Bodywork · Cheam SM3

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment for Cheam and North Cheam

Tight drive-through lanes and busy supermarket car parks at North Cheam crossroads are behind a lot of the kerbed wheels we see from Cheam. Our Hackbridge workshop is about 12 minutes away, and we refurbish painted, powder coated and diamond cut alloys.

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★★★★★ 4.9/5 from 87 Google reviews
~12 min from Cheam
Mon–Sat 8am–8pm

Wheels on a stand in the prep area at KITH Cars Garage & Bodyworks, Hackbridge

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment for Cheam drivers

Drive-through lanes at North Cheam and the kerb rash they leave

North Cheam crossroads, where the A24 meets Malden Road, is busy with supermarket and drive-through traffic, and drive-through lanes are well known for scuffing alloy wheels. The lanes curve, the kerbs are high to keep cars on line, and drivers are leaning out to a window rather than watching the nearside. Queuing in stop-start traffic makes it worse. The rear wheel on the inside of the bend usually takes the hit. A slow, grinding scrape along a kerb like that can take a surprising amount of finish off the outer lip, and sometimes gouges the metal.

Cheam has a good share of newer and premium cars, many on larger wheels with low-profile tyres, and their owners notice a scuff. Around Stonecot and the wider inter-war roads, parking is easier, but near Cheam Park and Whitehall on Malden Road, spaces are tighter and parallel parking catches rims too. On premium cars the wheels are often diamond cut, so any scrape through the lacquer is best dealt with before corrosion spreads. School-run traffic around Nonsuch High School and Cheam High School adds more tight manoeuvres and parking on residential roads.

Our process starts with an inspection. We check every wheel for cracks and buckles, identify the finish and quote per wheel. Minor kerb damage can often be repaired cosmetically, sanding, filling and refinishing just the damaged area. A wheel with wider damage is stripped and powder coated or re-cut on a lathe and lacquered. Tyre pressure sensors are removed and kept safe, then refitted and checked, and the wheels are balanced. If you'd like a colour change at the same time, powder coat can be done in almost any colour, though you should tell your insurer.

It's about 12 minutes to us along the A232 through Sutton and Carshalton. For a full set, which usually takes 2–3 days, we can collect the car and return it. You'll get a written quote, and the work carries our 3-month workmanship warranty.

Bodywork

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment: what’s involved

Most alloy wheels have one of two finishes. Painted or powder coated wheels have a solid colour coating, usually silver, grey, black or gunmetal, over the whole wheel. Diamond cut wheels have a bright, finely machined face produced on a lathe and sealed with clear lacquer, often with painted sections between the spokes. They look different and are repaired differently, so the first step is identifying which you have.

Powder coating is a full refurbishment: the wheel is stripped and repaired, then the powder is applied electrostatically and cured in an oven, giving a thick, tough finish in almost any colour. Diamond cutting machines a very thin layer from the face and re-lacquers it; because it removes metal, a wheel can only be re-cut a limited number of times. Wheels that are cracked or badly buckled are checked for safety first, and sometimes need replacing rather than refurbishing.

From £65 per wheelWritten quote first

Same day – 3 daysTypical time in the workshop

3 monthsWorkmanship warranty

4.9★87 Google reviews

Signs your alloys need refurbishing

Kerb rash

Scuffs and gouges on the rim edge from parking. Once through the coating, corrosion can start underneath.

White patches under the lacquer

Milky corrosion creeping under the clear lacquer is common on diamond cut wheels and spreads over time.

Flaking or bubbling paint

Corrosion under the coating, often starting at the rim edge, around the spokes or at the wheel bolt holes.

Slow puncture with no obvious cause

Corrosion on the bead seat, where the tyre seals against the rim, can let air escape slowly.

Dull or stained finish

Brake dust baked on over time, or damage from harsh acidic wheel cleaners.

Vibration at speed

Can point to a buckled wheel or balance problem. We check the wheel runs true before refurbishing it.

Visible crack

A crack in the rim or spoke is a safety issue, not a cosmetic one, and needs assessment before anything else.

When should it be done?

Refurbish wheels once the finish has been broken, not just when they look bad. Kerb damage and chips let water and road salt reach the aluminium, and corrosion then creeps under the surrounding paint or lacquer, which is why diamond cut wheels often develop spreading white patches. Wheels losing air slowly through the bead should be done promptly. Many owners refurbish all four together so they match, or have it done before selling or returning a lease car.

Kerb rash that has broken through the paint or lacquer
White or milky corrosion spreading under diamond cut lacquer
Tyres slowly losing pressure through corroded bead seats
When fitting new tyres, as the tyres are coming off anyway
Before a sale or lease return

How we refurbish alloy wheels

Inspect and identifyWe identify the finish, assess the damage and check each wheel for cracks and buckles, then quote per wheel.
Remove tyres and weightsTyres and balance weights are removed, and tyre pressure monitoring sensors are taken out and kept safe.
Strip or prepareFor a full refurbishment the old coating is stripped; for a cosmetic repair the damaged area is sanded back.
Repair the damageKerb damage is filled and shaped, corrosion is removed and the bead seats are cleaned so the tyre seals properly.
Apply the finishPowder coat is applied and cured in an oven, or paint is applied and cured. For diamond cut wheels, the face is machined on a lathe after the colour coat, then sealed with clear lacquer.
Refit tyres and balanceTyres are refitted with new valves where needed and each wheel is balanced with new weights.
Refit and hand overWheels are refitted and tightened to the manufacturer's torque setting. We recommend a torque check after about 50 miles.

