How much does it cost to refurbish alloy wheels?

It follows the number of wheels and their size, how deep the kerbing runs, whether the lacquer has failed and whether you want a colour change. A full set works out at a better rate than four wheels done separately. Quotes are free and carry no obligation.

Can badly kerbed alloys be repaired?

Usually, yes. Heavy kerbing looks alarming, but most of it is confined to the lacquer and the outer edge of the rim, and deeper gouges are filled and shaped by hand. If the kerbing has taken a chunk out of the rim, replacement is safer.

Can every alloy wheel be repaired?

No. A cracked or buckled wheel, or one damaged by a pothole or a collision, should not be refinished and put back on the road, because paint hides the damage without fixing it. We will tell you if a wheel needs replacing.

Can you change the colour of my alloy wheels?

Yes, and it is one of the more popular jobs we do. The process is the same as a repair with a different colour at the end, so any kerbing gets sorted on the way through. We suggest doing all four together, because a single wheel in a new colour never looks deliberate.

Do the tyres have to come off the wheels?

For most refurbishments, no. The wheel comes off the car and the tyre is masked so the face and rim can be prepared and sprayed. Where the damage runs into the bead area the tyre has to come off.

Can you refurbish diamond cut alloy wheels?

Diamond cut wheels are machined on a lathe to give that bright turned face, a different process from the painted refinish we carry out, and we do not offer diamond cutting. A diamond cut wheel can only be re-cut a limited number of times before the face becomes too thin, so many owners have it refinished in a painted colour instead.

Alloy wheel repair and colour changes at our Bury St Edmunds workshop

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment in Bury St Edmunds

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Technician refurbishing an alloy wheel inside the workshop

The damage a wheel refurbishment is made for

Kerbed rims, scuffed faces, light gouges, corroded or peeling lacquer and full colour changes, on a single wheel or a complete set.

Gleaming refurbished alloy wheel on a car

When a wheel has to be replaced rather than repaired

A cracked or buckled wheel is not safe to refinish, and we will tell you so plainly rather than take money for work that will not hold.

Why people change the colour of their alloys

Plenty of customers want a different look rather than a repair. Gloss black, anthracite, gunmetal and satin finishes are the usual requests, to sharpen up a light coloured car or modernise an older set of wheels.

Smart Spray Bodywork's workshop exterior in Bury St Edmunds

Why your wheels are done in our booth

Wheels are prepared and sprayed in our booth, where temperature, airflow and moisture are controlled, because dust and damp in the air spoil lacquer as it cures.

Refurbished glossy alloy wheel after kerb damage repair

What decides the cost of alloy wheel refurbishment

How many wheels, what size, how deep the kerbing goes and whether you want a colour change. Send photos on WhatsApp to 07939 755264 for a free, no obligation quote.

Step by step in our Bury St Edmunds workshop

How we refurbish your alloys

Technician refurbishing an alloy wheel inside the Smart Spray Bodywork workshop

Inspecting and assessing every wheel first

Every wheel gets a proper look before anything happens to it. We check the rim edge for kerb damage, look for cracks and buckling, and see whether the lacquer has lifted or gone milky. Only then do we say what each wheel needs.

A few things that decide how a wheel is repaired

Most kerbing only breaks the lacquer and the outer rim edge, so the wheel rarely needs stripping right back to bare metal.

Deeper gouges are filled and shaped by hand until the rim edge runs straight again.

Diamond cut wheels are machined on a lathe, a different process from the painted refinish we carry out here.

The repair, the paint and the cure

With the wheel off the car and the tyre masked, the damage is sanded back to sound material, gouges are filled and shaped, and the face is keyed so the new coating grips. Primer, colour and lacquer follow, then the wheel cures hard before it is refitted and balanced.

What to expect when you book

We give you a realistic timeframe when we quote, and we do not keep cars longer than we need to.

Wheels come off the car for a proper job, and tyres usually stay fitted unless the damage runs into the bead area.

Leave freshly painted wheels unwashed for the first day or so, so the lacquer can harden fully.

Kerbed a wheel or fancy a colour change? Send photos on WhatsApp to 07939 755264 for a free, no obligation quote.

Straight answers before you book

Common questions about alloy wheel refurbishment

Alloy wheel refurbishment near you

Kerbed wheels come to us from all over the area, and a set of four is often refinished while you get on with your day. We see a lot of alloys from Newmarket, Ely and Haverhill, as well as Bury St Edmunds itself. Our areas we serve page has the journey times from each town.