THERE are some easy steps that car owners can follow if wanting to repair their damaged rims.
Getting aluminium wheels is lighter, more attractive and won’t rust as reported by ehow.com. The website highlights that aluminium wheels offer better handling and performance than steel but is expensive.
Car owners can repair their damaged rims without relying on professionals but will probably take more time.
Website ehow.com highlights some easy instructions for car owners to follow in repairing their damaged rims.
Instructions
Jack up your car and remove the wheel if you have a bent steel rim. Many auto repair shops won’t fix steel rims, noting that new replacement wheels are cheaper.
Depress the valve pin to remove air from the tyre. Remove the valve stem using a valve-stem remover or a pair of pliers. Don’t re-use the valve stem. Instead, buy a replacement.
Lay the tyre/wheel flat on the ground. Step on each side of the outer edges of the tyre. Bounce up and down, or even jump, to break the tyre/wheel bead.
Remove the tyre from the rim by inserting the handle-end of a pair of pliers. Don’t use a screwdriver or similar sharp tool that can damage the inner tube (unless you’ll be replacing the tube anyway).
Grease the pliers handle with vaseline or another lubricant and scroll around the inside of the tyre along the rim, popping the tyre over the rim edge. Force the other edge of the tyre over the same rim edge.
Inspect the damage. A steel rim bent at the outer edge usually after hitting a pothole or curb can be repaired fairly easily.
Damage to the inner part of the wheel, near the hub, can be trickier, or even dangerous, to repair. Get a professional opinion about the degree of damage if you’re unsure.
Place the wheel flat on a heat-resistant surface, such as a concrete garage floor, or secure the wheel in a vice. Using a propane torch or blowtorch, heat the damaged area of the rim. Again, this is a simple matter with steel wheels, but aluminum wheels can discolour when heated, especially alloy wheels containing magnesium. It’s best to have a professional repair an aluminum wheel.
Heat the steel for about a minute. The rim will become a flat, almost flaky, colour. Depending on the severity and location of the damage, use a hammer, channels, locks or pliers to bend the edge of the rim back into shape.
You might have to start with a hammer, get the rim close to its original shape, re-heat the rim, and then finish the process with pliers.
Let the rim cool, then sand the repaired area to remove burrs. Inspect the wheel for any cracks that may have developed during repair.
