What we do
Cracked alloy wheel repair
Cracks welded properly and the wheel refinished after, or turned away honestly when welding it would not be safe.
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
How alloys crack
Alloy is stiff and it does not bend far before it splits. A pothole taken at speed, a sharp kerb strike on a low profile tyre, or a wheel that has already been buckled and straightened once, are the three we see most.
The crack is usually on the inner barrel where nobody looks, not on the face. That is why the first sign is normally a tyre that keeps going soft rather than anything visible. If you are topping one wheel up every fortnight and no puncture can be found, this is worth ruling out.
A hairline crack does not stay hairline. Every heat cycle and every pothole works it further along, and a wheel that finally lets go at speed does so without warning.
In the workshop
How we repair a crack
Welding a wheel is not a quick job and it is not one to rush. This is the sequence, and the first stage decides whether the rest happens at all.
- 01
Assess
Tyre off, wheel cleaned, and the crack traced end to end. Where it sits matters more than how long it is. We are looking at whether it runs into the bead seat, the spokes or the hub face.
- 02
Prepare
The crack is ground out to clean metal along its full length so the weld has something sound to bond to. Welding over a contaminated crack simply hides it for a few months.
- 03
Weld
Built back up in passes and allowed to cool properly between them. Rushing the heat into an alloy wheel distorts it, which turns one problem into two.
- 04
Finish
The weld is dressed back, the wheel checked for true, and then refinished by whichever method it started with. It goes back on the car looking like it was never touched.
Where we stop
Some cracks
should not be welded.
A crack through the bead seat, one running into a spoke, or a wheel that has already been welded in the same place, are all reasons we will decline the job. So is any crack on a wheel we judge to have been weakened past the point a repair can be trusted.
You will get that answer straight, with the reason, rather than a quote. A wheel carries the weight of the car and the loads of every corner you take, and it is not the place to find out whether a repair held.
Drivers who came to us
Took my Mini here for my alloys to be refurbished and changed from silver to black. The results were amazing. So pleased and it was done in a matter of days. Very professional service and I would highly recommend.
Common questions
- Can a cracked alloy wheel be repaired safely?
- Often, yes. A clean crack on the inner barrel, away from the bead seat and the spokes, welds well and lasts. Cracks in load bearing areas are a different matter and we will decline those rather than take the work.
- How do I know if my wheel is cracked?
- The usual sign is one tyre losing pressure steadily with no puncture to be found, because most cracks are on the inside of the barrel where you cannot see them. A vibration that was not there before is worth checking too.
- Is a welded wheel as strong as a new one?
- A correctly prepared and welded repair in a suitable area is strong and we would put it on our own car. That is exactly why we refuse the ones that are not suitable, rather than welding everything and hoping.
- Can you weld and refinish in the same job?
- Yes, and you should do both together. The wheel has to come apart for the weld anyway, so refinishing at the same time costs far less than doing it as a separate job later.
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 moreBuckled alloys
Wheels pulled back to true on the machine, checked, and refinished, so the vibration goes and the tyre seals again.
Read moreRim 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.
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.