Save Money on Lease Return Wheel Repairs
Returning a leased vehicle can be a hassle. Before you return the car the financing company that leases the vehicles will send an inspector. Beware! The inspector is likely to hand you a retail bill for unrepaired damages on the vehicle. Your best option to avoid this mess and high–priced repairs is to handle the vehicle’s issues before you return it.
If the wheels are damaged in any way, they may actually hit you up for the cost of replacement wheels! If you’re lucky they will only charge you for wheel refinishing, however, this will still be at a significantly higher cost than what we would charge. The average cost of replacement today is around $400-$600 a wheel. Our charge for wheel refinishing is $100-$150 per wheel, depending on the make/model and the extent of the damage.
We fix it for a fraction of the wheel replacement cost! Let our experienced team members go over your wheels and restore them to near mint condition for you. Call or fill out our contact form for a free estimate on your wheels today. Save money now!
Wheel Customization Services
Nothing makes a car stand out more than custom wheels. Make your car as unique as you are and never have it mistaken for someone else’s again. At WheelKraft NW we know and offer the options you want for your wheel customization, including: changing the color through paint or powder coating, a machine finish, and/or we also do pin striping. Additionally, we offer brake caliper painting for that extra touch. Let us ‘pimp your ride’ with the wheels you have always wanted and customize them even further! Call or fill out our contact form today and one of our team members will contact you to help you get started on your wheel customization.
Winter and De-Icer Wheel Damage Repair
Northwest winters can be murder on your high performance wheels. One particularly nasty element is the de-icer that our department of transportation puts on the road during icy weather. De-icer chemicals can cause significant damage to your tires and rims; luckily WheelKraftNW is here to help!
A significant wheel problem de-icer creates is chrome peeling. The de-icer causes corrosion between the chrome and aluminum resulting in a peeling chrome finish. De-icer can also cause pitting, fading and can even make your aluminum wheels look white and chalky. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent the de-icer from being on the road but there is something you can do to resolve the damage.
WheelKraftNW’s wheel repair services here in Portland are extensive. Not only can we refinish any pitted, faded or chalky white wheel, we can also handle peeling chrome through our partnership. Although it can take some time to accomplish there is nothing in wheel repair we can’t handle.
Don’t let your money go to waste on new wheels! Restore yours and save with WheelKraftNW! Simply call or fill out our contact form and our team of experts will be happy to give you a free estimate.
How Do I Keep My Wheels Clean?
The Secrets to Removing Wheel Grit and Grime
Alloy Wheels are Automobile, Truck and Hot Rod wheels made up of aluminum or magnesium. Alloy wheels are different from the steel wheels because of their lighter weight and greater performance characteristics. They are better heat conductors than steel wheels, they are lighter in weight and they provide a great look to a car. Often neglected, alloy wheels require greater care because they receive more wear than any other parts of a car. The wheels are closest to the road, grit and grime. After few months of use, these wheels will lose the sparkle and brightness they had when they were new. The minor scratches and tar spots can give them a bad look. Before you fit alloy wheels to your car, you need to give them several coats of a good polish or wax.
The Right Wheel Cleaning Products
There have been many products in the market that are specifically formulated to clean and protect your painted alloy, stainless steel wheels. Some of the most commonly used products include the following. At WheelKraft NW we use the Eagle One line of Cleaning Products. Our Favorites are Eagle One A-2-Z or the Eagle one All Wheel Cleaner. You can pick this up at your local Auto Parts Store.
More Car and Wheel Cleaning Tips
The following Cleaning tips can provide the best protection to your car. Let your wheels cool before cleaning them! Hot Wheels Can discolor when hit with cold wash water. Use wet sponge and fresh water to clean your car. Use good car polish or wax, use surface protector Never use abrasive cleansers or abrasive pads to clean your wheels. Before you mount your wheels give them several coats of good quality car polish. Frequent washing with mildly soapy warm water is the best way to keep your alloy wheels clean. If you take the time to care for them properly they will last a long time and you will not have to get them repaired or replaced. Remember, if you damage a wheel beyond what simple cleaning can handle, we are here to help. Repair, Refinish or Repaint.
Check Your Tires with a Quarter
Want an Easy Way to Measure Tread Life on Your Tires?
“Quarters are safer than pennies when it comes to checking your tires”, according to new tests conducted by Tire Rack, the country’s largest independent tire tester. With much of the winter driving season remaining and change of season ahead now is especially important for drivers to be aware of their tires condition.
For decades the tire industry had taught drivers to use the so-called Penny Test as a simple way to tell when tires were worn out. But experts at Tire Rack say that popular lesson is outdated, compromises safety, and should give way to the Quarter Test.
In the old Penny Test, seeing the top of Lincoln’s head while holding a penny upside sown in a tire tread grove indicated a tread depth of 2/32-inch (1.6mm) or less, and that the tire needed replacing (to learn how to properly get directions on this go to www.tirerack.com/treaddepth).
In driving tests, a late-model pickup truck on tires that passed the Penny Test, (legal in most states) averages 499.5 feet to stop from 70 miles per hour on wet pavement. That is equal to about 12.5 school buses or nearly a tenth of a mile.
The same vehicle riding on tires that passed Tire Rack’s proposed Quarter Test stopped almost 122 feet (24%) shorter. These tires had treads measuring 4/32-inch (3.2mm) deep, as measured from the edge of a quarter to the top of Washington’s Head. Not only were braking distances reduced, overall grip noticeably improved!
