Contents: General processing sequence ⤓ Pre-treatment of damaged areas of…⤓ Repairing damage to aluminum wheel…⤓
Cast aluminum wheels have a transparent or colored protective coating. If the protective coating is damaged, the wheel material begins to deteriorate. The protective coating can be damaged in a mechanized car wash, where brushes with hard tips are used to wash the sidewalls of tires. Unprotected wheel material is destroyed by caustic detergents and salt compounds used to treat roads in winter.
The technology for restoring the coating of aluminum wheels is described below. Necessary tools and materials:
- Cleaner and conditioner for aluminum.
- Coating for aluminum.
- Acrylic or urethane coating for aluminum.
General processing sequence
Mark the location of the wheel on the vehicle and the holes for the mounting bolt.
Remove the wheel from the vehicle.
Mark the position of the balancing weights and remove them from the wheel.
Wash the exterior and interior surfaces with a water solution of a general-purpose detergent. Remove traces of grease and oil with a solvent.
Cover the tire with a screen to prevent drips from getting on it.
Depending on the specific case, select and perform one of two repair procedures.
Install the balance weights with nylon coated clips in place.
Install the wheel and tire assembly onto the vehicle and tighten the mounting bolts to 90 Nm.
Pre-treatment of damaged areas of the color coating
Sand the damaged areas of the color coating with sandpaper (dry or wet) to ensure better adhesion of the wheel surface to the clear protective coating.
Repairing damage to aluminum wheel material
Place the wheel and tire assembly on the hub of the stand or vehicle and turn on the slow rotation speed.
Grind off defects of the wheel material using sandpaper stretched over a block of suitable shape. During processing, slowly move the block with sandpaper over the surface of the wheel being processed. Processing begins with coarse sandpaper, then continues with medium-grain sandpaper and ends with fine sandpaper. It is recommended to use the following sequence:
Information copied from the website [mitsubishiman]
- Clean the surface from dirt.
- Soak the wheel in the coating substance for 1-3 minutes.
- Rinse in water and blow dry.