Polishing out curb rash

[Black88GTA]

So I bought a car. It came with a spare set of (I think Konig) aluminum 17"s that I want to use in the summer. However, a couple of them have fairly nasty curb rash.

Anyone have any good tips on ways to grind / polish it out so that it isn't quite so obvious? Compounds / tools to use, tricks on how to get it to look right...etc. I have at my disposal a rotary tool (B&D RTX), a belt / disc sander (probably not much help here lol) and assorted electric drills. I'm not seeking perfection, but would like to make it look as nice as possible.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[iamwiz82]

Get some bondo, fill it in, prime, and paint.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/realwhda.html

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Get some bondo, fill it in, prime, and paint.

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/realwhda.html

I thought of that, but initially dismissed the idea because didn't think Bondo would like to stick very well to rapidly rotating aluminum Plus, I didn't realize there was paint designed specifically to touch up wheels. I may have to give this a shot!

Thanks for the link

 

[alkemyst]

You can use some wet sandpaper or a mild brush on a dremel and polish them out...I'd practice on a spare wheel or the back of one. Painting isn't so much an option on a polished lip.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
You can use some wet sandpaper or a mild brush on a dremel and polish them out...I'd practice on a spare wheel or the back of one. Painting isn't so much an option on a polished lip.

Would a small wire cup brush work for this? I may try wetsanding first to take the high areas level, and then try to polish out the deeper valleys. You're right, the paint may look funny when the rest is polished.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If that is bare aluminum and not clear coated (not very likely) I would go to work with some 000 steel wool and some metal polish.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
If that is bare aluminum and not clear coated (not very likely) I would go to work with some 000 steel wool and some metal polish.

I looked at it, I think it's got a clearcoat on it...it's hard to tell though

 

[exdeath]

That's chewed up quite deep. It would take some decent cutting and removal of material to level it out, just going over it with polish or something isn't going to cut it (no pun intended)

Best bet would be to check around for a wheel shop that can lathe the lip down a few thousands and restore the finish. Shouldn't cost much at all and can be done in a matter of minutes by an experienced shop. I mean cutting a pair of wheels in half and rewelding them to widen them doesn't cost more than a $100 or so.

http://www.weldcraftwheels.com

 

[Greenman]

If it's polished aluminum bondo isn't going to work.

About the only home repair is to sand the damage out. I'd start with 220 wet paper and work up from there. End at 1200 grit then hit it with polish and a buffing wheel.

 

[Hammerhead]

Do you have a wheel/rim repair shop near you? They can easily fill it in, then grind it to a nice polish.

 

[ehhhh]

I maybe wrong but most low end wheels like konig plate the lips to give it a polish aluminum look. You may have a hard time grinding/polishing those sections to match the rest. You can probably grind it out and paint the entire lip with an aluminum colored paint to match.

 

[Squisher]

Spinning it on a lathe would make the fix 100% perfect, but the cost would probably be prohibitive.

I'd probably go at it with a cartridge roll sanding roll mounted in a drill or even better would be a rotozip. Vary the direction you work at by at least 70 degrees with every pass. You can always clean it up with some hand sanding.

Matching the existing finish might be the hardest part. So, I'd also say to practice on an area you can't see first. The aluminum will discolor in a couple of hours so don't worry if it is too shiny to start out with.