How does damage to rims occur more often, e.g. those at curb stone edges? That is quite easy. Do not be satisfied with the standard tire dimensions, but choose either particularly low-profile tires or rims that are particularly wide compared to the tires. Yes, there is and that is sometimes even allowed. So you can make better use of the running surface.

With that you have made sure that you shouldn't lend your car to anymore and that you have to be extremely careful every time you approach the curb. Even with standard tires, however, it can happen that you hit hard material with the rim first. After all, scratches on the rim flange can be repaired by yourself or by professionals, but cracks in the rim cannot.

Repair kits are available for little money. They consist either of kneadable masses with longer or miscible liquids with a very short processing time of perhaps 5 minutes. No, you cannot use the repair methods directly, because a lot of work has to be invested beforehand in working on the repair areas. The specialist takes the tire from the rim, the layman does not.

The latter should, however, stock up on additional emery cloth. Without really thorough preparation, the rest of the work is ultimately wasted effort. Because the two components do not adhere properly to unprocessed areas. And after all, they shouldn't just fall off if you touch the curb again. Of course, it would not be bad for the continuation of the work if you masked the repair area.

What does the professional do? He has the appropriate equipment because wage labor is expensive. So the rim comes into a bath in which all paintwork is removed and only the pure aluminum comes to light. So if the scratches were only in the paint, you can only see traces of them now. They can be easily removed. If further repairs are required, even a professional can only compensate for damage up to a depth of about one millimeter. He is not allowed to weld or even cold work.

Anyone who, as a layperson, has applied too much has to sand it down again. That is a lot of work at times. A block is particularly recommended as a base for the sandpaper. However, it is worse if too little has been applied. Then almost the whole procedure starts all over again, including the waiting time. Small grooves, for example, should also be ground out beforehand.

Are you halfway to becoming a professional because you think it's not worth doing it yourself? Then there is another argument. Because it has the correct color for each rim, sorted by manufacturer. You wouldn't believe how many different shades there are. In addition, it is also powder-coated and baked in here. You would have to take with you your self-repaired rim to the hardware store and compare it with the caps of the spray cans there.

If the hardware store has enough choice at all. Otherwise better go straight to a specialty shop. Perhaps after entering vehicle data and searching for a long time, the right color will be found on the Internet. Otherwise, the following statement helps: depending on which side you look from, it looks pretty good. With professionals, however, you have to reckon with costs of 100 euros and more.

If it is much more, then it would be wise to compare with the price for a new rim. Or a used one, but maybe not on the Internet, but for example at the recycling facility, where you can look at the product to be purchased, possibly even with a time-limited right of return, so that the person who mounts the tire on it, can also look at it critically.