How Not to get at Your Locking Wheel Nuts

Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired
Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

Relaxing. Last week, I was sitting in my small office . Daydreaming and  just looking out of the window. So. I noticed a breakdown recovery truck with a blue car on the back. I never thought more about it, as we have these broken down cars brought into us all of the time, as most busy auto centres do.

About ten minutes later

A member of my staff came in, shouting for me to have a look at this wheel. The damaged alloy wheel had come off the car that was brought in on the back of a transporter, a Ford Focus with a sport conversion, up-rated brakes, and an oversized cheap alloy. You know the thing I mean; this was a young guy’s car and a bit sporty.

However, the guy had been going at speed and hit a massive pothole in the road. The impact had caused a massive blowout out to both his offside (driver’s side) alloy wheel and completely

wrecked the tyres and caused severe damage

to the alloy wheels. We can have small damages repaired by a local alloy wheel welding specialist. These are very often small cracks that appear on the rims and start to leak air from the wheel and tyre assembly. This is most common on some BMW models, and sometimes we have known BMW to replace wheels free of charge.

These small cracks can be repaired successfully, much to the pleasure of many of our customers. It has been a bad time for broken and cracked alloy wheels recently due to the large increase of potholes on our roads, and so it is good to be able to give our customers the good news when they do not have to buy a new wheel, but we can have their damaged refurbished Alloy Wheels repaired.

I had not seen alloy wheel so badly damaged ? Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

We were all amazed at the massive split in the Pothole Damaged wheel that came off the front. Shockingly, I have never seen one so bad. Splitting was almost all around the circumference of the wheel. If you look at the image below, then  you can see what I mean. Luckily for the customer, we have just become members of a buying group. Now, here in the UK, it’s called MD . Fortunately, this is one of the suppliers we can deal with. Hence, TSW Wheels sells alloy wheel and tyre packages. We were able to supply four new wheels along with two new Falken Tyres, and the guy went on his way, a happy driver.

Pellon Tyre and Auto-Centre offer car and van servicing and repairs

now including “wheel repairs” for all makes of vehicles.  Also, we sell Falken tyres online from our website.  Using the tyre selector and choosing your tyre size. Offering courtesy cars to local motorists who need to go to work. Leaving their car with us for work. Of course, we are also an official MOT testing station.

So, 80% of cars now have alloy wheels fitted to them! And as you know, every day, thousands of these wheels cause minor damage. Of course, from kerbing, potholes. Causing  stone chipping and lacquer discolouration. Predominantly, this damage stands out like a sore thumb. Especially on polished rims. Of course, by offering this new service, we were looking for a cost-effective method. Of course, to repair and bring the damaged alloy wheel(s) back to a showroom finish.

Alloy Wheel Damage – More Common Than You Think

It’s funny really; people spend thousands on shiny new cars with fancy alloy wheels, only to scuff them on the kerb outside Morrisons on their first week of ownership. Alloys might look smart, but they’re not half as delicate compared to the old steel wheels we used to bash about with.

How Do Alloy Wheels Get Damaged? Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

  1. Kerb Scuffs
    The most common one – clip the kerb when parking and you’re left with an unsightly scrape that spoils the look straight away.
  2. Potholes
    Halifax roads aren’t exactly billiard-table smooth, are they? Hit a pothole at speed and your alloy can crack or buckle.
  3. Corrosion
    Alloys are metal, and with all the winter salt on our Yorkshire roads, corrosion can creep in if the lacquer gets damaged. That leads to bubbling paint and leaking tyres.
  4. Over-tightened Wheel Nuts
    Believe it or not, garages using the wrong torque setting can damage the alloy around the bolt holes – something we’re careful about here at Pellon Autocentre.
  5. General Wear and Tear
    Daily driving, grit, brake dust – it all takes its toll. Over time, alloys lose their shine and need some TLC.

Why It Matters- Damaged Alloy Wheels Repaired

It’s not just cosmetic either. A badly buckled wheel can affect handling, tyre wear, and even safety. Plus, corrosion can cause air leaks around the rim, leaving you with a slow puncture you can’t seem to fix.

At Pellon Tyres & Autocentre, we see all sorts of alloy wheel issues – from small kerb rash to cracked wheels that need replacing. A quick check can save you money and keep your motor looking the part.

10 replies

Comments are closed.