About straightening aluminum rims on cars

Alloy wheels are not only a stylish accessory for a car, but also significantly affect the ease of driving it. This is because they are made of lightweight material, which promotes rapid acceleration and braking of the car. But sooner or later the time comes when an alloy wheel becomes deformable. This happens when you fall into a hole at high speed or have a minor accident. And in such a situation, the car enthusiast asks the question: buy a new one or repair the damaged one?

As a result of deformation of the rim, not only its appearance, but also its geometry can be disrupted. And this is very serious, since with such a problem both the car and the person can suffer. A stamped disc is easier to repair, since the steel from which it is made is very malleable. Rolling a damaged rim on a special machine is not difficult. But with cast it is more complicated - ordinary rolling will not work here. For this procedure, only editing is used.

Alloy wheels

Editing car disks

For such a procedure, a special hydraulic press is used, which is available in car services. If the damage is not severe, then the disc will not need to be heated. And if they are significant, then you will need to preheat the deformed area, and then straighten it.

Please note! Manufacturers of alloy wheels strongly recommend not to repair them, or rather not to subject them to heat and argon welding.

These recommendations are explained by the fact that when heated to high temperatures, the structure of the metal is damaged. It is not recommended to use such a disk, since with significant restoration it will not last long. Hitting a large pothole at speed can completely break it. And besides, such a rim is unsafe for further use.

The editing technology is as follows:

• The technician visually assesses the damage to the rim.
• For small dents, it is straightened without heating using a hydraulic press.
• When significant, heat, then adjust.
• The autodisk is fixed on the steppe and a hydraulic press is connected to it.
• The geometry is restored under the necessary force.

If during the initial inspection cracks are found on the rim, then argon-arc welding is necessary. It allows you to weld the rupture site and thereby restore the disc.

Microcracks may not appear immediately after deformation; they may become noticeable only after straightening. They are also fixed by welding.

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Argon arc welding

Varieties

Manufacturers produce several main versions of disk products, which are usually divided according to material and manufacturing method:

• Stamped steel is the simplest option. Such wheels are made of steel using stamping technology. Advantage in price and maintainability. For example, when hitting a hole, the steel rim does not split, but bends. Such dents can be easily rolled on a special machine. The main disadvantages of stampings are their heavy weight and unpresentable appearance. Increased weight leads to increased fuel consumption, reduces vehicle controllability, and excessively loads the chassis components. In addition, the car owner has to regularly paint the stamping with an anti-corrosion compound and use plastic caps.
• Cast - the most popular option on the market. Aluminum or magnesium alloys are used to make light-alloy rims. Molten metal is poured under pressure into a special mold. Once the product has cooled, it is removed for machining on machines. To increase strength, manufacturers roll the billet while it is still hot. This technology is called “flow forming”. The advantages of a light alloy rim are low weight and high strength. This allows you to reduce fuel consumption and reduce the load on the suspension. In addition, casting technology allows us to produce products of different designs for any car. However, such wheels are very difficult to repair. Often, after damage, microcracks appear on the rim, which lead to subsequent splitting even with minor impacts.
• Forged - the most durable and lightest option. The rim is made from aluminum alloys. The manufacturing technology is essentially stamping a solid workpiece followed by machining. Advantages: strength, low weight. As a rule, when struck, the rim does not split, but bends. You can straighten almost any damage, just like stamping. Disadvantages: high cost, limited design.

Next, we will consider whether it is possible to straighten a cast wheel and how damage is corrected in a car repair shop.

Is it possible to edit car rims?

If we are talking about stamped models, then they can be corrected and restored, but only if the rim has not been severely damaged. But it is not recommended to repair cast ones, especially if they are severely deformed or cracked. Therefore, in some auto repair shops, masters ask the client to sign a consent to their repair.

This means that the person, knowing about all the possible consequences, still deliberately hands over the car disc for restoration. This procedure is not cheap, especially when it comes to cast models. If, despite all the warnings, the rim still needs to be straightened, then you should choose only specialized workshops with good equipment.

What is disk editing and why is it needed?

Today, a specialist will tell us about what disc editing is and what functions this service performs.

Almost every car enthusiast has encountered repairing car rims, and if, ultimately, he wants to get the desired result, he needs to contact experienced, qualified specialists. Therefore, we decided to talk about the disc editing technology itself.

Do-it-yourself editing of alloy wheels

Note: Significant deformations and geometry violations can only be eliminated in a car repair shop using special equipment.

Minor damage can be repaired yourself. You can remove:

• chips;
• scratches;
• minor integrity violations;

After removing the rubber, the disk should be thoroughly washed and dried.

Then a thorough inspection is carried out. If cracks are found on the surface, it will have to be boiled. To do this, you will need to take it to a car repair shop or process it yourself if you have argon-arc welding. But a welding machine is not the only thing you need; you will also need the ability to work with it and an understanding of the entire process of welding a disk. Otherwise, you should not do it yourself.

