Do you have a Curbed, Bent or Cracked Wheel?
We're Your local experts.
Curbed Wheels
If your wheels are scraped, scratched, have curb rash or are gouged, you don’t have to buy new ones.
While curbside parking or at the drive-thru, if you get too close to a curb these days there is not much tire to cushion your wheel from damage.
The good news is that you do not have to buy a new wheel - you can repair them.
In most cases our repair process will have you searching for where the damage was after completion, all while saving you hundreds, and in some cases thousands of dollars when compared to replacement.
Since 2007, NW Wheel & Tire has repaired thousands of wheels from almost every auto-maker to “like new” condition, giving us the experience to offer guidance while considering your options.
Just give us a call or swing by the shop to talk it over.
For those who seek a better understanding of the process.
After dropping your vehicle off at our shop, we first remove the wheels from the car that are going to be repaired. From here, wheels are washed inside and out giving us a clean wheel to start with. At this point the wheel is placed on our customized wheel repair USA made Hunter tire machine. We use the machine to push the top bead of the tire down away from the wheel. This allows us to repair damage to the edge of the wheel and to completely clear-coat the face of the wheel leaving no tape line. Now it’s time to repair the damage. We do not just sand the damage smooth and refinish leaving the edge of your wheel uneven; our process reshapes the complete outer edge of the wheel leaving it factory smooth.
After we are satisfied with the repair, it is time to prepare the wheel for paint. This is the time consuming part of the process, and why the severity of the damage (in most cases) doesn’t affect the cost of the repair. Our goal is a long-lasting finish that even upon close inspection appears to be factory. We use high-quality (and cost) PPG products designed to give a great color match and a durable finish.
Next, it’s time to prime the exposed metal. While the primer is drying, we will be mixing up your color matched paint. This is where years of close attention to detail really pays off. Most wheels are silver…yes. But if you care to look closer, and we do… there are big differences. From the overall shade, the size of the metallic, down to the texture of how it lays on your wheel, these are our personal points of judgment. Even with all the effort to create the perfect color, in an ideal situation we attempt to paint as little of the wheel as possible, leaving much of the factory color still ready for clear coating. Once the repair is covered and blended into the original finish it’s time to clear coat. Not to sound like a broken record, but we clear coat the entire face and past the edge where the tire meets the wheel.
After we finish painting we need the wheel dry, so you can pick-up your car the same day. This is where technology helps the process. IR (Infrared) curing lamps allow us to do that by heating the metal of the wheel under the paint. This forces the solvents (what makes paint liquid and wet) out of the paint from underneath, shortening the drying time dramatically. Once the wheel has cooled, we rebalance the wheel and tire leaving you with a great looking wheel that is ready to safely and smoothly drive home.
Bent Wheels
When alloy wheels and low profile tires meet an abrupt edge while driving…this encounter can result in a bent wheel.
These days, driving on some roads you are constantly forced to dodge one pothole then another.
Typical symptoms of a bent wheel are steering wheel vibration, uneven tire wear and increased wear on suspension components of your car.
NW Wheel & Tire has invested in the machinery to repair bent wheels at a fraction of the price of replacement.
With our proper equipment, the majority of these bent wheels can be straightened safely back to factory specifications.
If our process cannot make your wheel road worthy again, there is no charge for wheel repair.
Safely repairing a bent wheel takes the proper equipment. In our shop we have what we believe is the best machine available. While some offer quick repairs and fancy features, only our machine allows us to attach the wheel to the machine, exactly how it is mounted on the vehicle. Using a factory sized hub adaptor and all the bolt holes we can take advantage of precise mounting to accurately take measurements during the repair process. This allows us to be certain our repairs are the best possible.
The first step is to remove your tire, which we can take care of. After the tire is removed we inspect the wheel to determine if it can safely be repaired. Next, we bolt the wheel to the straightener and using a dial indicator, mark the low spots and high spots of the out-of-round wheel, down to the thousandth of an inch. Depending on the severity of the bend, we will warm the metal to limit the force needed to straighten the wheel. The nice thing about metal is it wants to be in the same position as it was made. This doesn’t mean it pops back into place, but it does allow us to safely repair your wheels for a lot less than what it would cost to replace it.
This process is akin to the art of metal shaping and takes patience to achieve great results. After a wheel has been brought back into shape the straightening process is complete. At this point we remount your tire and balance it using the latest Hunter Engineering technology. After our process is completed your vehicle will be back to safely and smoothly driving down the road.
Cracked Wheels
It is not uncommon for a pothole or curb to cause a crack in a wheel. With the right equipment and process cracked wheels can be safely repaired. Our process was designed from the mind of a aviation welder, turned inspector. Through his years of experience we optimized each step of the process and invested in all the most advanced equipment to put us in the best position to repair your wheel. We use a Miller Dynasty TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) machine that offers a complex amount of adjustability to help create a solid weld on cast aluminum. Once all the settings are dialed, we turn our attention to how to best shield the arc from contamination. 100% Argon is the gas of choice when TIG welding, but we take it one step further and use special tip which keeps the gas focused where it needs to be. While the equipment is important the technician holding the torch and feeding the properly spec'd filler rod into the liquid metal, is where the real magic happens. With years of experience performing this service you're in good hands. Each wheel and crack is different and does require the technician to ultimately make the decision if the wheel can be repaired. Our advice is to let our team have a look before buying a replacement, many wheels that have cracked have been on the road for years since we've repaired them.
Used Replacement Wheels
When the damage is too severe and a replacement wheel is the only option to get you back on the road, we can help source a used wheel for you. A used wheel makes a lot of sense after you call the dealership and they tell how much it will cost. Why are new replacement factory wheels are so much money? We have no idea, it doesn't make any sense besides the fact that it's always been that way. Good news is with our national used wheel supplier we can find most of the wheels we are looking for and a fraction of cost when compared to new. This is the same distribution channel that body shops and the wheels we receive are the same quality insurance companies require.
