Scratches and marks on wheels.

D

Dexter_Morgan

Member
I have never kerbed my alloys. I get my car cleaned at a local hand wash but occasionally have a go at the wheels myself if they are still a bit dirty. The other day I noticed these marks. All wheels have similar marks and one of them was new a few months back.

Are they just from normal driving or could the car wash be causing them? Could they be from pot holes (am not sure how though)? Will marks like this polish out?

20130402_164421_zpsce4810b9.jpg


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They look like from when the car was being cleaned.

Pot holes would more often than not take chunks out of your wheel
 
I wouldn't think potholes as some of the marks seem quite well inside the rim. Something deeper has caused those marks.. I'd go with car washing equipment.

As for whether they'll polish out.. There's only one way to find out.. Try. If its just a mark on the laquer it should come out, you might need a machine polisher tho. If they're deeper, you'll need to get them restored (painted).
 
I think you have answered your own question, if someone else is washing the car you will get damage, probably been over zealous with a brush of some sort. I would never ever let anyone else wash my motor, asking for trouble :(

You can improve the scratches with some Megs Scratch X but some look to be too deep :cry:

Tim.
 
I agree with the 2 previous posters. However, I have noticed the odd lightish scratches on my wheels that occasionally appear (and stay!) which appear to be caused by general roadside debris and stones.
 
I figured they would mostly be from the hand wash. I wonder if they were caused by one bad wash or if they have built up over time? God only knows what caused the one in the bottom picture. That does look like I have caught the wheel on something.

I am not sure what to do now as I'm too lazy to wash the car myself :cry:
 
That last one is probably a jet wash brush, pushed into the wheel but the head of the brush scraping along it rather than bristles. The paint on wheels is rock hard so its taken some force to make those marks.

aka: $T2eC16d,!zcE9s4g3hbYBR!8-DidVQ~~60_35.jpg

If you're too lazy, go find another car wash place... point at the damage and tell them if they do the same, you'll burn the place down :rofl:
 
I don't think stones, that would look like a stone chip...these scratches seem to be grit being dragged across the painted surface.
 
best alloy wheel brush

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/ez-detail-brush/prod_480.html

worth the money!!
 
Most def cleaning little pieces of debris/gravel in the sponge or mit. One reason I will NEVER EVER get my car washed by anyone but me. What a mess :cry:
 
TitanTim said:
G14RRV said:
best alloy wheel brush

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/ez-detail-brush/prod_480.html

worth the money!!
Click to expand...

The OP doesn't do washing cars lol

Tim.
Click to expand...

I guess now summer is on its way I could be persuaded 8) . That brush looks promising. I intend avoid the offending car wash now so it seems I will have no choice anyway. My only query is why there are no similar marks on the paintwork? It just seems to be the wheels (maybe I should avoid actually examining the paintwork in more detail lol). They dont use a brush but they do shove the jet wash into the wheels and it doesn't have a rubber tip guard, so I'm guessig this may have cause the bigger mark.

Does anyone know a good place to get the wheels sorted in the Bolton/North West area?
 
Dexter_Morgan said:
TitanTim said:
G14RRV said:
best alloy wheel brush

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/ez-detail-brush/prod_480.html

worth the money!!
Click to expand...

The OP doesn't do washing cars lol

Tim.
Click to expand...

I guess now summer is on its way I could be persuaded 8) . That brush looks promising. I intend avoid the offending car wash now so it seems I will have no choice anyway. My only query is why there are no similar marks on the paintwork? It just seems to be the wheels (maybe I should avoid actually examining the paintwork in more detail lol). They dont use a brush but they do shove the jet wash into the wheels and it doesn't have a rubber tip guard, so I'm guessig this may have cause the bigger mark.

Does anyone know a good place to get the wheels sorted in the Bolton/North West area?
Click to expand...

I would certainly give the scratches work out with Megs Scratch X before thinking of refurbing them. I reckon with some elbow grease and polishing pad they would virtually come out. It looks like just the clearcote that's damaged. If you can feel them with your fingernail then they might be more difficult to remove. You could try a body shop with a machine polisher :)

Tim.
 
Just keep an eye for when they start to corrode! Not sure what style my 17 inchers are, they are now in their 4th year and have typical thread corrosion on the inside, with paint lifting.
Didn't expect this on a BMW.
Previous car 10 year old MGTF with perfect alloys.
 
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