I have a 19" volk sf-challenge that is a little banged up. It has a light 2" curb rash and a little chunk broke off from the initial impact. I would say the piece missing is about the size of 2 M&M's. I haven't been able to find a shop that says they can repair it to new yet. Everyone says they either can't get it polished the same, or won't be able to clear coat it. Does anyone have a shop that has repaired a volk wheel with a polished lip?

 

A "little banged up" can mean big problems for a wheel that size. The curb rash shouldn't be too big a problem as long as the run-out is OK. The problem is the chunk that's missing. Most wheel shops will have to jig it up and reweld the section that was damaged. The heat will affect the surrounding area and I seriously doubt that the polish or color match will ever be indiscernable even after grinding, smoothing and polishing. We have some excellent wheel repair shops in my area, but there are limits when even small chunks of a wheel are missing. The repair cost will also be high, as this is labor intensive. IMHO If you want a new looking Volk, it might be cheaper to just buy a replacement.

 

Be careful here. I have no faith in welding cast aluminum. The cosmetics is the least of your concerns.

At best, welding cast aluminum results in a much weaker material around the weld, and would require heat treating to re-establish strength...which could cause distortions...more headaches and $.

At worst, you could have substantial pits/voids/cracks below the surface around the weld, which you will not elliminate with any heat treat.

Both these conditions can hide from you and leave you thinking you have a great repair job from a shop, cause it "looks perfect". Welding on a cast aluminum wheel is something I personally would NEVER do. I have done much research on welding cast aluminums and have specified the technique only on parts that have very small forces in service, or on very high quality aerospace certificated materials (no auto wheel would fall in this catagory).

Your wheel will probably never be any stronger than it is right now in its damaged condition.
Got insurance?

 

Ok, I had a local shop remove the rash around the lip by just sanding it down. There is a small indentation were the piece was missing, but its not bad. The only problem is that they sucked at poloshing. I need a shop that can polish the lip and clear coat it again.