Any DIY remove gutter rash info?

[TurboRA28]

Hi all, I want to get rid of some gutter rash on my wheels. They are polished alloy, not painted so can't use filler/paint.

Is there any DIY methods used? I recall a dodgy method someone once posted of spinning the wheel with the car running and sanding it.

What else is out there, any other ideas?

Thanks
Joel

[Dimmy]

I'd also like to know some techniques.

The wheel shop seem to have dropped one of my rims onto something hard and put a little chip into the polished lip, the wheels are scratch free and this shits me

EDIT: polished not chrome lip

[markiitourerv]

Mate of mine used the this method, and it worked out quite well.

His wheels had a fairly odd looking lip, so he profiled all 4 with a bog file first up,
then went through various grades of paper to polish.

If the wheel does have a chrome lip - as in chrome plating, it is alot more difficult
to repair, infact only use this method if the rim has a polished or painted lip.

Or live with it and put that rim on the lh side.

[KARNAGE]

yeah depending on how deep the damage is you can do the wheel spin method you just have to be mates with someone as a tire shop so they let you use their tire balancer. start off with a course grit and slowly move up to your 1500 grit or 2000 grit, you could also remove the damage and use a flapper disc on a drill with some cutting compound to clean it up then move to a polishing compound to give you a polished finish. thats would i did my 4age cam covers after i removed the lettering. hope that helps

[TurboRA28]

So just sandpaper ya reckon?

[inertia]

EDIT: didn't read that yours weren't painted. Sorry.

http://www.bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/w...uff-repair.htm

[old_mr2]

That porsche wheel came up a treat. Nice link!

[.T.]

paintshop i use has a very good method - belt sander!! basically you strip tyre off, then run sander across the lip until you get even surface. finer paper gives a better finish.

otherwise if you have access to a tig & know how to use it, missing sections can be welded in (as per how the "professionals" do it) then turned or sanded down

T

[TurboRA28]

Does this method mean the lip would not be straight? eg where the rash was it would dip in a bit from all the sanding?

[KGB]

Yes it realy depends how deep the rash goes .. My method is on car mild rash use 80 grit & decrease paper size down to mothers polish ...

Much like panel sanding You just have to make t blend as in length of sanding area ..

Be careful not to make worse by to large a grip paper scratching good alloy if you get my drift pardon the pun ...

You can even go Bunnings pick up alloy polish stick & rag buff to fit your drill wich can take out some elbow grease for you ...

@2CKeith:

[Julz01]

Ive polished up a few sets of wheels and gotten rid of heaps of gutter rash with just using wet and dry sand paper, at the start use the tougher grade sand paper and work your way down as it polishes up.

As you sand it make sure to clean it every once in a while and use some metal polish on it to see how the progress is going.

[KARNAGE]

yep sand paper does the trick i still believe using a cut and polish with a buffer wheel brings up the best shine to finish it off.

[TurboRA28]

Ok cool so sounds like the plan is to start with sand paper, starting at 80 and getting down to 1500 or so?

The worst bits maybe belt sander and the rest by hand?

Then lastly use a cut and polish with a buffer wheel...

Sound about right?

[RONA]

Is there any DIY methods used? I recall a dodgy method someone once posted of spinning the wheel with the car running and sanding it.

Like this

Turn This

into this


It can cost $100 or more per rim to have them repaired if they have bad gutter rash. Now you can do it yourself at home with your own $20,000 lathe! In other words, the thing you usually call your car. Just Jack up the rear of your car (or front if yor are one of the sad few who own a FF car), slide in your jack stands, bolt up your damaged rim, start up the car, put it in gear and machine away those nasty gutter scratches.
Using just a block of wood as a guide and an awl (or other appropriately hardened and tempered tool) you can grind away those unseemly scratches and gouges.


Once you have removed the worst of the scratches, you can use wet and dry to smooth the surface ready for a metal polish with your compound of choice. The finished result will have you smiling not only from the end result, but also the money you saved!


The shavings from the machining:


The end result is not perfect but still much better than scratched rims:

[KARNAGE]

try not to use a to course of a sand paper as you will be there longer trying to get it to look nice, i started with a 120 then went up from there finishing off with a peice 1500 grit then a quick rub with some polish and a peice of cardboard. then used the buffer wheel and some polish and it looks great again.