Wheel Repair

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AW Collision offers various wheel repair processes / techniques 
  • Alloy wheel repair
  • Rim repair
  • Wheel Straightening
  • Rim Straightening
  • Wheel Refurbishment
  • Chrome Plating & Black Chroming
  • Specialty Coatings like PVD
  • Mobile wheel repair
  • Wheel Polishing
  • Tire Mounting and Balancing

Wheel repair in many areas has been saturated with many companies claiming that they can fix any wheel. But the truth is that many of them are "fly by the night" companies with a sledgehammer and a torch. This is not the proper way to fix any wheel. Some can make the wheel unsafe by not properly applying consistent pressures in a specific way with an exact heat. They stress crack the wheel beyond safety standards and call it a repaired wheel. But you could be jeopardizing your safety and that of your family by using someone without proper experience. 

Wheel Repair Process 
At AW Collision the repair process is straightforward. First, we mount the wheel accurately on a vehicle simulator. With the proper heat, consistent hydraulic pressure and light vibrations under pressure, the alloy wheel will move - without cracking - back to its original condition. If there is a crack that can't be seen by the naked eye (under chrome or paint), it will instantly pop out; our certified welders will then fill and repair the crack. After the wheel has cooled, it will retain its original strength. Heat, consistent pressure and vibration are key to an excellent wheel repair.

When a wheel is delivered to AW Collision, it is either dropped off by the owner, shipped in or picked up in the area from our wholesale customers. We generate a work order for each individual wheel detailing the customer's information and any special instructions. Each wheel is assigned a unique work order number that is engraved on the inside of the rim, so that AW Collision can track its history precisely. This number also makes it much easier to track the wheel throughout the repair process.

Once identified, each wheel is washed thoroughly to remove all brake dust, because the dust could be hiding additional scratches, gouges or cracks. AW Collision uses a pressure washer system with a diluted acid-based cleaning compound that will not damage a wheel's existing finish.

This is particularly important because brake dust removal is essential to determining the level of damage to a wheel. But it must be done correctly, because wheels with a polished or anodized finish can be damaged if the wrong washing compound is used. For instance, a two-piece wheel with a bright lip that is not chromed is typically an anodized finish, a chemical treatment that is very hard to see. If the wrong cleaner or acid is used on such a finish, the wheel surface will be streaked; however, this anodized finish can be stripped off and any scratches buffed out.

Once thoroughly cleaned, one of our expert technicians performs a complete inspection of the wheel for radial and lateral runout.

Radial runout is vertical, and AW Collision measures to see just how much the wheel is out of round with a micrometer gauge that measures to 1/1,000 of an inch. If a wheel has 5/1,000 of an inch radial runout, you could put a dial indicator on the wheel and then spin the wheel. The distance the wheel traveled up and down while spinning would be 5/1,000 of an inch both in the high and low position - or swing.

Lateral runout, on the other hand, is how much the damaged wheel will wobble from side to side. On some larger diameter wheels subjected to a hard pothole hit or curb, the wheel will be bent and, if hit hard enough, it will bend and twist the spokes. Most lateral runout can be corrected with pressure on the back of the wheel. But when the lateral runout cannot be corrected, the wheel is not repairable.

Lateral runout is the hardest type of repair to accomplish. It also happens to be the most deceptive, because while a wheel may look like it has only minor rim damage, it can actually be fairly significant and not easily seen to the naked eye unless the wheel is spinning. This is especially common on newer front-wheel-drive cars, where much of the force is cantilevered to the back.

The next point of inspection is for alloy defects such as curb rashes and cracks. AW Collision recommends that the tires be removed for this inspection because most damage cannot be seen otherwise.

In addition to repairing alloy wheels, AW Collision can replace wheels from our stock of more than 50,000 parts and even exchange wheels using our wide network of sources. AW Collision developed this intensive repair process through more than 24 years in the business. We are meticulous in providing allow wheel repair that meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards.