How to fix deeply scratched rims?

[wolfhound]

Unfortunaltely, my clearcoated rims hits a street gutter and it is deeply scratched, can this still be fixed?

[admin]

You'd have to wetsand the scratched aluminum so it's smooth, polish it up and reapply an automotive wheel clearcoat.

It would be best to mask the surrounding area so as to not damage the original clearcoat.

[wolfhound]

By polish, what kind of product are you referring to?

By automotive wheel clearcoat, do you have recommended product brand in mind?
Thanks for answering my inquiry eventhough it is not related to MOTHERS.

[wolfhound]

Please see attached file for the actual picture.

[admin]

If the wheel lip is natural alloy beneath the clearcoat (hard to tell from this photo), then you would sand away those gouges with successive grits, like 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000. Then you would polish it with a metal polish, such as our Mag & Aluminum Polish -- that should remove the scratches from the sandpaper. Coat with a wheel clearcoat.

If the wheel lip is coated in a silver, then sand as indicated above and coat with a matching wheel coating.

Dupli-Color, available widely here in the U.S., has wheel coatings in a variety of standard colors as well as a clear.

Another alternative -- especially if your wheel lip is sliver -- is the Permatex Wheel Restoration Kit which has epoxy that can fill the gouges, though it will still require sanding, but not as much.

Your mileage may vary. Use at your own risk. Others are welcome to offer suggestions.

There are also entrepreneurs that do wheel repair, and they may be able to fix it to an acceptable level for a reasonable price.

[wolfhound]

Thank you so much admin. I would definitely consider this option.

[wolfhound]

By the way, from the pics i posted, my wheel is clearcoated right? if yes, what product should i use to polish it? fx spray?

Thanks!

[admin]

Yes, that would be considered a factory or OEM-style wheel that is clearcoated or coated.

A Spray Wax, such as FX Spray Wax, is an easy way to add gloss and protection.

If you need to polish -- meaning remove stubborn soil, scratches or minor defects -- you could use most any paint care product such as FX SynWax, California Gold Carnauba Cleaner Wax, etc. You can even use California Gold Scratch Remover to remove surface scratches, though you would want to wax afterwards. Additionally, due to the tough nature of this type of wheel coating, sometimes Plastic Polish or PowerPlastic works a little better and both are a one-step polish and protection -- use whichever one you can get locally, though we normally recommend the PowerPlastic for use with the PowerBall line.