When you’re trying to repair the wheels of your car, you have a few options. Wheel rims tend to get scuffed, scratched, and damaged by many different processes. The most common culprits are things as simple as curbs and parking blocks. When you’re parallel parking or pulling up next to someone’s house, if you pull up too close, you can scratch the edges of your rims against the curb. Most rims are made of a magnesium and aluminum alloy that is very resilient and very hard. That hardness also means it is very easy to scratch. There are many different ways to repair your rims, ranging from the very expensive and difficult to the very affordable and easy. Here are some of the ways rims are damaged and the ways you can fix them.
Resurfacing
One of the most common wheel rim repairs is resurfacing. This is when a professional repair specialist removes the surface of your rims down to the level of the scratches. The specialist grinds the metal down until it’s level with the scratches. They then buff the scratch, polish it, and reapply the finish. The entire process takes several hours and costs hundreds of dollars. You have to take your rims to a specialist, which is a hassle. If resurfacing your rims is too much of a hassle and too expensive, what other options do you have?
Polymer Skins
A polymer skin is the simplest form of wheel rim repairs. It addresses the most common damage to rims, which are scratches to the edges of rims. A polymer skin is a thin piece of polymer that rings around the edge of the rims to protect it from scratches. With a polymer skin, you could accidentally drive too close to a curb and not scratch up your rim. The polymer skin will be scratched somewhat, but the metal underneath will not be hurt.
If you are just getting brand new rims, you should invest in a polymer skin to go around each rim. That will protect your rim for its entire life. If you already have some scratches on your rims, you can cover them up and prevent any more from developing with a polymer skin. They’re the simplest of all the wheel rim repairs; polymer skins are incredibly easy to apply. They usually only take about five or ten minutes to apply. They’re also far less expensive than resurfacing procedures. They’re designed to be almost disposable. You can apply polymer skins to your rims, and when they become too scratched up, you can apply some new ones. That’s how inexpensive they are. They’re much more easily replaced than rims.
Whether you have brand new rims or you’re looking for simple wheel rim repairs, you should invest in polymer skins.
