When Should an Alloy Wheel Be Replaced Instead of Refurbished?

Cracks

A cracked wheel should not be refurbished. We do not repair cracked wheels, and a cosmetic refurbishment on one does the worst possible thing - it makes a compromised wheel look sound.

Cracks are often hard to spot, particularly on the inner face or at the base of a spoke. If the car has taken a heavy pothole or a serious kerb strike, or if a wheel is losing air with no puncture to be found, have it inspected properly by someone who does structural wheel work.

Buckles

Same answer. We do not repair buckled wheels. A buckle usually shows up as a vibration through the steering or the seat that gets worse with speed, and often as a tyre that will not hold pressure because the rim no longer seals against the bead.

Buckling is a straightening job for a wheel specialist, or a replacement. It is not a finish problem and no amount of refurbishment addresses it.

Corrosion That Has Gone Too Far

Surface corrosion and corrosion in the finish are refurbishment work and very common. Corrosion that has eaten into the bead seat so a tyre cannot seal reliably, or that has gone deep enough to leave the wheel structurally doubtful, is not.

The distinction is not always obvious from a photograph, which is why it is worth having looked at rather than guessed at.

Previous Repairs That Went Too Far

Occasionally we see a wheel that has had so much material removed by earlier repairs, or has been welded or filled in a way that leaves it questionable, that the sensible answer is a replacement.

That is not a common outcome, but it happens, and we would rather say it than quietly refinish it.

When Replacement Just Makes More Sense

Sometimes the maths decides it rather than the damage. A very badly damaged wheel on a car where good used wheels are cheap and easy to find can be a case for replacement even when it could technically be saved.

Equally, refurbishment is often the better value on larger, more expensive or harder-to-find wheels, where a replacement is neither cheap nor quick. Tell us the vehicle and we will give you our honest view, including when that view is "buy a used one".

What to Do If You Are Not Sure

Send photographs and describe what the car is doing as well as what the wheel looks like. A vibration, a slow puncture or a knock is worth mentioning, because those are the symptoms that point at structural damage rather than cosmetic.

The consultation is free and we would rather tell you a wheel needs a specialist than take a booking for work that should not be done. A wheel that looks perfect and is not sound is worse than one you know about.