cmor

A buddy at work put his Avalanche in a ditch over the weekend during the storm (dumba$$) and scuffed/scratched up his wheels pretty bad. I figured I'd be a nice guy and try to help him save a couple bucks on repairs, if you guys can help me out.
Any ideas, as far as, some kind of rubbing compound and buffing wheel. My answer is to sand, primer and go black, so I'm no use here.

Bad wheel:


Good wheel:


Thanks guys

Steve

TGL2000

buy another rim haha

Byro

They both look the same to me.

cmor

Thanks guys.

He did damage to both passenger wheels, and at almost $200 a pop, he could use some savings.

Not being a jerk, here's bigger pics so the difference can be seen.




and good wheel


They were in near new condition prior to the ditch.

CMMC

When you run your fingernail over the scratches does it catch? If your fingernail catches on the scratch it means it is deeper than the finish. If not it is simply in the finish.

Either way it shouldn't be too hard. The hardest part will be to match the finish of the others unless you decide to go ahead with the black.

The depth of the scratches will determine the grade of sandpaper you start with. If they are deep start with something more course than if they are just in the surface finish. When choosing sandpaper try to pick up automotive grade paper that can be used "wet or dry" The wet or dry will allow you to rinse the paper off and allow you to clean it out when it starts to clog up. When sanding, run from course to finer one stage at a time. Continually rinse the paper to help it last longer and provide consistent results.

When you get to the point that you like the surface you are working on (this will depend on wether you want to paint, a little more course, if polishing finer.) clean them off. Start by using water and a mild detergent. Once this dries use rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth. Do not use carb or brake parts cleaner! I have had some problems with these two with discoloration and residue.

If you are going to polish them out use the best stuff you can afford. Follow the directions for clean up for your chosen product and then seal them with a clear coat. You can pick it up at just about any automotive store in rattlecan form. I got mine from autozone. If you choose this route make sure the area you are working in is as clean as you can get it and work very carefully.

If you decide to paint, now is the time to shoot your primer. Use a self-etching pimer for best results. Depending on the results you are after, light sanding in between coats of primer and finish color will help. Follow the directions on the can as best as you are able and TAKE YOUR TIME. Some really cool results can be achieved by using different paints (Rustolium Hammered for example)

I have had a lot of success using the red polish ***** you can get at your auto store. They attach to your drill and can speed things up significantly.

Hopefully this helps and there is at least one thing in here that you didn't think of. If you have any further questions feel free to contact me.