Kerbed alloys are the one bit of damage almost every driver collects and almost nobody rushes to fix. A tight parking bay, a badly judged kerb, a pothole you never saw coming — and the edge of the wheel picks up a scuff, a scrape or a chip that you slowly train yourself to stop noticing. Yet clean, sharp wheels lift the look of a car far more than their size suggests, and left alone that damage rarely stays still: paint lifts, corrosion creeps in under the lacquer, and a cosmetic mark can turn into a structural one.
At Bodyteq we refurbish alloy wheels at our Greenwich workshop in South-East London, restoring kerbed, corroded, cracked and buckled wheels to a factory-standard finish — or customising them to a new colour and finish you choose. Because every wheel arrives in a different state, this page introduces each of our alloy services and points you to the right one; the linked pages carry the full detail. Alloy work is one part of our wider car body repair service, so if the same knock also marked a panel, we can put both right in a single visit.
Our alloy wheel refurbishment services
Alloy damage is not all the same, and neither is the fix. We offer five distinct services, and the right one depends on how your wheels are made and how they have been damaged. Here is what each covers — follow the link for the full process, examples and answers on that specific repair.
Standard alloy wheel repair
Most kerb damage falls here. We chemically strip the wheel, repair the scuffs, scrapes and small chips, then repaint and lacquer it back to a factory-fresh finish that also seals the edge against future corrosion. It is the everyday refurbishment that suits the majority of painted alloys. Read more about standard alloy wheel repair.
Diamond-cut alloy repair
Diamond-cut wheels have that bright, machined metallic face — and restoring it takes specialist equipment, not just paint. We refinish them on a CNC lathe, taking a fine layer off the surface to recut the original bright finish before sealing it under a protective lacquer. Not every wheel can be diamond-cut, and there is a limit to how many times it can be done, so we will tell you honestly whether yours is suitable. See diamond-cut alloy repair. Once recut, a little care keeps it bright — our guide on how to protect diamond-cut alloy wheels explains how.
Powder coating
Powder coating is the most durable finish we offer, and the one to choose if you want to change colour — gloss black, anthracite, a bright custom shade or back to standard silver. The wheel is stripped to bare metal, coated and baked, giving a hard, corrosion-resistant surface that stands up well to brake dust and road salt. More on powder coating alloy wheels.
Cracked alloy wheel repair
A crack is a safety issue, not just a cosmetic one — it can cause slow punctures and, left unchecked, worse. Where a crack is minor and in a repairable location, we grind it out and weld both sides for strength before refinishing the wheel. Where a crack is too severe to make safe, we say so and advise replacement rather than take a risk with it. Full detail on cracked alloy wheel repair.
Alloy wheel straightening
Hit a pothole hard enough and the wheel buckles, which shows up as vibration through the steering, uneven tyre wear and poorer handling. We inspect the wheel and use specialist equipment to reshape a buckled rim back to true, then confirm it is balanced and roadworthy before it goes back on. Learn more about alloy wheel straightening.
The finish comes from the workshop
The difference between a repair you can see and one you cannot comes down to preparation and equipment — and both live in the workshop. Diamond cutting needs a CNC lathe; a durable colour needs proper stripping, coating and baking rather than a quick blow-over. You bring your wheels to our Greenwich premises, where they are refinished using the same low-bake oven and premium paint systems we use on bodywork, then quality-checked before they return to the car. Our repair portfolio spans everyday and prestige marques alike — from family hatchbacks to performance cars — and every refurbishment is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Alloy wheel refurbishment in Greenwich and South-East London
Every wheel we refurbish is finished at our Greenwich workshop in SE10, from the first strip-down to the final lacquer. With alloys, where the work happens decides the result: the finishes that make a wheel look factory-new rely on equipment that lives in a workshop, not in the back of a van. Here is how each finish is carried out on the premises.
- Standard alloy wheel repair — the wheel is chemically stripped, kerb scuffs and chips are repaired, and it is repainted and lacquered so the edge is sealed against corrosion.
- Diamond-cut alloy repair — the face is recut on our CNC lathe, taking off a fine layer to bring back the bright machined finish before it is lacquered. Paint can imitate that look; only recutting restores the machined surface itself, and we will tell you whether your wheel is suitable for another cut.
- Powder coating — the wheel is stripped to bare metal, coated and baked for a hard, corrosion-resistant surface. It is also the route to take if you want a new colour.
- Cracked alloy wheel repair — where a crack is minor and in a repairable spot, it is ground out and welded on both sides before the wheel is refinished. If a crack cannot be made safe, we say so.
- Alloy wheel straightening — a buckled rim is reshaped back to true on specialist equipment, then checked for balance before it goes back on the car.
Painted finishes are cured in the same low-bake oven we use for bodywork, and every wheel is quality-checked before it is refitted. A lathe recut, a baked coating and a welded crack all need the workshop, so we do not offer driveway or roadside refurbishment: you bring the car to Greenwich, and the wheels are refurbished here.
Most of our alloy customers are local. Blackheath (SE3) and Charlton (SE7) sit right next door to the workshop, and Woolwich (SE18) is a short run east along the A206. Drivers from further out — Bexley, Sidcup and Bromley among them — bring their cars in as well, and the process is the same wherever you start from. Our service areas page lists everywhere else we cover.
A single kerbed wheel is often a quick turnaround, while a full set in a new colour takes longer; you get a realistic timescale with your quote. If the wheels were damaged in an accident, we work with all insurers and can refurbish them alongside the rest of the bodywork repair. For what shapes the price of each finish, see what alloy refurbishment costs in London. When you are ready, ask for a free alloy wheel quote — clear photos of each damaged wheel, taken straight on, help us price the job before you bring the car in.
Alloy wheel refurbishment FAQs
It depends on the finish and the extent of the damage. As a rough guide, a standard single-wheel refurbishment often starts from around £50–£80, while diamond-cut and powder-coated finishes typically sit higher, in the region of £90–£130 per wheel; a full set, or added straightening or crack repair, changes the figure again. Treat these as ballpark ranges only — the accurate price comes from a free quote once we have seen the wheels, and our guide to alloy wheel refurbishment cost in London explains what drives it.
Kerb scuffs, scrapes and chips are almost always repairable, and refurbishing costs far less than buying new wheels. Cracks can often be welded and refinished where they are minor and in a safe location — but not always. If a wheel is too badly cracked or buckled to be made safe, we will tell you plainly and recommend replacement rather than risk it on the road.
Diamond cutting restores the bright, machined finish that many factory wheels came with and looks superb, but it can only be recut a limited number of times and suits specific designs. A painted or powder-coated finish is more durable, can be almost any colour, and works on nearly any wheel. We will look at your wheels and their current finish and advise which route makes sense for them.
A single wheel is often a quick turnaround, while a full set — particularly with a colour change or diamond cutting — usually takes a couple of days. Crack repair and straightening add time, because the wheel is worked and then re-checked for safety before it goes back on. We give you a realistic timescale when we quote, so you can plan around it.
