What we do
Alloy rim repair
The rim edge meets the kerb before anything else does, and it is the only part of the wheel that has to hold air.
Our own workshop
The lathe, the booth and the oven are all in one unit in Larkhall. Nothing is sent out to anyone else.
Collected and returned
We come to you across central Scotland and bring the wheels back balanced and ready to fit.
Guaranteed, or redone
If you are not happy with the finish, we redo it. One workshop did the work, so there is nobody else to blame.
Checkable reviews
Real named reviews on our Google profile, which you are welcome to go and read in full.
The problem
The rim edge is the part doing two jobs
Everywhere else on a wheel, the finish is cosmetic. The rim edge is not. It is the only part of the wheel that has to form an airtight seal against the tyre bead, and it is also the part that arrives at the kerb first.
That is why rim damage behaves differently from a scuffed spoke. A scratch across the face is a finish problem. A gouge through the lip is a finish problem and a sealing problem at once, and the sealing half is what has you topping up a tyre every fortnight while nobody can find a puncture.
People call it different things. Rim, lip, edge, flange. Some ask us for alloy rim repair and some for alloy wheel rim repair, and both mean this same job. They all describe the outer band the tyre sits against, which is the single most common place damage starts on any alloy wheel.
Detail
Rebuilding a profile, not filling a hole
Whether a rim repair lasts comes down to one question. Was the original profile put back, or was the hole simply made level.
A rim edge is not a flat surface. It has a defined shape the tyre bead locates against, and that shape carries load every time the car turns. Filler packed into a gouge and sprayed over hides the damage and changes nothing underneath it. It also weathers at a different rate from the metal around it, which is why those repairs give themselves away after one winter.
We rebuild the edge back to its original profile and refinish the whole face, so there is no patch sitting there waiting to show. Where the damage has taken real material out, the wheel is welded and reprofiled rather than filled. There is a point past which a rim should not be brought back, and we will say so plainly rather than take the work.
On the bench
What a rim repair involves
- 01
Tyre off
The bead seat cannot be inspected through a tyre, and it is the surface that matters most here. Everything starts with the rubber coming off.
- 02
The edge read properly
We check how far the damage runs, whether it has gone through into the barrel, and whether the flange has moved. A gouge that looks identical to another can be two different repairs underneath.
- 03
Rebuilt and reprofiled
Material is put back where material was lost, then the edge is brought back to the profile it left the factory with. Welded where the damage warrants it rather than packed.
- 04
Refinished across the face
The whole face is refinished rather than the repaired section alone. A blended patch is how a good repair turns into an obvious one twelve months later.
- 05
Refitted and balanced
The tyre goes back on, the wheel is balanced, and it comes back to you ready to fit.
A tyre that keeps going soft
It is often not
the tyre.
A slow puncture nobody can locate is very often a rim that has stopped sealing. Corrosion builds up on the bead seat underneath the tyre, where it cannot be seen without taking the wheel apart, and air leaves through it too slowly to hear and too steadily to live with.
It is worth ruling out before another tyre gets replaced. Having the tyre off and the bead seat looked at costs a good deal less than a set of tyres that were never the problem in the first place.
Drivers who came to us
Whatever you do , don't waste time shopping around, these guys are uncomplicated and hugely experienced . It's your money , don't waste it on amateurs . Brilliant service backed by genuine engineers and less cost that the cowboys I initially used
Common questions
- Is alloy rim repair the same as alloy wheel repair?
- Rim repair is one part of it. Alloy wheel repair covers the whole wheel, including the face, the spokes and structural work. Alloy wheel rim repair, which is the longer way people write it, means the outer edge specifically. That is where most damage lands and where the tyre has to seal. If you are unsure which yours needs, send a photograph and we will tell you.
- Can a badly kerbed rim be repaired, or does the wheel need replacing?
- Most can be repaired, including damage that looks severe. Material can be added back and the profile rebuilt. The limit is reached when so much has gone that rebuilding it would leave the edge weaker than it should be, and at that point we will tell you to replace the wheel rather than take your money for a repair we do not believe in.
- My tyre keeps losing pressure and no puncture can be found. Could it be the rim?
- It very often is. Corrosion on the bead seat lets air past slowly enough that it reads as a mystery rather than a leak. It is worth having the tyre taken off and the seat inspected before spending money on replacement tyres.
- Will the repaired part of the rim match the rest of the wheel?
- Yes, because we do not repair the rim in isolation. The whole face is refinished after the edge is rebuilt, so the colour and texture are continuous. Repairs become visible when only the damaged section is treated and left to weather alongside older finish.
- Can you repair the rim on a diamond cut wheel?
- Yes. The rim edge is rebuilt and reprofiled first, then the face goes on the lathe and is recut, then it is sealed under fresh lacquer. Doing it in that order matters. Cutting a face before the edge is straight simply machines the damage into the wheel.
Related work
Alloy wheel repair
Every kind of alloy wheel damage handled in one workshop, from a single kerbed rim to a set that has corroded through the lacquer.
Read moreKerb damage
We rebuild the rim edge and restore the profile, so the damage is gone rather than filled and hidden.
Read moreCracked alloys
Cracks welded properly and the wheel refinished after, or turned away honestly when welding it would not be safe.
Read more
Where we collect
We collect for this work across Glasgow, Lanarkshire and central Scotland, and return the wheels balanced and ready to fit.
Tell us what the wheels need.
Leave your number and what the wheels need, or message us on WhatsApp. You can also call 01698 640 171. Either way we come back with what the work involves and how long it takes.