[meds1976]

What are people's thoughts on mobile wheel repair?

Most brick & mortal places need your wheels for at least 24 hours. These mobile guys are doing it in 4-6 hours or sooner.

Is the quality as good?

[Bachu1]

I would look into the companies reviews before anything.. I have used one in the past and they were great.. no issues with them and the wheels have been on the car for 2 years plus...

[meds1976]

Originally Posted by Bachu1

I would look into the companies reviews before anything.. I have used one in the past and they were great.. no issues with them and the wheels have been on the car for 2 years plus...

Been following Alloytech for a while now. Decent reviews (all glowing) on Google. And he works on some high end cars as well (Lambo's etc).

[un1eash]

Mobile repair will likely be a smart repair where as a bricks and mortar place should strip the wheel and repaint/powder coat.

[danb1979]

We've a decent one here in Preston that I've used when I stupidly caught one of my Style 37s on my Jap import E39 touring at Waitrose, Menai Bridge when we were down to Anglesey; he did a superb job and matched the platinum silver finish superbly

But even he said that wheels need to be in a decent condition already for him to do the work; if they're nigh on needing a full refurb, then that's not the job for him as that level can't be done properly in a van really...

If your wheels just need a touch up; go for it. If they're chewed and flaking apart; they need a full strip & refurb really

[Alscoob]

I've use a mobile company and at the time thought it was a good process.

He deflated the tyre and broke the seal so that he could flat the wheel all over and smooth out the rim scuffs, it was then primed infared dried and sprayed with top coat. Couldn't match the colour too well so was a good job he was doing both wheels on the same side, although to the untrained eye you wouldn't really notice.

By the time he left the wheels were still not 100% dry so said to leave them a couple of hours before I fitted them back on the car. Downside that despite some masking of the inner rim there was still overspray, which being rough could collect the dirt and I had to flat it and repolish the inner rims.

I guess that things have moved on a bit since then and they should be better.

Have also used a company to refurb two sets of wheels which have been far better. I also dropped the wheels from the wifes car off on Monday for a full refurb and got a call this afternoon to say they are ready for collection, they are also fitting 2 new rear tyres (very competative pricing) and refitting the original front tyres. These are stripped back scuffs repaired and powdercoated, the finish on the inner rims is as good as the outer.

All 4 inc tyres off and back on ready to roll came to £382 and they are BMW 19" in silver, (not diamond cut) & excluding the cost of the new tyres.

For me I would use a mobile guy if it was a smart repair but will always use a non mobile set up to refurbish properly, not only is the finish uniform throughout but it will last far longer IMO.

[Kendo67]

How bad is the damage ?

Caught the rear wheel of the Porker on the curb , after counselling and doing a Basil Faulty on the roadside i decided to have a go at the repair myself.

Cost £20 for the lacquer and a small polishing kit for my angle grinder from Amazon.

Took the wheel into work as it was too cold in the garage to be spraying anything.



K

[meds1976]

Originally Posted by Kendo67

How bad is the damage ?

Caught the rear wheel of the Porker on the curb , after counselling and doing a Basil Faulty on the roadside i decided to have a go at the repair myself.

Cost £20 for the lacquer and a small polishing kit for my angle grinder from Amazon.

Took the wheel into work as it was too cold in the garage to be spraying anything.



K

Not horrible but unfortunately all 4 are kerbed to an extent. So definitely need a refurb and painted gloss back.

M Star Spoke 491 are the wheels.

[Alscoob]

Originally Posted by meds1976

What are people's thoughts on mobile wheel repair?


Is the quality as good?

Following on from my previous comments, if it helps, these are a couple of pics of the refurbed wheels from the daughters Alfa.

They were in a real state before, not so much kerbing but alloy corrosion and flaking paint, as you can see the finish to the inners is as good as the outers.

Took 3 days in all, like new. Mobile guys can't achieve this standard of finish IMO.

[Samuaw]

In my experience with a mobile repair for a localised "SMART" repairs, they didn't take lightly on tyre shine as the silicone reacts with the lacquer, and bubbles.
I think the tech rubbed down whole wheel and lacquered the whole wheel after the repair was made on the area- to the bubbles were on spokes which didn't even get repaired

So that might be because they didn't have the time clean the wheel properly when they are on a short turn around. So i think it was the case of doing the bare minimum to obtain the best result in that time frame.

If the bubbling situation didn't happen, i would have said the results were "good" for a localised repair, but i doubt they would have handled a full refurb for all 4 wheels in that time frame

When i dropped off my wheels at a brick and mortar, they stripped the whole wheel before repairing and there wasn't that issue at all.

[danb1979]

Same as above

Full strip (from satin black); to powdercoat and lacquer in 3 days inc removal of tyres and refitting of tyres/balancing etc



A man in a van will never achieve this level of finish

[Troopa340i]

I know someone who has a mobile wheel refurb company and we've used/recommended him to so many people over the years! He has a huge following and works on all ranges of cars including prestige vehicles and supercars, so there are no faults when it comes to his work, and he does everything thoroughly and not just a quick 'smart' kind of repair.

Give him a shout for a quote and tell him AJ Troopa sent you

Name - Karl
Website - https://www.london-wheels.co.uk/

[sensible]

Originally Posted by danb1979

Same as above

Full strip (from satin black); to powdercoat and lacquer in 3 days inc removal of tyres and refitting of tyres/balancing etc



A man in a van will never achieve this level of finish

Yes agree with this.
Even the best can't compete with having the tyres removed, fully preparing the wheel and powder coating and then putting the tyres back on and balancing. This will give an almost new look wheel. A mobile man may well do a good cosmetic job but it's only the face of the wheel with the tyres left on.

They are two different services.