If there are no cracks, then restoration can continue. Using sandpaper, you need to level the surface and remove all resulting dust from it. Then you will need to apply a two-component epoxy paste. After it has dried, you need to sand the surface again with fine-grain sandpaper. Next, the car disc should be coated with a primer in several layers, each drying for about 20 minutes. Professionals recommend letting the primer dry for at least 24 hours. This way it will dry completely and the disc will be ready for further restoration. And the next stage is painting it and opening it with varnish.

Do-it-yourself rim restoration

Please note! It is better to take varnish and paint from the same manufacturer. This will contribute to good adhesion of all materials to each other.

The most economical is spray paint; it is easy to apply. It is enough to spray it at a distance of 25 cm from the surface and let it dry. You will need to paint in several layers, since one will not cover the primer. Each layer should dry for about half an hour. After the latter has dried, varnish is applied to the surface. The discs should remain at rest for 5-6 days. If they are not dried well, you can scratch the paint when installing the rubber.

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This coating will last for several years and the rim will not fade. All materials are cheap, so disk restoration will not cost much. But if you take it to a car dealership, then editing along with painting can be a big hit on your pocket. But high-quality processing is carried out there and expensive materials are used.

Powder paint, which is often used by professionals, is not only the most durable, but also resistant to chemical and mechanical damage to the disc. But everyone chooses the method that suits them.

Wheels should be straightened only for minor damage and deformation. It’s not for nothing that manufacturers do not recommend repairing alloy wheels. First of all, you need to think about your own safety, and not about saving.

Car wheels tend to bend and break. This even applies to cast wheels, although they are noticeably more reliable than their steel counterparts due to their light weight and good balancing. It may bend or crack, a piece may break off or some element may fall off. All these damages are invisible at first, but over time the deformation increases and begins to require repair. Most often, the straightening method is used to correct damage to alloy wheels.

How to align alloy wheels

An alloy rim is much stronger than stamping, so restoring the original wheel geometry is a rather labor-intensive procedure. If the damage is small, then rolling the wheel rims can be done “cold”. In case of significant deformation - for example, the rim is bent in a figure eight, the damaged areas are leveled only after pre-heating.

If cracks appear after a strong impact, argon-arc welding is used to restore the integrity of the rim. With its help, the tear points are welded. Microcracks can also be corrected using welding.

In what cases can disk straightening be used?

Typically, straightening technology is used for minor mechanical damage, which, in essence, does not particularly interfere with operation. These are cracks, chips, bends, damaged fragments, loss of fastening parts. In general, straightening is possible only after unforeseen situations on the roads that cannot be classified as accidents:

• colliding with a curb while turning or parking;
• careless collision with a speed bump;
• hole in the road;
• factory defect of the disk;
• negative environmental impact.

Alloy wheel malfunction

Types of damage and malfunctions of an alloy wheel

Due to the condition of our roads, even the most experienced motorist can accidentally hit a hole or pothole. This will lead to deformation and cracking of the cast disc. The most common disk failures are:

• cracks;
• scratches;
• chips;
• dents.

If you do not pay attention to the damage in time and do not fix it, this can lead to complete failure of the disk, corrosion, and further repairs will simply be useless.

Damaged disk

There are also damages that are simply impossible to repair - these are chips and cracks in the hub area. And even experts strongly recommend not to try to correct this type of damage, but to send the disk for scrap. Unqualified repairs can lead to an accident and further disastrous consequences. Changing shape and geometry is also a serious problem that is very difficult to correct. In such cases, professionals also advise refusing repairs and further use.

The feasibility of using straightening

In many cases, straightening is indeed advisable, although not very safe. But often editing does not make sense, because another type of repair is much better suited. Here are a few cases in which straightening is not suitable:

• if there is no visible damage on the disc, but it is still “beating”;
• if the disk, on the contrary, is too damaged and cannot be used at all;
• if the damage to the disk is of such a nature that it requires heating to repair it.

Straightening alloy wheels is by no means a simple process. This technique is not a “cure for all diseases”, and in certain cases it can even cause harm. Therefore, restoring alloy wheels with your own hands is possible only as a last resort, when it is not possible to use tire fitting services.

The principle and technology of straightening a cast disk

Straightening a disk with a hammer through dense rubber When straightening, you should never subject the deformed parts of cast disks to heat treatment, since when heated, the structure of the metal changes, which entails deformation of the entire structure of the disk. The safest and most adequate method is to use a hammer or sledgehammer (depending on the size of the damage). First you need to “even out” the deformation with a hammer, and only then proceed to the main straightening procedure. But cast wheels, unlike steel ones, can be damaged even by a regular hammer, so you need to be extremely careful with them. Instead of a regular hammer, you can use a special straightening hammer.

