Recommended filler for alloy wheels?

[B19GRR]

Hi all,

I'm considering having a go a refurbing my VWs alloys, there's no major damage just light kerb rash that'll need something slapped in and smoothed over before I cock up the paint job. So any particular type of filler recommended or just Halfords best of the shelf offering?

Also while I have your undivided attention, I'll be using Wurth paint and lacquer but can I use any old filler primer?

Cheers,
Rob

[7even]

The pros use "alloy gel"(similar to super glue) your local Brown Bros should have it in stock.

[B19GRR]

Ta for the suggestion, took me a while to track down that there's Brown Bros in PeatBogHorror. Is this the stuff:
http://www.smart-repairs.com/product_info.php?cPat...
plus activator spray? Seems a bit jaw droppingly expensive for 20grams it has to be said! Does it go an amazingly long way?

Cheers,
Rob

Edited by B19GRR on Thursday 30th April 19:57

[7even]

Glass Aid are expensive, try here
https://www.smartexpress.co.uk/shop/product_info.p...

should get it for that at brown bros, and yes one tube lasts about 6 months or 100 or so sets of wheels


HTH

Edited by 7even on Thursday 30th April 20:42

[Wheelrepairit]

Chemical metal will do fine, been using it for over 8 yrs with no problems

Made by Plastic padding, approx £12 a tin.

[7even]

ment to add, a wee bit etch primer before you high build. Better to do it at the time than noticing corrosion coming through a month later.

[Anatol]

I've got loads in the shop Rob. Come borrow some whenever.

Tol

[B19GRR]

Anatol said:

I've got loads in the shop Rob. Come borrow some whenever.

Tol

Ooo, a blinding offer that's impossible to refuse Are you knocking around much in the evenings during the week Tol? I could swing by on my way home around 6:15-30, if not next Saturday perhaps?

Must get the paint ordered too otherwise this will easily turn in to one of those 'never got a round to it' jobs

Cheers,
Rob

[Wheelrepairit]

B19GRR said:

Anatol said:

I've got loads in the shop Rob. Come borrow some whenever.

Tol

Must get the paint ordered too otherwise this will easily turn in to one of those 'never got a round to it' jobs

Cheers,
Rob

Rob, i may be able to help with the paint, its what i do, supply paint and other consumables.

What colour you thinking off pal.

Im about 25 mins south of Cambridge, and can courier out, can do at cost for a fellow Pistonheader.

Pete

[Anatol]

B19GRR said:

[Are you knocking around much in the evenings during the week Tol?

Any evening this week except Friday, check in with me first in case I'm returning a car?



Tol

[B19GRR]

Anatol said:

Any evening this week except Friday, check in with me first in case I'm returning a car?



Tol

Cool, I'll give you a bell when I leave work.

Wheelrepairit said:

Rob, i may be able to help with the paint, its what i do, supply paint and other consumables.

What colour you thinking off pal.

Im about 25 mins south of Cambridge, and can courier out, can do at cost for a fellow Pistonheader.

Pete

Thanks for the offer Pete, can you provide spray cans though as I don't have any fancy spray equipment? Colour-wise just bog standard German silver, plan was to use Wurths paints:
http://www.performancemotorcare.com/acatalog/Wurth...
Which is supposed to match the OEM silver.

Cheers,
Rob

[B19GRR]

OK, wheel one results in, with some not very helpful comparison images as the OEM rim isn't the one I refurbed, should've taken a before shot of that but it was kerbed all around and 4 of the spokes had quite bad scrapes;)






Not wishing to blow my own trumpet and all that but I think it's fair to say I've done a pretty crap job I shall entirely blame this on the crappy rattle cans and not being able to get a consistent pattern from them nothing to do with me being pants at paintint, anyway after persistence, waaaaaaay to much paint and lots of rubbing down that's one wheel taken care of. Immediately obvious is that Wurths so call perfect match ain't so perfect, the colour seems a touch lighter and the flakes are a lot coarser than OEM which wouldn't be so bad if the wheels didn't have the centre cover to make the difference that bit more obvious.

The alloy gel went on a treat and was a sod to sand down, lesson learnt there is on first refurb attempt don't choose a wheel that's kerbed all the way around as it's very hard to sand an edge with the tyre still on. Is there an amazingly useful tool that the pro's use or do you just deflate the tyre and push the bead down to get better access?

Anyway, that was the worst rim in terms of damage so hopefully the others won't be too bad and with a bit more practice under my belt I might revisit the first one again and give it what for!

Cheers,
Rob

[7even]

the colour seems a touch lighter and the flakes are a lot coarser than OEM which wouldn't be so bad if the wheels didn't have the centre cover to make the difference that bit more obvious.

You could have painted them the same colour

The alloy gel went on a treat and was a sod to sand down, lesson learnt there is on first refurb attempt don't choose a wheel that's kerbed all the way around as it's very hard to sand an edge with the tyre still on. Is there an amazingly useful tool that the pro's use or do you just deflate the tyre and push the bead down to get better access?

No easy way im afraid, a 6" DA does help and rarely use filler when your using this, but to do this successfully you do, as you say, need to break the tyre bead

Thats a decent job for rattle cans, well done Rob go and have yourself a nice cup o tea.

Reminder though as youve only used 1k (im guessin as the products are from a can) curing will take some time so dont go near them with a power wash or any sort of chemical cleaners. Better to be safe than sorry.

[B19GRR]

7even said:

the colour seems a touch lighter and the flakes are a lot coarser than OEM which wouldn't be so bad if the wheels didn't have the centre cover to make the difference that bit more obvious.

You could have painted them the same colour

The alloy gel went on a treat and was a sod to sand down, lesson learnt there is on first refurb attempt don't choose a wheel that's kerbed all the way around as it's very hard to sand an edge with the tyre still on. Is there an amazingly useful tool that the pro's use or do you just deflate the tyre and push the bead down to get better access?

No easy way im afraid, a 6" DA does help and rarely use filler when your using this, but to do this successfully you do, as you say, need to break the tyre bead

Thats a decent job for rattle cans, well done Rob go and have yourself a nice cup o tea.

Reminder though as youve only used 1k (im guessin as the products are from a can) curing will take some time so dont go near them with a power wash or any sort of chemical cleaners. Better to be safe than sorry.

Ta for that! I have thought about painting the centres but you have to use a bit of wire to hook them off (genius design) so I'd've thought a painted finish would get scratch up pretty easily. I shall muse on it as I get through the other wheels though. Would be nice to be able to do something about the crappy state of the VW badges though.

I'll pretend I didn't give them a quick squirt of Bilberry to get the last traces of rubbing compound off and just enjoy my cuppa

Cheers,
Rob

[B19GRR]

Quicky before I start up again this weekend (hopefully if it's sunny). Should I be flatting the primer layer down before the silver, and should I also do the silver before the lacquer? I've got this weird feeling that I read somewhere not to rub down metallics but I might just be making that up

Cheers,
Rob

[Anatol]

B19GRR said:

Quicky before I start up again this weekend (hopefully if it's sunny). Should I be flatting the primer layer down before the silver, and should I also do the silver before the lacquer? I've got this weird feeling that I read somewhere not to rub down metallics but I might just be making that up

Cheers,
Rob

Yes, rub any texture out of the primer. Don't take any papers anywhere near the silver.

Tol

[B19GRR]

Anatol said:

Yes, rub any texture out of the primer. Don't take any papers anywhere near the silver.

Tol

Thanks Tol!