Right Rim Care

Rims - the jewelry for the car and for many car enthusiasts the figurehead for the car, but also supporting element for the tires. To ensure that they remain this way for a long time and that your own safety does not suffer from incorrect handling, the correct care is inevitable.

You don't have to be a car mechanic to ensure professional maintenance of the rims. However, stubborn stains and questions regarding the necessary and legally permitted repairs are a popular topic.

Special Features of the Rim’s Care for the Winter:

Especially in winter weather conditions, you should be mindful with your rims. The associated use of gritting materials, such as de-icing salt, sand or grit can cause damage to the paint layer, which causes corrosion such as rust and discoloration. The quality of the paint used can be decisive for the service life of the rims. They are characterized by, compared to standard alloy wheels, increased impact, shock and scratch resistance of the paint and consequently optimized corrosion resistance. The cleaning of the rims in winter is significantly simplified by such winter alloy wheels; you save a lot of time in maintenance and care and thus also increases the service life. At Premium Wheels, you have optimal choice of high quality original rims from the manufacturers for higher demands, to save time and nerves in the long run. Particularly problematic wheels are usually cheaply processed, leading to additional expense in care and maintenance of low-priced alloy wheels due to their insufficient corrosion protection.

To keep our rims in the best possible condition, here are some tips for you on how to always shine with your new tires with complete wheels and rims.

Clean Rims regularly without Fail

Road dirt and lighter salt encrustations should be removed as regularly as possible with warm water and car shampoo if necessary. In summer, heat from the brakes combined with the outside temperature is a problem. Depending on the quality of the rims, brake dust in particular can quickly burn into the surface here. In winter, salt gnaws at the shell of the rims and complete wheels. In both cases, you have to resort to harsher means in the absence of cleaning for a long time. 

Use acid-free cleaner for rims care

With a little luck, the burnt-on brake abrasion can be removed with rim cleaner. Before buying, you should make sure to read the package insert of the cleaner. The cleaning agent should be acid-free. The applicability on painted, anodized or even untreated alloy wheels should also be absolutely checked to avoid unsightly discoloration of the complete wheels and rims. If the dirt has already burned too deeply into the rim surface, only a complete restoration by a specialist will help. Depending on the amount of work and the type of rim, this will cost between 75€ and 300€ per wheel. You can quickly recognize dubious offers by the fact that they give you a cost estimate without first thoroughly inspecting the rims.

Polishing rims

Particularly shiny alloy rims require a proper polish. Chrome also benefits from appropriate treatment.

There are three options for this

• Cloth or Rag
• Abrasive for the rims
• Drilling machine with appropriate polish attachments.

The rag is, of course, the classic for cleaning and always works well. The use of the right cleaner depends on the type of rim. For chrome rims, for example, do not under any circumstances use a cleaner that contains polish with abrasive particles, as this will take the shine off the mirror-like surface. Also, for matte rims, it is important to use a polish without abrasives and, in addition, to seal rather than use wax in winter. The polish attachments can be purchased at the dealer and represents the most effective and thorough cleaning. Especially corners and edges of the rims and wheels are reached better than with conventional methods.

The Rim Repair 

A small carelessness happens quickly and the beautiful aluminum wheels are no longer what they were. Driving over the curb is definitely the biggest source of danger for damage to your wheels. In unfavorable cases, dents, deep scratches or cracks are usually the unwelcome result. Wheels with these damages must not be reconditioned. Automobile Clubs even warn against wheel repair. Although reconditioning is permitted, the Automobile Association, citing the Federal Ministry of Transport, reports that the use of the repaired wheels on public roads is not permitted. But is this really the case? At what point is a rim repair appropriate after all?

At the very least, buildup welding processes, irregular compaction due to the application of heat, and material deformation of the wheels and rims are not permitted in accordance with legal requirements. They change the structure of the rim and thus do not guarantee full functionality.

However:

TÜV-approved rotation grinding processes can repair at least very superficial damage if all criteria are met. At best, scratches may be repaired if they are less than one millimeter deep and no more than 50 millimeters from the outer edge of the rim. Only then can it be guaranteed that the alloy rims will not lose their registration after the rim repair. Such a reconditioning costs between 75€ to 300€ per wheel, depending on the type of rim and the amount of work involved! This offers a good opportunity to think about an upgrade to avoid possible problems with wheels and rims right away. Because, according to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the professional technical restoration of the wheel is only permitted with regard to optical defects - i.e. through:

• Polish
• Local grinding
• Rounding notches
• Possible filling
• Priming and
• Paint

Exchange rims

However, if rust and curbstone impacts have caused irreparable damage, the only thing that usually helps is replacing the rim.

Advantages of new rims

New complete wheels or rims offer numerous advantages in contrast to an often overpriced repair or maintenance or repair of already very worn tires.

• Maintaining the value of your vehicle
• Reducing the risk of hairline cracks forming as a safety hazard
• Optical increase in value due to brand new look
• At first, maintenance and care are limited
• And many more.

In general, you should consider a new set of complete wheels from 10,000 kilometers onwards - given the corresponding wear and tear and individual differences in wear and tear. Rims, too, are often affected by stone chipping after several thousand kilometers driven, so that even repairs and meticulous care are no longer of much use. In this case, you should resort to new rims or complete wheel sets - you will find a versatile selection of these in our store, regardless of whether you call Mercedes, VW or Audi your own. We will be happy to advise you.

Learn more about Wheels and their up-keeping now

• Original Wheel vs Tuning Wheels
  
• Finding and Caring for the right Wheels 
• When’s the time for new wheels?
• How do I spot original wheels?