Can curb rash be repaired, or do I need a new wheel?

Curb rash is cosmetic and is repairable in almost every case. The damaged area is sanded, filled where needed, re-profiled to the original edge shape, and refinished to match the rest of the set. Address it before it corrodes — once the finish is broken, aluminum oxidises underneath and the repair gets larger.

Will you weld a cracked wheel?

Not for a high-performance or high-value vehicle, and never on a spoke or the inner barrel near the hub. A crack is a fatigue failure, and welding heat-treated aluminum changes the metal's properties in a way that cannot be verified visually. We recommend replacement, and we will say so directly.

Can you change the color of my wheels?

Yes — gloss, satin, and matte in any color, on a full set or a single wheel matched to an existing set. Wheels come off the car and tires come off the wheels; refinishing with tires mounted leaves a visible line at the bead and is not something we do.

Can you repair a diamond-cut or machined-face wheel?

Yes. A machined face is re-cut on a CNC lathe and re-cleared so the machining pattern matches the original. Painting over a diamond-cut face is a shortcut that is obvious in daylight and fails early.

I hit a pothole and now the car vibrates. Is that the wheel?

Often, and usually a bend on the inner barrel that a balance will not correct. Bring it in — and have the suspension and alignment checked as well, since a hard impact can affect both. On a car with driver-assistance systems, an alignment change can also trigger a calibration requirement.

Wheels

Wheel Repair & Refinishing in Beverly Hills.

Curb rash, bends, and finish work on forged and cast alloy wheels — with a firm line on what we will and will not return to service.

Wheel Repair & Refinishing at HADD Customs in Beverly Hills

A set of forged wheels on a luxury car can cost as much as a used commuter car, so repairing rather than replacing is usually the rational choice — and usually the correct one. The line worth being careful about is the one between cosmetic damage and structural damage, because past that line the cost question stops being the important one.

We repair and refinish wheels in house, including full-set color changes, and we will tell you plainly when a wheel should not go back on the car.

Call (310) 988-2848

What we repair

Curb rash is the most common damage and the most straightforwardly repairable. The scraped area is sanded and filled where necessary, re-profiled to the original edge geometry, and refinished to match. Done properly it is invisible, and it does not compromise the wheel.

Bends are repairable within limits. Inner barrel lip damage, which is where most pothole impacts land, can usually be pressed back with hydraulic equipment and controlled heat. Multiple bends, or a bend that has stretched the metal, move a wheel toward replacement — and the symptom owners notice is a vibration at speed that a tire balance does not resolve.

—Curb rash repair and edge re-profiling
—Bent rim straightening with hydraulic equipment and controlled heat
—Painted, powder coated, gloss, satin, and matte finishes
—Diamond-cut and machined-face wheels re-cut on a lathe, not painted over
—Full-set color changes and single-wheel matching to an existing set
—Brake caliper refinishing in high-temperature systems

Where we stop

We do not return a welded wheel to service on a high-performance or high-value vehicle, and never where the crack is in a spoke or the inner barrel near the hub. A crack in an alloy wheel is a fatigue failure. Aluminum wheels are heat-treated, and welding locally alters the metal's properties in a way no visual inspection can verify. On a car driven at speed on Southern California freeways, that is not a risk worth taking to save the cost of a wheel.

Wheels bent at the hub face, wheels with structural deformation from a serious impact, and wheels that have been straightened repeatedly are all replacement cases. Two-piece and three-piece wheels can often have a single damaged section replaced instead of the whole assembly, which is worth checking before buying a new set.

Finish matching

Chrome, polished, diamond-cut, machined-face, and factory two-tone finishes each require a specific process to match properly. A diamond-cut face is re-cut on a lathe and re-cleared — painting silver over it does not match and does not last. If only one wheel of a set is damaged, tell us, because matching one to three is a different job from refinishing all four.

Wheel finishes also live a harder life than bodywork: brake dust at temperature, wheel cleaners, thermal cycling, and curb contact. The finish system has to tolerate all of it, which is why preparation on a polished lip or a bare machined surface matters more than the spraying does.

FAQ

Wheel Repair & Refinishing — common questions

Can curb rash be repaired, or do I need a new wheel?: Curb rash is cosmetic and is repairable in almost every case. The damaged area is sanded, filled where needed, re-profiled to the original edge shape, and refinished to match the rest of the set. Address it before it corrodes — once the finish is broken, aluminum oxidises underneath and the repair gets larger.
Will you weld a cracked wheel?: Not for a high-performance or high-value vehicle, and never on a spoke or the inner barrel near the hub. A crack is a fatigue failure, and welding heat-treated aluminum changes the metal's properties in a way that cannot be verified visually. We recommend replacement, and we will say so directly.
Can you change the color of my wheels?: Yes — gloss, satin, and matte in any color, on a full set or a single wheel matched to an existing set. Wheels come off the car and tires come off the wheels; refinishing with tires mounted leaves a visible line at the bead and is not something we do.
Can you repair a diamond-cut or machined-face wheel?: Yes. A machined face is re-cut on a CNC lathe and re-cleared so the machining pattern matches the original. Painting over a diamond-cut face is a shortcut that is obvious in daylight and fails early.
I hit a pothole and now the car vibrates. Is that the wheel?: Often, and usually a bend on the inner barrel that a balance will not correct. Bring it in — and have the suspension and alignment checked as well, since a hard impact can affect both. On a car with driver-assistance systems, an alignment change can also trigger a calibration requirement.

Begin

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Free estimates, rental cars, towing, and direct insurance handling. Call HADD Customs in Beverly Hills to schedule.