Aluminum Wheel Repair - JDM Wheel Heaven

Wheel Repair

Either out of stubbornness or cheapness, I've lived with all the idiosyncrasies of my 240SX for more than a decade now. One problem I've never been able to fix on my own was the slight bend and steering shimmy in my long-time favorite wheels, the Super Advan SA3Rs. The set was first purchased second hand from a Japanese friend who had personally shipped the set to the U.S. when the wheels were just becoming the craze. That made them the hot JDM item here when most Civic owners were still rolling on Antera wheels. And because only a few sets had come to the U.S. at that point, that meant they cost an arm and a leg.

Even with diligent care, the years of use have taken a toll; worse yet, these first-gen status symbols had long been discontinued by Enkei. Rather than casting off this set of nostalgic wheels, I've been aching to get them restored.

But there was a problem. The welded two-piece wheels were nearly impossible to repair; they've been prone to welding errors from the get go and they don't like to stay very round because of the dual three-spoke design.

Most high-end wheel repair shops cringed at the idea of restoring classic but not so functional wheels. This was because the cast face was welded to the rolling forged and spun-finished hoop and then finished in a clearcoat. Cutting the wheels apart was out of the question because no one could weld it back in place dead in the center with any semblance of its original strength. Without disassembly, all the bends, chips, oxidized clearcoat and curb rashes hidden behind the curved spokes and deep hoop were essentially inaccessible.

I finally took a chance on RB Motorsports when some guys at the shop saw the wheels and were willing to put their satisfaction guarantee on the line and accept the challenge. When it comes to dealing with high-end, hard-to-find JDM wheels, RB is one of the most knowledgeable companies out there. RB has been importing wheels for as long as I can remember and knows the ins and outs of importing, restoring and selling affordable used JDM wheels. In RB's City of Industry, CA, warehouse, there are thousands of hard-to-find and long-discontinued wheel sets ranging from BBS, Work, SSR, Mugen, Blitz, E-wing and many other OG rollers that predate me. If it's not wheels you're looking for, RB also stocks much of the impossible-to-buy hardware like separate faces, hoops, center caps and, most importantly, nuts and bolts someone might be looking for to restore their long, lost JDM love.

There are plenty of skilled wheel repair shops around, but the reason I finally chose to go with RB Motorsports was because of its vast experience level. RB does nothing but repair and deal with popular JDM wheels. The back-up sets of Super Advan SA3R in the warehouse didn't hurt, either.

After a nail-biting week, I returned to RB to pick up my wheels. They hardly look like the worn set of shoes I had dropped off. RB had even managed to get rid of the imbalance and shimmy I've lived with for the past decade. Not bad for an affordable alternative to purchasing new wheels. Even if you aren't looking to repair your old wheels, look up the RB website for its massive listing of already restored, used JDM wheels at bargain prices. I'm willing to bet you'll find what you're looking for-if not, they can get it straight from Japan.

The first step was to remove the tires so that each wheel could be carefully inspected, balanced and labeled.
The first step was to remove the tires so that each wheel could be carefully inspected, ba
Curb rashes are almost unavoidable in the city. Unfortunately, restoring the hoops to their original spun finish underneath an oxidized clearcoat is nearly impossible.
Curb rashes are almost unavoidable in the city. Unfortunately, restoring the hoops to thei
It's a slow and arduous task, but once each flat spot is found the section is heated and pushed out with hydraulic presses until the wheel is within less than 1mm of variation on the dial indicator. One common misconception is that the heating process weakens the wheel, but because the butane torch never reaches a high enough temperature for the aluminum to change phases, the wheel returns to its original strength after cooling. In fact, this heating process is also how many wheel manufactures treat their wheels just prior to roll forging.
It's a slow and arduous task, but once each flat spot is found the section is heated and p

In the case of my Super Advan SA3Rs, the spun aluminum hoop was clearcoated with the rest of the wheel as the last protective coat from the factory. More than 10 years of road grime, chips, oxidation and metallic brake dust had basically degraded the clearcoat to the point where it couldn't be polished out, especially in the areas between the spokes and the hoop.
In the case of my Super Advan SA3Rs, the spun aluminum hoop was clearcoated with the rest
A couple close calls and bad driving had even scuffed the paint off the face.

A couple close calls and bad driving had even scuffed the paint off the face.
With the tire dismounted, the first step was to make sure the wheel and face are round. RB Motorsports uses a special jig that ensures concentricity and flatness of the face as the wheel is slowly spun. A dial indicator is then used to measure the variance where each tire bead seats. This way, the guys at RB can ensure exactly where the wheel is out of round and if the face is still flat.
With the tire dismounted, the first step was to make sure the wheel and face are round. RB
Once straightened, the oxidized original clearcoat on the deep hoop was stripped. The rest of the face was masked off to keep as much of the original paint on as possible. This gives a stronger surface for the new paint to bond to while exposing the raw aluminum on the lips for repair.
Once straightened, the oxidized original clearcoat on the deep hoop was stripped. The rest