wheels, Metro Wheels can replace wheels from our stock of more than 50,000 parts and even exchange wheels using our Core Exchange program and a wide network of sources.
Thanks to our capabilities, Metro Wheels can also customize a set of wheels or repair rare or inoperative wheels. Polishing and chrome plating are two popular options, and we can provide almost any shade or color to a painted finish.
Metro Wheels have developed this intensive repair process for over 15 years in the business. We strive to provide wheel repair that meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards, and you can rely on it.
Learn more about Metro wheel repair.
