Consumers may not realise it, but a cracked alloy wheel is far more dangerous than they might think – no matter how small the crack may be. Even a crack which is unnoticeable to the naked eye could have disastrous consequences. For this reason, industry professionals tend to steer clear of cracked alloys unless they have gone through thorough testing – the risks far outweigh the benefits.
However, repairs of this nature do happen, and it is a bit of minefield for everyone concerned. As a precedent, one consumer, with the help of What Car? took a dealership to court last October and won £1,160 in damages after it sold a vehicle with a ‘repaired’ cracked alloy wheel. What Car? quoted The Welding Institute as saying that ‘weld repair on a cast aluminium road wheel is potentially lethal and could fail catastrophically without warning.’
The wheel in question, however, had been initially repaired, and was of such a poor standard that the tyre deflated after five days. Who repaired the wheel is unknown, however, the fact that these repairs are happening in the first place is a cause for concern as it tarnishes the repair industry as a whole.
‘I have never seen a cracked alloy wheel repair that is safe, or that has had a thorough inspection apart from a visual safety check – and it is impossible to detect hairline cracks with the naked eye,’ said Trevor Ferris, managing director, Eco Express Systems. ‘It is important to note that the point of impact is not always where the fracture appears. Critically, in all cases, without exception, a non-destructive test (NDT) kit should be used if a repair has been undertaken. To the best of my knowledge we are the only company to not only supply the kits, but also have an IMI certified training course for alloy wheel repair.’
Remit
Some have considered conducting these repairs as part of their wheel refurbishment remit, but have, when realising the dangers they pose, abandoned the idea. ‘When considering if we would implement crack/tear repairs in our wheel refurbishment business, we set a stringent test to comply with our health and safety obligations,’ said Anatol Poyer-Sleeman, director and franchise owner, Chipsaway Cambridge. ‘To engage in this sort of repair work, we would need to be sure that the expert opinion is undivided and that such repairs can be consistently achieved to a safe standard. We would also need to implement a non-destructive test of each weld before it goes out to ensure road user safety. We weren't able to satisfy ourselves as to that test.’
This advice rings true throughout other parts of the industry too. ‘Our recommendation is that a body repairer doesn’t repair a cracked wheel,’ said Steve Paver, sales manager, Optima Smarter Solutions. ‘There is, however, a unique code on the back of the wheel which provides full tractability enabling any bodyshop to see if the wheel has been repaired before. Therefore, providing the wheel repair has been conducted by properly trained and skilled technicians, consumers should feel reassured that their wheels are as good as when they came off the factory production line and will be safeguarded from further impact.’
NDT techniques are varied and include: radiography, computerised tomography scanning, x-rays, ultrasonic testing, liquid penetrant testing and more. This potentially adds to cost of any repair, which is the crux of why some unmonitored cracked alloy wheel repairs are on the road.
‘I am sure that the reason no test is carried out is that there is no awareness that this is a critical safety check area,’ said Trevor Ferris. ‘It should be known that a test would take an average of five to10 minutes to carry out, and that the cost of a NDT is less than a can of paint.’
Security
Unfortunately, for the unsuspecting motorist, there is no legislation or security for them at present. ‘I would expect that it would take legislation, or at the very least Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance backed up by robust enforcement, to prevent dangerous wheel repairs continuing in the market,’ said Anatol Poyer-Sleeman.
However, making the public aware of this matter is also a stumbling block – as proving a vehicle collision occurred solely because of this would be tricky to say the least.
‘The recent cosmetic repair automotive technician accreditation (ATA) has created a national standard for professional repairers, and NDT is widely available,’ said Mark Llewellyn, managing director, Revive! Auto Innovations. ‘However, if a consumer’s first priority with a wheel repair is the cost, then they will ultimately ignore the risks of having a professional repair done.’
Categories
Wheel repair comes under two categories, cosmetic and refurbishment. Wheel refurbishment tends to include the complete overhaul of wheels including stripping, resurfacing and repainting. Diamond cut alloys are also common on today’s vehicles and these can be re-cut through a refurbishment process. Mark Llewellyn explained how a cosmetic repair to a diamond wheel can still be of a good quality. ‘A diamond cut wheel cannot be completely replicated through a cosmetic repair – however, in many instances, where a professional repairer is involved, a cosmetic repair to a diamond cut wheel is acceptable,’ said Mark. ‘However, a cosmetic wheel repair should not be carried out if the wheel has any structural damage ie if the wheel is buckled or has chunks missing.’
The market as a whole is also changing a lot for a variety of reasons. Spare wheels found inside vehicles are often replaced with other alternatives, due to the weight and space savings that can be made. Although this is unpopular with some consumers, more and more modern cars are now fitted with space saving wheels, for example. This, as well as tyre monitoring systems, has swung the refurbishment and repair market into the limelight.
‘Many systems have onerous maintenance requirements eg a new specialist valve every time a tyre is changed’ said Anatol Poyer-Sleeman. ‘We have noticed that many wheels have tyres changed and old valves refitted or valves fitted wrongly, for example, galvanic corrosion or bolt-in valves hugely over-torqued are the most common we’ve come across.’
In numbers: Wheel refurbishment*
- 32m vehicles on UK roads
- 98% of all vehicles have alloy wheels
- 5.3m vehicles have been repaired
- 40% (2.12m) vehicles have undergone a SMART repair
- Of the 40%, 28% (593,600) have had an alloy wheel refurbishment
*courtesy of Optima Smarter Solutions
A bodyshop view
Fix Auto Cardiff South and Pontypridd owner Steve Peart, has invested £110,000 developing an alloy wheel repair facility, tells us his view on wheel refurbishment.
An alloy wheel can be repaired to a safe standard, but that obviously depends on the severity of the damage. Safety is paramount and if an inspection throws up any doubt, then we would always discard it.
The confidence has to be with the repairer. While our dedicated facility is new, like many reputable bodyshops, we have been refurbishing and repairing alloy wheels for a long time. It is that experience and expertise that guarantees a wheel has been repaired to the highest standards. We would never put a wheel onto a vehicle if there’s any question over its safety.
There’s a huge educational campaign needed. Motorists are not aware of the dangers of driving with defective or damaged wheels. They are potential killers. Personally, I believe a thorough wheel inspection should be included in the MOT test. The situation of alloy wheel safety has been heightened with the increase of substandard ‘fake’ alloys flooding our market. Wheels produced by vehicle manufacturers are made to the highest standards possible by using the best quality alloy metal available. You simply can’t say that about cheaper, copied, versions. Those who put them on their vehicle are gambling with their lives, the lives of the passengers and the welfare of other road users.
http://www.bodyshopmag.com/Features-wheel-refurbishment-feature-cracking-up.aspx
http://www.motorworldarc.co.uk/news.asp
