Alloy Damage :(

[nokiauk]

Discovered a slow puncture last Thursday so took this to a local garage which I've used a few times before for tyre replacements to get it fixed.

Washed the car yesterday as car was filthy following Storm Ali and discovered all these scuff marks which are concentrated round the centre of the wheel, you can't really feel them by hand and I've certainly not hit anything that could cause this. I'll be raising it with the garage in question first thing tomorrow though they'll probably deny.

Best bet for fixing this? Refurb or maybe a polish?

Not a mark on them previous so pretty gutted at the mo.

 

[SRGTD]

@nokiauk, your picture isn’t showing for me, so I can’t really advise on the best way to fix it, based on the extent of the damage.

It’s so annoying when this sort of thing happens.

Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but always a good idea to try and make sure your wheels are clean when before you take your car to get new tyres fitted or punctures repaired - take pictures of them too. You can then get the tyre fitting place to agree the condition of the wheels before they start work, and always inspect your wheels carefully before leaving, and bring any new damage to their attention at the time - makes it so much easier to get any damage rectified that’s been caused by a careless tyre fitter or poorly maintained tyre fitting equipment.

If your wheels are diamond cut, then any damage to the face is likely to require a refurb.

If they’re powder coated;

• and if you can’t feel the damage with your finger nail, it may well polish out and I’d try that first.
• and the damage is more serious than light surface scratches - such as deep scuff marks - then you’re probably looking at a refurb.

A good quality refurb is likely to cost around £90 plus VAT (diamond cut wheel) or around £70 + VAT for a powder coated wheel. Some places charge extra for tyre removal/refitting and rebalancing the wheel.

Hope you get it sorted and the tyre fitting place do the right thing. Good luck, and let us know the outcome.

 

[nokiauk]

Thanks, guess I should have been a bit more careful but having been a previous customer due to replacement tyres on 2 previous occasions and they are a Black Circles premier partner I expected better, I was in a bit of a rush due to the weather etc. but maybe I should have just gone to the local Kwik Fit. Hopefully pic is now attached and I'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

[Seriously?]

Ouch. Looks like it's been put face down on a concrete floor?

 

[Bedlam]

[QUOTE="but maybe I should have just gone to the local Kwik Fit. [/QUOTE]

 

[nokiauk]

Ouch. Looks like it's been put face down on a concrete floor?

That was my thought initially as a faulty machine should have done more damage. No excuse really for any wheel to be face down at any point.

 

[SRGTD]

Thanks, guess I should have been a bit more careful but having been a previous customer due to replacement tyres on 2 previous occasions and they are a Black Circles premier partner I expected better, I was in a bit of a rush due to the weather etc. but maybe I should have just gone to the local Kwik Fit. Hopefully pic is now attached and I'll see what happens tomorrow.

I can see it now.

That’s quite a lot of surface scratching, and it does look as if it’s been laid face down on a rough surface (concrete floor?), although the good thing is it doesn’t look like deep scratching; just light surface scratches.

If you have access to - or know someone with - a machine polisher, I think that’ll probably polish out and bring it back to the pre-damage state. I’ve seen more severe scuffs on car bodywork over on the Detailing World forum polished out and you’d never know they were there.

Probably worth speaking to a professional car detailer for an opinion. If it can be polished out, it’ll be less hassle than having to get the wheel refurbished and being without a wheel while the work’s done, especially if you don’t have a space saver spare.

 

[Walone]

That was my thought initially as a faulty machine should have done more damage. No excuse really for any wheel to be face down at any point.

I did a silly thing on my previous car with diamond cut wheels, the rear wheels were seized on so I used a sledge hammer to hit the rear side of the rim which of course dislodged the wheel which promptly fell off on to it's face! When I did the other side I made sure I left a couple of bolts in loose to stop it falling off.

 

[Legojon]

I did a silly thing on my previous car with diamond cut wheels, the rear wheels were seized on so I used a sledge hammer to hit the rear side of the rim which of course dislodged the wheel which promptly fell off on to it's face! When I did the other side I made sure I left a couple of bolts in loose to stop it falling off.

Eek, that sounds like something I would do! Although, to my credit, I've only dropped an alloy on its face once!

 

[nokiauk]

I can see it now.

That’s quite a lot of surface scratching, and it does look as if it’s been laid face down on a rough surface (concrete floor?), although the good thing is it doesn’t look like deep scratching; just light surface scratches.

If you have access to - or know someone with - a machine polisher, I think that’ll probably polish out and bring it back to the pre-damage state. I’ve seen more severe scuffs on car bodywork over on the Detailing World forum polished out and you’d never know they were there.

Probably worth speaking to a professional car detailer for an opinion. If it can be polished out, it’ll be less hassle than having to get the wheel refurbished and being without a wheel while the work’s done, especially if you don’t have a space saver spare.

Cheers will get original garages take on what has happened and fingers crossed they accept some responsibility. I have a detailer near my work who gets a good rep so will check with them tomorrow to see if the scratches would polish out.

 

[nokiauk]

Well original tyre fitters while not outright denying the damage basically said it couldn’t have been their machines and alloys are placed face up for tyre changing. and mechanical or dropped damage would be worse.

So took it to a detailer beside my work who machine polished it this morning while not perfect it is better.

With winter approaching I think I’ll leave it to the spring and possibly get it re-painted/powder coated then, with luck it can be matched.

 

[SRGTD]

It does look so much better. It’s just a shame it got damaged in the first place.

If you need new tyres in future, or need any punctures repairing, maybe find another tyre fitting place. Ensure the tyre fitting place agree the condition of your wheels before they start work, and inspect them for damage afterwards.

 

[nokiauk]

Cheers think I will find somewhere else and ensure the wheels are clean and obviously free of damage first and agree condition etc.

 

[nokiauk]

So I’ve been quoted £60+vat to repaint the wheel from 2 local wheel specialists both places say they should gets good match to the other wheels.

1 place says they paint/lacquer the other powder coats. Which is best and what would Seat do originally?

Thanks.

 

[Walone]

So I’ve been quoted £60+vat to repaint the wheel from 2 local wheel specialists both places say they should gets good match to the other wheels.

1 place says they paint/lacquer the other powder coats. Which is best and what would Seat do originally?

Thanks.

IMO powder coating is the best, it's tougher. Don't know what Seat does..

 

[SRGTD]

So I’ve been quoted £60+vat to repaint the wheel from 2 local wheel specialists both places say they should gets good match to the other wheels.

1 place says they paint/lacquer the other powder coats. Which is best and what would Seat do originally?

Thanks.

IMO powder coating is the best, it's tougher. Don't know what Seat does..

Yes, powder coating is a more durable finish than paint and lacquer.

Seat will be supplied with ‘finished’ wheels by whoever manufactures wheels for them (probably the likes of Borbet, Ronal, Wolfrace, BBS - the manufacturers name is usually stamped into the back of one of the spokes), so no painting or powder coating of the wheels by Seat themselves; they’ll just fit them to the car on the factory assembly line.

I’d be pretty certain that they’d be powder coated by the manufacturers, rather than painted.

 

[R4CK5]

Original wheels will likely be painted but powdercoating is by far the better and more durable finish. I'd get that done over painting without any hesitation.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Legojon]

I had mine painted. I forget the specifics. Something like 3 coats of gloss and a clear coat layer. Much to my delight, some months (7-8) later, I was washing my wheels and a big chunk of paint came off. I think water had got in under it and lifted it up. But an entire spokes worth. I've since had them powder coated and no problems so far 5 months in.

 

[nokiauk]

Thanks for the replies think I’ll go with the power coating option. Tempted by a colour change now but willl wait and see.