Our Process
In the majority of cases, wheels are brought to us to have that extra special care and attention, that only a true factory environment can provide.
Whilst we undertake cosmetic repairs, where vehicle down time is critical and the level of damage is minimal, we much prefer to carry out a complete refurbishment, comfortable in the knowledge, that we have restored the wheel to its best possible condition.
The following process will demonstrate our meticulous attention to detail to ensure we return to you as near a new wheel as possible.
|
|
Wheel Stripping
Firstly, we remove the tyre from the wheel, carefully marking the position & rotation of the tyre, and tagging with the customers name.
The tyre is inspected for undue wear, and any unsafe tyres are reported to the customer. This is important, as we will not refit unsafe or illegal tyres at the end of the process. Early notification will give the customer the opportunity to either source replacements themselves, or leave it to us to provide a competitively priced alternative.
The wheel is then checked for cracks, stress fractures, bends & buckles. At this stage we will advise the customer of any wheels that we consider to be unroadworthy, or beyond economic repair Any remedial work and costings will be notified at this stage.
The wheel is finally stripped of all weights, valve, and any stick on decals. Wheels with tyre pressure sensor equipment, have them marked to ensure correct replacement, if we are aware at delivery, of the original positions on the vehicle. |
|
|
|
Chemical Stripping
The wheels are then immersed in a chemical solution, to remove all the old lacquer, basecoats & primer coats, as well as stubborn brake dust. This may take a good few hours, and depends upon the makeup of the original paint layers.
They are then placed in an aqueous wash machine to remove remaining paint, and chemical residue, and finally flash dried.
We now have a completely clean wheel free of any contaminants. |
|
|
|
Blast Cleaning
The clean dry wheels, then undergo a short blast in our purpose built blast machine, to provide a perfect keyed surface to accept the primer paints.
This "gentle giant", has the capability to massage the whole surface of the wheels, without any degradation of the fine profiling, and essential lettering.
|
|
|
|
Repair to Damaged Surfaces
We now have a completely clean wheel and can identify the extent of the damage to the surface.
Using a number of processes the wheel is prepared for painting.
If the damage is particularly bad, then the area is filled with aluminium weld, and re-worked to return it to its original shape & profile.
|
|
|
|
Pre Heating
We now preheat the wheels for up to 30 minutes, to remove all air trapped in the microscopic pores within the alloy. This ensures that no air escapes when the paint is applied, which can interfere with the quality of the primer finish. |
|
|
|
Powder Primer
A coat of powder primer is now applied over the whole wheel. This is done using the latest powder gun technology, and ensures a robust, ultra smooth base coat.
Once applied, the wheels are reheated, to ensure the powder primer can cure, and form a strong resilient coating, that only a powder process can achieve. |
|
|
|
Application of Colour
The next stage is to apply the colour to the wheel
The vast majority of wheels are finished in various shades of silver. We use the same paint as supplied to the best wheel manufacturers in Europe, and we can be confident of the quality and match. Paint is applied in an enclosed dust free booth.
However, your colour choice is endless, as we have in-house water based mixing capabilities.
So you are only limited by your imagination, and how bold you want to be! |
|
|
|
Final coat
A final coat of powder lacquer is applied to the whole wheel, to ensure it is fully protected from the elements. This is a particularly robust coating, and makes for easy cleaning, once back in daily use.
This coat is again stoved in the oven to ensure a full cure, and crystal clear finish. |
A sample batch of finished wheels
Refitting the tyres
Once the wheels have cooled, they are ready to be reunited with their tyres.
With the emergence of ever lower profile tyres & runflats, it was critical that we invested in the best equipment available.
We have the capability to refit tyres up to 24"diameter & 11" wide, certainly sufficient for anything we have seen to date.
Finally the wheels are balanced, always using stick on weights on the inside of the wheel.
If we have had the vehicle on site, then the wheels are refitted, set to the correct settings, and torqued to the correct pressure.
Should the car be fitted with a tyre pressure system, then whenever possible this will be reset.
|