Last week I wrote about our approach to basic mobile alloy wheel refurbishment, some of the techniques and products used, and the time it takes to complete the average wheel.
There are some instances, however, when repairs need to take place at our depot rather than your home.
That’s because in extreme cases, wheels that are prone to rotting and corrosion need to undergo special a treatment.
In such cases some companies out there will ‘shot blast’ or ‘sand blast’ badly rotting or corroded wheels to remove all the paint and blemishes.
At Kerb Appeal we find this to be a harsh process that can leave pitting and other imperfections in the repaired wheel.
So instead we use the latest techniques, which involve us removing all the paint and corrosion in an acid bath and then powder coating the wheel to achieve a more satisfactory repair.
We call this process, unsurprising, 'alloy wheel acid stripping and powder coating'.
Due to the strength of the acid used we cannot undertake it from one of our mobile units, so the work is carried out at our depot instead.
But don’t worry - we’ll still come to your location to pick up the damaged wheels (and even keep you mobile with a spare while the work is being carried out!)
In actual fact, there are also some upsides to having wheels in such bad condition that they require acid stripping and powder coating - you can have them re-painted to the original colour or, if you fancy a change, we can mix up any colour you like.
Or, if you have a specific colour you would like you can supply us with a paint code and we will match it.
But whether you opt for the original finish or something a little different, the basic acid stripping and powder coating process remains the same - here’s a step by step guide to the work we would perform:
- We come to your chosen destination and remove the wheels from your vehicle.
- The vehicle is then placed on axle stands for the duration that we have your wheels. If you are having just the one wheel done, we will fit the spare for you if you have one. If you do not have space to leave your vehicle on axle stands we will bring your car to our depot and store it in our secure compound. We also have trade plates in order to transport untaxed vehicles from dealerships, etc.
- Once the wheels arrive back at our depot the tyres are removed.
- The wheels are placed in the acid bath until all the paint is removed.
- We then jet wash the wheels to remove all the acid and loose paint.
- Any damage is then repaired using a number of techniques.
- The wheels are then placed in our oven and heated up.
- We then prime the wheels and bake them again.
- The primer is then ‘flatted off’ to ensure a smooth paint finish.
- The wheels are then heated up again and painted in the colour of your choice and baked off again.
- We then lacquer the wheels to ensure a hard finish and bake them one final time.
- The wheels are left to cool before they have the tyres refitted.
- We balance the wheels before returning them to you and fitting them back to your vehicle.
At this point it’s worth bearing in mind that once the acid stripping and powder coating process is complete, your alloy wheels will look like they’ve just rolled out of the factory they were made in - you might want to make sure you wash the rest of your car so it doesn’t look out of place!
If you’d like to find out more about our alloy wheel acid stripping and powder coating service and the other services that we offer, simply browse around our website, or contact myself, Simon Trayler, on 07956 530 949 / kerbappeal@live.co.uk.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Simon Trayler,
Master Technician