Between the hectic two-day New York auto show schedule, and spending 7-plus hours folded into a coach window seat of a 757 (we sat on the tarmac in Newark for over an hour), I probably wasn't at my most alert. At least that's my excuse for nicking the wheel on our long-term Nissan Altima as I exited the ground-floor ramp of the Wally Park structure. Of course I pulled over immediately, checked the wheel for damage, and then spent much of the weekend telling myself I'm not a bad person.
But in between my feelings of guilt I had a growing urge to see how much of the damage I could repair myself...
I've never tried to fix a scraped wheel before, but I know it can be done. On Sunday afternoon I began digging though my tool cabinet to find some 100 grit sand paper and Turtle Wax scratch/swirl remover. "Well, I can't make it look any worse," was what I kept telling myself as I started in. I won't pretend it looks "good as new," or that my feelings of guilt and shame are completely dispelled, but I do feel better.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 6,009 miles.
redliner says:
09:03 AM, 04/ 9/07
I remember that the Miat.. I mean MX-5, had special tires that prevented such damage. They should be standard on all cars with solid weels (not weel covers).
I just hade this "great" idea. Editors could be punished and rewarded for how they drive and maintain the cars in the edmunds fleet! For example, if an editor brought a car back with a ding that was't there before, then he or she would be forced to take a "lame" car home that day, like a minivan or somthing. If they broght the car back in good shape, got it washed, or topped of the tank, then they would get a "good" car like a Cadillac or an Audi.
What do you think?
SubyTrojan says:
09:16 AM, 04/ 9/07
LOL @ redliner's proposed "rewards" system! :o)
You did a really good job on that DIY fix, Karl!
langjie says:
09:28 AM, 04/ 9/07
going to burn in hell for scratching those rims......
it happens to the best of us, =T
billt9 says:
10:08 AM, 04/ 9/07
Wow nice cosmetic repair.
I wouldn't care to even fix it. Cars are meant to be driven.
greenpony says:
10:24 AM, 04/ 9/07
That's actually quite an improvement. I'll have to try that on mine.
Do you know if those rims are coating with something? I believe mine came with some sort of protective lacquer. I'm wondering if sanding it down will just expose more metal and increase the chances of corrosion and pitting.
carlisimo says:
10:46 AM, 04/ 9/07
Woah, not a bad fix! What paint did you use?
editor_karl says:
11:15 AM, 04/ 9/07
I didn't use any paint, but I'm sure I've sanded off the wheel's clearcoat in that area. But that was "sanded" off as soon as I hit the curb, so it's no worse in that regard. At least the jagged edges are gone now. To really do it right I'd probably follow up with some higher grit sandpaper (600?) and then paint the area with some gray/silver paint. I claim no skill in wheel repair but considering the level of effort expended and the improvement in appearance I was happy.
Maybe I can start a side business and make some extra cash...
1487 says:
06:26 AM, 04/10/07
import cars use narrow tires relative to the width of the wheel and thus you often get scratched rims. I dont understand why they do this. On most domestic cars the tires are wide enough to project out from the wheel to provide some curb protection.
duh_rel says:
08:37 AM, 04/10/07
Awesome job on the DIY wheel repair! :thumbs up: Luckily the curb rash wasn't too bad to begin with.
bbechtel16 says:
08:49 AM, 04/10/07
"import cars use narrow tires relative to the width of the wheel and thus you often get scratched rims. I dont understand why they do this. On most domestic cars the tires are wide enough to project out from the wheel to provide some curb protection."
That's why you plus size your tires when it's time to replace them. More grip too! N/m the negative effect on fuel economy... I don't even cringe when I scrape the curb paralleling.
billt9 says:
09:13 PM, 04/10/07
I love the Altima 2.5S's steel wheels with wheel covers.
The styling effort they put into the steel wheel with wheel cover is much better than most alloy wheels many manufacturers make.
Go wheel covers!
ryanthomas says:
09:39 PM, 04/10/07
I want the best of Nissan Altima Hybrid which features sophisticated standard equipment that includes 16-inch alloy wheels, and auto other accessories like the Nissan Brake Dust Shield steps and door handles could be added to enhance style and efficiency of the car.
jerrywimer says:
05:49 AM, 04/11/07
I agree bilt9. We recently made a weeklong business trip to Memphis, and one of our group rented a new 2.5S. While I like the styled wheels better, the wheel covers on that rental were far better than anything I've seen elsewhere.