Spent the afternoon repairing a wheel with NASA Racers technique!! Band width intense! - - ->

[LI-S4]

About a month after I took delivery of my S4 a knucklehead in a pickup cut me off on Sunrise Highway in Amityville, and forced me into the center divider. I tagged both driver side wheels pretty bad. I swapped off the spare and have been driving around with the better of two damaged wheels on the drivers front.

Well I saw NASA Racers writeup (link below) and figured this was well within my skillset. I order the paint and clear coat. I already had the paint thinner and the primer, sand paper and spot putty from my lower grill mod.

The weather was perfect this morning. No wind (so I couldn't take the sailboat out) and very warm. I setup on the side of the house where I knew I would be in the sun for a good part of the day. I setup all the tools and left the paint and wheel in sun for an hour to warm them up. I was starting with the spare which was the more damaged of the two.

I cleaned and then cleaned again using Simple Green and P21S citrus cleaner. This is what it looked like at the onset. Four spokes tagged pretty deep, and three long sections of the lip damaged pretty bad.

The lip was damaged so bad I actually resorted to the dremmel and a sanding wheel to get the burs off. I used 320 and 400 grit for the first sanding. Cleaned again. Then applied the spot putty four seperate times allowing for dry time and sanding and cleaning in between each coat. Let me tell you, I tagged the curb hard and these were deep scratches not scruffs.

I cleaned again, then used a tack rag and began to mask the wheel. Now, here's where you see just how good you've cleaned. I tried to mask with masking tape, but even after a total of seven cleanings with the Simple Green and the P21S there was still silicone residue on the rubber that prevented the tape from sticking. I resorted to another cleaning and then used duct tape...that stuff rules.

So now I'm standing back admiring my work and hear flutter of feathers and look up to see a sparrow falling (crashing?) into the house and land in the shrubs...WTF? maybe West Nile Disease? I left it there till I was done with the car.

By the timeI got to it the Yellow Jackets had already eaten it's eyes out...sorry..back to the wheels.

OK, so there's still no wind, my arm is sore from shaking the spray paint (I should be used to that) and away I go. BTW, I primed and sanded after disposing of the eyeless sparrow.

A bunch of thin coats of Silver...and wow, NASA was right this stuff gets on everything! I had to mask the rest of the tire and still it got all over.

Now the Wurth Silver paint is a near perfect match to the Avus silver. I feathered the edges to get a good blend. At first I used the paint thinner to clean some of the feathering (on the wheels, not the sparrow) but ultimately it was far superior to leave it feathered.

So I left it to dry for a good cople of hours heeding NASA'a warning about the clear coat lifting the silver. (I chose to go sailing for a few hours, use this time wisely) I applied numerous coats of the clear letting them dry in between. To add the icing on the cake, after the clear dryed for a few hours (while waiting, I started to sand the other damaged wheel while it was still on the car) I gave it a four step polish/waxing - P21S GEPC, 3M IHG, Griotts Polish and Griotts Best of Show wax. Here's the end result!

And here it is on the car!!! (I took the remaining damaged one off and the first coat of spot putty is already on and drying...sorry Ted)


If I could get this result with such a badly damaged wheel...every one with a damaged wheel should try this...don't be afraid! My wife couldn't tell which one I refinished! An interesting side note: I shared with her how much two new Avus wheels are, and how much it would cost to repair the two wheels. When she saw how good it came out and how much cash I saved she gave me the thumbs up on the air compressor I have been salivating over!

More pictures here.
Thanks NASA!!

[nuje]

[Brian@P.O.G.]

[jyoteen]

[NASA racer]

it's SUCH a bummer to scuff the wheels and it's SUCH a relief to be able to fix them like that.

[NASA racer]

one wouldn't think those metal flakes would get as far as they do and stick SO WELL to everything.

[NASA racer]

of course I said yes so it should become a part of AW.

[Tron (///M)]

but it looks like you done a lot to it since the "Rob Knob". Umm say can I come over with my TT and you can help me fix one of the wheels that my dealership screwed up.

[donp]

[LI-S4]