I just got my wheels rebalanced and of course, on one wheel where a weight used to be, there is now a black scratch on the outward facing part and the thin part where it attached. Got it done at Wally World and although they have a great deal (lifetime balance for about $32), you've gotta watch 'em! Then again, I'll bet you've gotta watch everybody these days. These are 5 spoke factory rims for 2002 and seem like they may be coated. I got the places off the others (or at least they almost completely came off) so can I fix this one or is it just scratched and I am sol?

 

I'm not sure which factory wheels you have and that makes a difference. There are painted, chrome plated and clear coated aluminum alloy wheels depending on which model and options you selected. I'm going to assume you have the aluminum wheels though. If that's the case, the biggest thing you need to figure out is whether or not the old wheel weights broke through the clear coat. Aluminum - without a protective coating - will oxidize pretty quickly. It looks like a white salt. Once it starts creeping under your clear coat, you're pretty much done for. Bythe way, it's not the folks who balanced the wheels that would have caused the damage from the old weights either.

The best thing you can do to remove light (surface) scratches is use a very light polishing compound to try to remove the scratch. Do not use any harsh solvents to try to remove anything. I can tell you from personal experience that Acetone will wipe out your clear coat. Good luck!

 

My suggestion would be to clean the direct out of it, if any. If they are the AL or chrome wheels, the black should be dirt.

Clean out the scratch and it will not look as bad. As for the scratch itself, leave it alone. Any trying to polish it out will cause you to thin the clear coat on the wheel ( if it is that type ) and could lead to premature peeling. I am one to minimize scratches rather then trying to take them out, as removal requires removing coating to flatten it out so it cannot be seen.

That is just my opinion, others don;t want it to be there, so they remove it. personal preference is the name of this tune

Good luck

 

I believe they are the clear coated aluminum, but the "scratch" for lack of a better word, is black like dirt. I rubbed with a cloth and water the other day because that was all I had time to do, but I did rub real hard, so I don't know what else to do to clean them without harming them. The impression I get is that it is dirt ground into the clearcoat from the old weight. How can I clean them better?

 

You can try a small piece of Never Dull to clean out the scratch.

IF that does not work, you can move on to something like Mother's Mag and AL polish.

The Never Dull should do the trick.

Good luck

 

Where do you get never dull and what does it look like?

 

Here is what the can looks like :



You can get it usually at any place you can get wax.

I think AutoZone and Pep Boys carry it.
I usually order it online when I am restocking wax.

Napa has it, but it might be a little expensive there.

Maybe Target ?? I am not sure of that, I was just there and did not look for it myself.
WallWorld ?? Got me about what Wall World has, I would only think about going in one, if my pants were on fire, and I needed a new fire extinguisher. Still I might drive down to the Mendards instead, depends on how long they have been burning
All the Wally Worlds look like old K-Marts by me now, and you would expect to see ****roaches running around. Kind of a sad state of business.

 

Thanks, SSCULLY. Too bad about your wal marts. Nearly all of the ones done here are new and clean (occasionally you run into an older one that's not as nice) and even the bad ones are better than the kmarts.

 

LOL, my wally world is about 4 yrs old so it's still pretty nice and clean. Kmart on the other hand has been here since like the 70's and I swear they should shut that pos down. bull doze it, and build me a friggon Target that's not 30 miles away.