Refinishing Aluminum And Chrome Wheels (99-08-51-007G)

REFINISHING ALUMINUM AND CHROME WHEELS

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

SERVICE INFORMATION

SERVICE INFORMATION

This bulletin updates General Motor's position on refinishing aluminum/chrome wheels. GM does not endorse any repairs that involve welding, bending, straightening or re-machining. Only cosmetic refinishing of the wheel's coatings, using recommended procedures, is allowed.

EVALUATING DAMAGE

In evaluating damage, it is the GM Dealer's responsibility to inspect the wheel for corrosion, scrapes, gouges, etc. The Dealer must insure that such damage is not deeper than what can be sanded or polished off. The wheel must be inspected for cracks. If cracks are found, discard the wheel. Any wheels with bent rim flanges must not be repaired or refinished. Wheels that have been refinished by an outside company must be returned to the same vehicle. The Dealer must record the wheel ID stamp or the cast date on the wheel in order to assure this requirement. Refer to Refinisher's Responsibility Outside Company later in this bulletin.

ALUMINUM AND CHROME WHEEL REFINISHING RECOMMENDATIONS

• Chrome-plated aluminum wheels

  Re-plating these wheels is not recommended.

• Chrome wheels with a coated barrel (areas illustrated in red), refinishing is possible. However, the required refinishing process cannot be performed in the dealer environment. Refer to Refinisher's Responsibility Outside Company later in this bulletin.

  Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY

• Rear of the spoke or drop well on the rear of the hub (areas illustrated in red), refinishing is possible. However, the required refinishing process cannot be performed in the dealer environment. Refer to Refinisher's Responsibility Outside Company later in this bulletin.

  Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY

• Polished aluminum wheels

  For out of warranty repairs that are customer pay the wheel can be fully painted.

• Painted aluminum wheels

  These wheels are painted using a primer, color coat, and clear-coat procedure. If the paint is damaged, refinishing is possible. As with polished wheels, all original coatings must be removed first.

• Bright, machined aluminum wheels

  These wheels have a polyester or acrylic clear-coat on them. In some cases, the recessed pocket areas of the wheel may be painted. Surface refinishing is possible. The wheel must be totally stripped by suitable means. The wheel should be resurfaced by using a sanding process rather than a machining process. This allows the least amount of material to be removed.

  IMPORTANT:

  Do not use any re-machining process that removes aluminum. This could affect the dimensions and function of the wheel.

Painting is an option to re-clearcoating polished and bright machined aluminum wheels. Paint will better mask any surface imperfections and is somewhat more durable than clear-coat alone. GM recommends using Corsican SILVER WAEQ9283 for a fine aluminum-like look or Sparkle SILVER WA9967 for a very bright look. As an option, the body color may also be used. When using any of the painting options, it is recommended that all four wheels be refinished in order to maintain color uniformity.

REFINISHER'S RESPONSIBILITY OUTSIDE COMPANY

A refinisher's responsibility includes inspecting for cracks using the Zyglo system or the equivalent. Any cracked wheels must not be refinished. No welding, hammering or reforming of any kind is allowed. The wheel ID must be recorded and follow the wheel throughout the process in order to assure that the same wheel is returned. Material removal, though, must be kept to a minimum. Re-machining of the wheel is not allowed. Paint and/or clear coat must not be present on the following surfaces: the nut chamfers, the wheel mounting surfaces and the wheel pilot hole. The refinisher must permanently ID stamp the wheel and warrant the painted/clear-coated surfaces for a minimum of one year or the remainder of the new vehicle warranty, whichever is longer.

For refinishing of wheels under warranty, at this time, only painted and chrome plated aluminum wheels can be refinished under warranty. GM has worked with a supplier that can provide refinishing services on-site to most GM Dealers in North America. This supplier uses a self-contained trailer unit in order to perform refinishing and has standard processes that have been reviewed and approved by GM Tire and Wheel Systems Engineering. AWRS has the capability to refinish all painted and chrome plated aluminum wheels including black and other non-traditional colors.AWRS is the only outside source approved to do wheel refinishing under warranty or in customer enthusiasm cases. 

Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists (AWRS)

3100 Medlock Bridge Road

Suite 305

Norcross, GA 30071

(800) 518-3040

www.awrswheelrepair.com

When re-mounting a tire on an aluminum wheel, coated or stick-on balance weights must be used in order to reduce the chance of future cosmetic damage.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use: