Your car's wheels are very important as they are literally the only thing connecting your car to the road. Keeping your wheels in proper functioning condition is imperative for a safe and comfortable ride. If your wheel looks like it's wobbling when you're driving along, it's not "cool" or "funky," it's dangerous as this is the sign of a bent rim, which is not only unsafe but can actually cause damage to other parts of your car. Potholes are another common cause of damaged wheels, along with parallel parking and scratching your wheels against the curb because parallel parking is awful. Thankfully, there exists a solution for your wheel troubles: alloy wheel repair.
Alloy wheel repair businesses can exist either as a stand-alone business, a mobile repair facility, or as part of a larger shop. They are typically able to repair wheels that are bent, scratched, cracked, or even missing pieces. If you have wheel damage that's extensive, the wheel repair tech will determine whether it's salvageable or needs to be completely replaced, but you can be sure that if the tech is able to safely repair it, they will. The technology that goes into this type of work isn't highly advanced, but does take some training and practice to perfect.
If your wheel is bent, a competent rim repair specialist will be able to straighten it out. They will typically do this by first heating up the metal in order to make it softer, and more flexible. The rim is straightened on a type of hydraulic press that is powerful enough to manipulate the wheel properly. Aluminum wheels are typically the easiest to repair as the metal is most malleable, or responsive to manipulation when heated up. Wheel repair can oftentimes be completed in a matter of hours and straightening your wheels can be beneficial in ways beyond safety and cosmetics, often helping to increase gas mileage.
If, like me, you've scratched up your wheels parallel parking because objects in mirror really ARE closer than they appear, you may be interested in another aspect of alloy wheel repair; wheel refinishing. Refinishing is useful when looking to preserve the cosmetic appearance of your rims, getting rid of scratches and scuffs. If you have chrome rims because you are awesome, you might want to consider refinishing as an alternative to re-plating, which is significantly more expensive. Most wheel repair specialists will also be able to remove rust and clear up discoloration from your wheels.
Pricing on alloy wheel repair will vary depending on the size, style, and type of wheel you need repaired, as well as the level of damage. Prices can range from $100 to over $500 per wheel, which is typically cheaper than buying a replacement wheel, but not always. In some cases, you may be better off buying a new wheel from the manufacturer, especially at the lower-end of the market. It's on higher priced cars with performance wheels that refinishing is usually the most cost-effective option as replacement rims can be pricey when buying from the manufacturer. So if you have issues with your wheels, you may want to look for an alloy wheel repair facility as an alternative to spending money on buying new wheels.
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