Well thanks to a complete idiot veering over to my side of the road I've gone and curbed the front near-side alloy. It's not great, we've lost some alloy there and it looks a bit of a mess.

So - what are my options here?

I believe alloys can be repaired? However I'm assuming that takes a long time, so it wouldn't be a case of going in somewhere, I'd have to send/leave the wheel.

That is difficult as I cannot be driving around on a space-saver spare for any real amount of time.

 

Next option would be to buy a new Neptune alloy. Does anyone happen to know the going rate of a new wheel?

I suppose I could then get this one repaired and sell it in an attempt to make some of my outlay back?

 

Next option would be to buy a single second-hand wheel. Bound to be somewhere scrapping a car. If the second-hand one had a serviceable tyre on I could then use that while I get mine repaired.

Or I guess I could move the tyre from my wheel to the second hand one. But that potentially opens another issue. Finding a garage willing to remove and then re-fit tyres they haven't supplied seems to be neigh impossible. They just don't want to work on tyres they didn't sell.

 

Anyway, anyone have any ideas, options and/or prices for me?

 

Cheers.

Edited 23 November, 201312 yr by Stoofa

post a pic of the wheel

Yep, post a photo up of the wheel. Something similar has happened to me, and from what you describe there'll be no problems getting it refurbed.

I got my winter set refurbed this week, with a day's turnaround. So possible for you to drop the damaged wheel off for the day, and return and collect.

Then it's just a case of looking at a recommendation for a refurb company local to you.

It can almost definitely be refurbished. Find somewhere local to you and they will most likely be done with it within 24 hrs.

If you can't manage without your car for a day try and get a wheel and tyre off eBay and just sell it on again once you have finished with it.

I'll take a picture tomorrow. Thanks for the input.

I hadn't realised a refurb could be done in that kind of time.

The wheel off Ebay (Zenith or Neptune I guess - so long as it's 18") maybe the way forward as a temporary wheel while mine is sorted.

I wouldn't bother, personally. Not worth the hassle.

 

Sticking the spare on for a day will be absolutely fine.

Whenever I do refurbs I always powder coat so usually takes more than a day but usually under a week

I mullered mine in exactly the same circumstances. Bodyshop took one look shrugged and said £50. Wouldn't be able to tell the difference now.

 

Will try to find the post with the pics.

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/287589-alloy-gouged-ffs/

 

They'll probably be happier if you have a spare to keep the car movable while they're repairing it or to let you keep working. Mine was in for other work at the same time (not my fault either).

Edited 23 November, 201312 yr by Aspman

I would always powercoat too. Not worth doing anything else in my view.

 

Speed depends on your refurber. I dropped mine off Tuesday lunchtime, went back and had them swapped onto the car Wednesday lunchtime. Powercoated finish.

And repaired worse than this so all hope is not lost!

Beware the buckled alloy wheel.

I put a car in a field 'Dukes of Hazzard' style.

After flipping and rolling midair it landed on its wheels, just as well or I'd be a bit shorter!

It was totalled, looking decidedly lowered and widened after pancaking in a newly ploughed field.

Long story short, alloys looked fine aside from embedded soft earth and tyres off the rims.

I sold car as parts but the alloys came back, upon fitting they were as buckled as a newt.

Just saying.

I wouldn't bother, personally. Not worth the hassle.

 

Sticking the spare on for a day will be absolutely fine.

This.

I've never had the need to run around on a space-saver - are they a complete nightmare?

Well compared to the picture of the wheel with a chunk missing - I guess this is nothing:

 

 

So should be repairable - cost will vary I suppose?

So final questions are:

1. I'm going to be stuck with a space-saver on the front for a day. Are they horrible to drive on?

2. I'm in Chatteris - close to Ely, Cambridge, Peterboro that neck of the woods. Any recommendations on where to go?

 

Ta

I've had worse injuries from sex lol, you may as we'll go for a DIY job for that bud, but of sand paper and a touch up pen

That's nothing and easily repairable. As suggested, a 24hr turn around is normal and the price shouldn't be anymore that £50/60 for a full powdercoat job.

Space saver will be fine. Just don't hoon it!

I can still hear the noise it made as it went down the side of the curb - it was horrid!

Anyway, "Express Alloys" (which seems to be part of Chips Away) in Cambridge advertise the fact they also have loan wheels.

So I've just dropped them an email and with any kind of luck I could get this sorted out next week - I'll also get them to quote me for the repair of some very minor chips on the bonnet.

 

I know, I know - I could do it myself. But I know anything I do will not look as good and for the relatively minor outlay I'll let the professionals do it all

 

Cheers all.

You should put the spare on the rear mate. Always best to have matching wheel tyres on the driven wheels

Please tell me you binned this and someone isn't driving around on this oblivious

I guess he wouldn't have bothered repairing it if he planned on binning it?

 

 

A well repaired alloy can and often is as strong as the original wheel.

I'm not sure where the concern with driving on the spare wheel is coming from?

 

The vRS has a full sized 16" steel spare wheel, not a skinny space-saver.

 

The rolling radius of the 16" spare is almost identical to that of the original 18" with the lower profile tyre.

 

I've driven round with the spare on the front of my vRS for days whilst getting wheels refurbed, punctures fixed and tyres replaced with no adverse effects.

 

The reduced speed rating is purely a precaution as the tyre will be of a different thread pattern and profile to that of the opposite wheel and tyre.

 

Stick the spare on, take the alloy in to be repaired, drive as normal, reverse the procedure when the alloy is fixed!

its a space saver.

It's dark and cold outside so I don't really want to venture out right now

So, 2011 vRS. Paid the factory option of "Spare Wheel".

Will this be a full-size steel or a space saver?

 

Ta

It's dark and cold outside so I don't really want to venture out right now

So, 2011 vRS. Paid the factory option of "Spare Wheel".

Will this be a full-size steel or a space saver?

Ta

It will be a 16" wheel rather than an 18" so Skoda consider it a space saver.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

lol you have had the car since 2011 and dont know!
since you have been saying space saver I assumed thats what you have, if you paid for the option, you will have a full size spare wheel!