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I'm an idiot

4K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  david2015plstr 
#1 ·
I got confused pulling out of a parking spot when someone cut me off and I lost my train of thought. In my haste I turned the other way while pulling out of the spot...and promptly ground my rim against the adjacent curb. :mad: Does anyone have any advice for how to treat this? Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
Yup, I have unfortunately damaged 3 wheels so far. Caught a curb after 1,000 miles. Caught road debris after 2,000 miles. I think the dealer did the damage on the third one(didn't care because I was getting them powder coated two weeks later). Curb rash is pretty easily fixed on these wheels depending on how deep it went. Based on how expensive these wheels are, I would leave it up to a professional. They grind it down and polish it out. Places charge anywhere from $75-$250/wheel to fix them. They look like new when done. Mine got fixed before being powder coated for no extra cost.
 
#5 ·
Or you can grow a pair and get some courage to try fixing it yourself as that's the only way to really learn things in life, is by doing it.

Sand paper and files are your friend. Start with a file and then when you have the really hard stuff smoothed out and all even, uniform, move to your sandpaper. Start with 600 or 800 grit and work your way up to 2000 grit sanding vertical, then horizontal for even grade of paper, then polish with a dremel and aluminum specific polish.

If the wheel has a silver and clear coat you would not need to go nuts polishing, just get it smooth and then mask the wheel off, clean the area, then apply paint.

Or spend a few hundred to pay the dealer. What's your time worth?
 
#6 ·
It's not about what your time is worth. This is an almost $3,000 set of wheels. If you have never done this before, why would you try to touch a $700+ wheel when you can get someone to fix it for $75-$100. If this was a cheap set of wheels, then absolutely do it yourself.
 
#12 ·
I should've made it perfectly clear I have ZERO intention of touching that gorgeous and now sadly, scarred, rim myself. I just didn't know if people knew whether to take to a dealer, or how much it costs, or the process, or whether I should take care of it sooner rather than later (rust? I dunno).
 
#13 ·
It won't rust, it's an aluminum wheel. What a bummer, I dread the first time I curb one of those wheels, but I am in a fortunate situation that I could repair them easily.
I own a finishing shop and have painted many curbed wheels, it's not that hard as long as the damage is cosmetic. In fact I'm thinking of painting my wheels anyway to a dark titanium color, but I probably won't bother until they are curbed, I don't mind the silver, but I think the wheels would look better a little darker with BSM.
Just find a place that refinishes wheels, don't go through a dealer, they won't do it and will sub it out and mark it up. But it might be more convenient. They are painted wheels with a clear coat, pretty easy to fix.
 
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