Nothing can stop the heartbeat of a vehicle owner faster than seeing scuffs on a beautiful set of alloy wheels. It can come from some random stranger getting a little too close to a car. It can come from a wild shopping cart on the loose in the parking lot. Whatever the reason, it is not a pleasant sight for any vehicle owner.

Minor scuffs can be repaired in a do-it-yourself manner for an inexpensive cost. In the event significant alloy wheel scuffs are present, it is advisable to take it to the auto body shop.

Alloy wheel scuff repair can be completed in a personal driveway by any car repair enthusiast. There are just a few items needed to get started: silver wheel lacquer; high gloss clear lacquer; primer; spot putty; sand papers in 240-grit and 400-grit; paint thinner; masking tape and masking paper.

Start by thoroughly cleaning the wheel surface to remove any substances that may be present. The cleaner the wheel surface, the easier it will be to repair any scuff marks. Make every effort to only clean the damaged area. Once the scuff marks have been repaired, there will be plenty of time to clean the rest of the wheel surface.

Once the wheel surface is clean, take the masking tape and mark off the scuffed area. Take the tape back behind the wheel rim. Utilizing the 240-grit sand paper, sand the damaged area and apply the spot putty. Do not sand past the marked off taped area. After applying a base level of putty, switch to the 400-grit sand paper. Attach the paper to a wood block for a smoother finish.

Protect the remaining portion of the alloy wheel and car with a sheet or drop cloth. Apply scratch filler primer to the wheel and sand it before adding spot putty to the area. Spray primer to the wheel and wipe off any excess that falls on the spokes or other sections of the wheel. Once the primer is dry, sand it gently with 400-grit or 600-grit sand paper.

Utilize the silver wheel lacquer in a fine base coat layer on the alloy wheel. Spray in a sweeping motion across the damaged area. The ideal drying time for the silver lacquer is over night. If this is not possible, place the car in direct sunlight to speed the drying process. Once this has dried thoroughly, apply the clear lacquer coat to give the alloy wheel a shiny appearance. Proper application is two thin coats with 30 minute dry times between each coat.

Now that the lacquer has dried completely, restore shine to the alloy wheels. This is done with a finishing polish and 1500-grit or 2000-grit wet/dry compound and a buffer rag. In no time flat, the scuff will be gone and an alloy wheel will be returned to a shiny appearance once again.

The ideal setting to complete this do-it-yourself repair is on a warm, sunny day. The warm weather and sunshine will aide in the drying process between lacquer coats.