Finishes and materials

Powder coat gives the most durable finish and comes in a wide range of colours. Diamond cut wheels are machined and sealed with clear lacquer to protect the bare aluminium, and painted sections are matched to the original finish as closely as possible. New valves are fitted where needed, and wheels are balanced with new weights before they go back on the car.

Powder coat primer and colour coat
Clear lacquer for diamond cut faces
Wheel paint matched to the original for cosmetic repairs
New tyre valves where required
New balance weights

How long it takes

Same day – 3 days

A cosmetic kerb rash repair on one or two wheels can often be done in a day. A full powder coat or diamond cut refurbishment of a set usually takes 2–3 days, as the wheels need stripping, coating and curing. Tell us when you book if you need the car back by a particular day.

What’s included

Inspection for cracks and buckles before work starts
Tyre removal and refitting
Repair and refinishing of the wheel
Balancing with new weights
Refitting and torquing to the correct setting
3-month workmanship warranty

Getting here from Cheam

From Cheam to our Hackbridge workshop

From Cheam Village crossroads head east on the A232 (Cheam Road) into Sutton, follow it through the town centre one-way system and on to Carshalton past the ponds. In Carshalton take the B277 north via Hackbridge Road into Hackbridge, then join London Road (A237); Soho Mills is by Hackbridge station. Alternatively stay on the A232 (Acre Lane) to Wallington Green and turn north up London Road (A237).

From Cheam Village crossroads take the A232 east through Sutton to Carshalton, then Hackbridge Road north to London Road in Hackbridge, about 12 minutes. Collection and delivery can be arranged for a full set.

Directions from Cheam

About Cheam

Cheam is a leafy, mostly residential suburb on the western side of the London Borough of Sutton, split into Cheam Village, North Cheam and South Cheam. The village grew up around a crossroads and keeps a conservation-area feel, with Tudor and Georgian buildings alongside 1920s–30s mock-Tudor shopping parades, while the surrounding streets are largely inter-war semis and detached family houses. North Cheam, a mile to the north around the A24, is busier and more commercial. Driving is mostly on wide suburban roads, but the village crossroads and the main A-roads through it get congested at peak times.

Places nearby: Nonsuch Park, Nonsuch Mansion, Cheam Park, Whitehall, Lumley Chapel, St Dunstan's Church

Postcodes: SM3, SM2 · London Borough of Sutton

More about KITH for Cheam drivers

Questions

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment in Cheam: your questions answered

Can I keep driving on a kerbed diamond cut wheel?

If the wheel isn't cracked or buckled, it's usually safe in the short term. But the damaged lacquer lets corrosion start, and it spreads. Get it checked for structural damage and repaired before winter.

Will refurbishing affect my tyre pressure sensors?

Sensors inside the wheel are removed before stripping or coating, then refitted with new seals where needed and checked. Cars with indirect systems may need the system reset, which we do before handing the car back.

How long will I be without my car for all four wheels?

A full set refurbishment usually takes 2–3 days, as the wheels need stripping, coating and curing. A cosmetic repair on one or two wheels can often be done in a day. Tell us when you book if you need the car back by a certain day.

What's the difference between diamond cut and powder coat?

Diamond cut wheels have a bright machined face protected by clear lacquer, often with a painted colour between the spokes. Powder coat is a solid, tough colour coating over the whole wheel. Because diamond cutting removes a thin layer of metal each time, a wheel can only be re-cut a limited number of times.

Can you change the colour of my wheels?

Yes. Powder coat or paint can be done in almost any colour, and diamond cut faces can be combined with a new colour between the spokes. Tell your insurer, as a change of wheel colour can count as a modification.

Can you repair a cracked or buckled wheel?

A mildly buckled wheel can often be straightened by a wheel specialist. A cracked wheel is a safety concern, and we won't cosmetically refurbish one; we'll generally advise replacement.

Can I refurbish just one wheel?

Yes, the price is per wheel. Painted and powder coated finishes can be matched closely. Diamond cut finishes vary between manufacturers and age, so a single refurbished wheel can look slightly brighter than the other three, which is why some owners do all four.

Will my tyre pressure sensors be affected?

Sensors fitted inside the wheel are removed before stripping and coating, then refitted with new seals where needed and checked. Cars with indirect systems, which use the ABS sensors instead, may need the system resetting after the wheels are refitted, which we do before handover.

Instant quote

Price your alloy wheel refurbishment now

Enter your reg and we’ll look up your car and price the job from our own labour rates and the book time for your model. Then book it in with a fixed written quote before any work starts.

Free, about 30 seconds, no sign-up
Parts, labour and VAT included
3-month workmanship warranty
Collection from Cheam can be arranged

“It’s rare to find a garage you can truly trust. Fair price, brilliant customer service.”Thinushan K. · ★★★★★ Google

Prefer to talk? Call 020 4629 9469 or WhatsApp us.

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