DIY half-*** curb rash repair that turned out almost perfect

babyzilla

The other day I noticed some curb rash on my wheel and my heart sank a little. I've been working on not getting too attached to anything recently lol. There was no way I did it and when I purchased the car I didn't see it even after inspecting all 4 wheels. Maybe I just missed it. The weird thing is the tire is proud of the rim, yet the tire is flawless. I got a quote to fix it from a local guy and he said it would cost $150 and 4 hours. Personally I just didn't think it was worth it. After doing some googling, I figured out what I needed and what I should do. Worst case scenario my DIY job would make it worse and I still pay the $150 to get it fixed. Below are the steps I took and hopefully can help others IF the case is similar. I lucked out because on my nismo wheels there are about 3 different finishes. The rash was on the lip of the machined metal. I admit if it was on the face or any finished area I would have either paid to get it fixed or just learn to live with it.

I'm no professional by any means, but it seemed like every tutorial I found online required about 6 grades of sand paper, a filler of some sort, primer and paint. I didn't want to invest that much time and a part of me was lazy. Based on my analysis, I just needed a low and high grade sand paper along with a good polisher.

Materials:
- (Staple) Tape for masking
- (Staple) Alcohol to clean the surface
- (Staple) Water bottle sprayer
- (Staple) Paper towels
- (Staple) MF cloth or applicator pad
- (<$4) 3M 80 grit sand paper to remove metal gouges and even out the surface
- (<$4) 3M 2000 grit sand paper to smooth the surface out
- (<$4) Brasso Metal polisher

What I did:
I started with wiping the area I'd be working on with alcohol. I masked the surrounding areas while giving a little space so I could blend in the sanding. I used 80 grit sand paper to smooth out the entire surface with moderate force and would lighten up around the edges. You have to visually inspect the surface as well as feel it out. Then I sprayed some water and cleaned off all the residue. Once clean, I sprayed the area again and began wet sanding with the 2000 grit sand paper. I used light pressure, but took more time and continued lubricating as I sanded. The 80 grit did a great job of leveling the surface, but the 2000 grit is when you could see the repair actually coming along. I was surprised to see the improvement. Make sure you take your time sanding and be careful not to over do it. If I can do it, you can do it. Once I finished with the 2000 grit, I removed the tape, and used the 2000 grit again to blend any edges that caught my eye. Once that was done I cleaned the entire area and dried it. Lastly I used an applicator pad and the polisher to finish the job and I really went to town rubbing it in everywhere. When I was done, I was completely satisfied and it looked WAY better. Of course it wasn't 100% repaired, but I wasn't expecting that (managing expectations) and from the naked eye you can't see anything. When I checked the next morning I actually had trouble finding the area. I'm not sure if the polisher cured or something. When the sun or light is shining on it at the right angle you can barely see some areas where the gouge went deeper into the surface or places I tried to blend, but again, that's if you stare at it like an owner would lol Now I'm not sure how long this will last, but I don't mind polishing every once in a while. Also, this whole process took less than 30 min.

Attached Images

	before.jpg (68.5 KB, 83 views)
	after.jpg (75.3 KB, 86 views)