Straightening hammer During this repair operation, it is highly advisable to use a special machine. The machine has hydraulics, centering and many different attachments. It is clear that high-quality correction is only possible at a tire service station: an ordinary car enthusiast simply does not have such a machine, and he will not be able to carry out high-quality repairs with his own hands. Straightening experience is also very important, which allows you to perform the work more efficiently. However, the rolling technology itself can frighten the average person, because it is replete with such concepts as “internal stress of the metal,” “absorption energy,” and so on.

Tire fitting stations take straightening very seriously. Masters will never carry out this procedure until they are convinced that deformation is really present and interferes with the normal operation of the car. In order to be absolutely sure that rolling is necessary, the effect of a “beating disk” must occur. Otherwise, this repair method may simply be impractical.

Using straightening, you can restore the appearance of a cast disk, but it will not be possible to return it to its “original” state. It is generally almost impossible to restore the structure of the metal - at least in the conditions of a tire repair station.

Many auto repair shops talk about a restoration service in their advertising, which means they are being dishonest with potential customers. This feature is worth paying attention to. So, disc straightening is used for small and medium-sized damage, but only for those that are visible to the “naked” eye. If the damage is too small and inconspicuous, it is better to choose a different type of restoration. On the other hand, in case of particularly severe damage, the straightening procedure is not applicable, since it is impossible to restore such a disc. Even with the use of argon welding, only the appearance can be corrected; vibration will cause the disc to fall apart.

A burst disk that cannot be repaired Also, the straightening technology almost eliminates the possibility of heating. Therefore, if repairing cast wheels is impossible without heating some of its parts, you need to abandon straightening in favor of a method that supports thermal treatment.

Restoring alloy wheels: how effective is it?

Every car owner at least once in his life is faced with the need to buy rims. Such a need may arise from a breakdown, a desire to change the design of your car, or the need to replace a set of tires. At the same time, one question always arises: what is so good about alloy wheels, and how they can be repaired if necessary.

The appearance of alloy wheels is an order of magnitude better than that of competitors.

Is it possible to straighten alloy wheels with your own hands?

Restoring discs with your own hands is generally a rather thankless procedure. Armed with a sledgehammer or hammer, you can visually correct disc irregularities, but this does not guarantee a complete correction. During straightening, it is very important to ensure that the disc completely returns to its original appearance. Even a millimeter deviation can trigger the development of new damage, and the straightening procedure will be useless.

A machine for straightening rims. But if a car enthusiast has a straightening machine and some experience in tire fitting, he can easily do it with his own hands. The high cost of this service speaks in favor of self-repair. It is very difficult to produce it at home at the proper level, but you won’t have to pay car services a tidy sum. In general, it is possible to repair alloy wheels with your own hands, but it is not advisable. Tired of paying fines? There is an exit!

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Some car enthusiasts do not consider it necessary to fix bent wheels and throw them away immediately. This is also a reasonable approach. A severely bent disk, even in a car service after rolling, can be even more damaged: microcracks will appear, from which, if the wheel is hit again or in the cold, the disk can simply crumble. In this case, even welding will not help.

If you are determined to straighten the disc, you can always contact the service. But if the disc deformation is small, welding is not required, there is absolutely little money to buy a new disc, and there is more than enough strength, you can carry out this procedure in your own garage.

Straightening a bent alloy wheel - procedure

1. We will need: a jack, some kind of weight, a hammer, a sledgehammer, water.
2. First, remove the damaged wheel. We will lift the car using a jack. Remove the wheel from the mounts. The damage to the disc is minor, so removing the tire is not necessary.
3. Place the wheel on a horizontal surface. It will be more effective on the floor, since you will have to place a heavy load on top of the wheel. Otherwise, powerful blows with a sledgehammer will cause the wheel to throw and jump.
4. The wheel is pressed to the floor. First, we perform “rough” straightening. You need to straighten the dented area on the disk with a sledgehammer. This is very difficult to accomplish, because a cast disc is difficult to process. You have to put in a lot of effort to achieve results.
5. Next, take a hammer and place it on the edge of the rim along the inside of the disc. We use a sledgehammer to hit the hammer, carefully correcting rough work defects. We perform these actions until the rim takes the shape of a regular circle.
6. You also have to find out if the tire is leaking water. You need to pour water on the wheel and monitor the condition. If there are bubbles on the surface of the wheel, there is only one conclusion - depressurization. We straighten the disc with a hammer until the bubbles disappear. There are no bubbles, which means that the procedure for straightening the wheel is completed and you can mount it in place.

