Some used wheels that we buy could benefit from being refinished. We have tried most of the wheel refurbishing companies in the UK and have selected one that offers a standard of finish far above all the others. The attention to detail and incremental curing process binds all the layers of the surface coatings together to form a far tougher and durable finish than individual cooled coatings. Unlike some mass produced wheel finishes, coverage is over the entire wheel surface rather than just the exterior surfaces. Some wheels are originally finished with a "high sheem rim edge" where the outer edge is machined to bare metal and a clear lacquer applied. The finish on these wheels generally doesn't last very long and any small damage to the surface allows water to seep under the lacquer and create the "milky" effect. We always prefer to use a fully covered refinishing process that will stand the test of time
Stages of refinishing a wheel
1. Inspection. Kerbing damage, lacquer lifting, stone chips and balance weight marks spoil the look of a wheel
2. Stripping. The existing paint and lacquer finish is removed with either shot blasting or a hydrofluoric acid bath. If the wheel is cracked or deformed, it is discarded and we buy a new wheel to replace it.
3. Painting. Unlike standard paint finishes, the paint on a wheel must survive the rigours of tyre fitting, stonechips and road grime corrosion. It is for these reasons that a durable polyester powder coat paint is used and cured in a gas fired oven to give a tough finish that lasts. The powder is electrostatically applied to the wheel to give even and complete surface coverage. The powder reaches its glass point in an oven, but before it is fully cured, the silver cellulose or water based paint is applied. This is again part cured and the top clear lacquer applied. The wheel is then fully cured and the 3 layers fuse together in the oven.
5. The wheel is inspected at each stage to ensure a good even coverage to the finish and that there are no defects in the metal
6. The wheels are delivered back to us in sealed, cushioned packets ready to photograph and display for sale on our site, or for tyres to be fitted and despatched to our customer