It is not always possible to notice that a wheel rim is damaged. But in this condition, driving a car is dangerous. When a disk is damaged, the following points appear: while driving, the car skids to one specific side, therefore, the damaged wheel is there. There may also be discomfort when driving, and strange “jumping” of the car. In this case, the wheel rims should be checked for visible defects.

Read with this article:

How to clean rims - a review of detergents Painting rims with your own hands Rolling rims - what kind of service is this? To straighten a car wheel, you can contact a service center or do it yourself. Wheel straightening involves straightening the cast disk. With such a problem, it is better to contact car services that have the necessary equipment.

You will need

• – jack;
• – sledgehammer;
• - hammer;
• – water.

Instructions 1 First remove the damaged wheel. To do this, you need to lift the car with a jack and pull the wheel off the mounts.2 Place the wheel on a horizontal surface. Better on the floor, because... you need to put a heavy weight on top, otherwise it will jump on the floor from strong blows with a sledgehammer.3Now do the “rough” work. Straighten the dented area on the disk with a sledgehammer. This is quite difficult, since the disk is difficult to process. You need to apply a lot of impact force to get results. So don't be afraid to overdo it and hit it too hard.4Then you'll take a hammer and place it against the edge of the rim on the inside of the disc, and use a sledgehammer to tap the hammer to gently correct any imperfections from rough work. The “jeweler’s” correction must be done until the rim takes the shape of a regular circle.5 Now you need to check whether the wheel you corrected is leaking water. To do this, pour water over it and observe. If bubbles appear on the surface of the wheel, it means that there is a depressurization in this place of the wheel, and you need to knock it with a hammer until there are no air bubbles or take the wheel to a car service for rolling. If there are no bubbles, then the work of straightening the wheel is completed and it can be put back in place. –> –> Please note: You may not notice that the wheel disk has long been damaged. But driving a car like this is extremely dangerous. The way to detect wheel damage is as follows: when driving, the car skids in a certain direction, and there you need to look for the damaged wheel. The car may not skid, but if you feel discomfort when driving or the car jumps, then you should definitely check the rims. Helpful advice Many car enthusiasts believe that it is better not to fix damaged rims, but to throw them away immediately. The fact is that even after rolling it in a car service, the disc will remain damaged. But already from the rolling itself. After such alignment, many microcracks form on the disk, due to which in the cold or when a wheel hits, the disk can simply crumble. –> Is the advice useful? Sources used:

• https://kolesa.guru/diski/pravka-lityh.html
• https://kuzovspec.ru/remont/kak-remontirovat-litye-diski/
• https://avtokoleso.biz/rixtovka-kolesnogo-diska-kuvalda-v-pomoshh/
• https://www.kakprosto.ru/kak-106863-kak-vypryamit-koleso

Methods for repairing alloy wheels

Today, alloy wheels can be repaired in several ways:

Now let's look at each type of repair separately.

Welding is the most common and simplest repair method. With its help, an experienced specialist can eliminate many problems. As a rule, such repairs do not last long, and after several months of driving the driver again experiences problems while driving. Also, the manufacturer itself does not recommend heat treatment - subsequently the disk will change its shape and geometry. Accordingly, when operating a car with such discs, you may get into an accident or become the culprit. Therefore, it is worth considering how much it will cost you to buy a new car or major repairs if you save on purchasing a new set of alloy wheels.

Welding process of a damaged cast disk

Rolling (straightening) is used for minor damage and dents. The rolling method and equipment can be used the same as for steel. The only exception is thermal treatment. As was said earlier, alloy wheels should never be heated. This process also does not involve large financial expenses. But before you take your car to a service station, it is better to find out how much it costs to roll a cast wheel.

Disc before and after straightening

Manual editing is the easiest and most affordable way to restore car wheels, which you can do yourself. To level out the dents, we will need a hammer, sledgehammer and hydraulic jack. Before straightening, you should evaluate how many times and with what force it is necessary to hit the damaged area so that the disc acquires its original shape. If you don't calculate your strengths, you can only make the situation worse.

It is also possible to partially deposit metal on damaged areas using argon welding. After surfacing is completed, the excess metal is cut off, and you get your disk without cracks or scratches.

Repair of alloy wheels should end with the painting process. If you find stains that won't wash off or clean up, you can be sure that your disc has either been heated or used some other heat treatment, which is not acceptable for this type of material. You can carry out the painting process yourself in your garage. To do this, you will need several cans of paint, a degreaser, masking tape and protective equipment (gloves and a respirator). Initially, the discs are removed from the car, thoroughly cleaned and wiped. After this, the paint is applied in even layers over the entire surface.

In conclusion, I would like to say that repairing alloy wheels with your own hands is quite possible, but the only taboo is their heat treatment - it is unacceptable.

To protect yourself, your loved ones and your car, it is better not to skimp on purchasing a new set of wheels. But in case of minor chips and scratches, you can remove these defects yourself or seek help from specialists.