Is it just hopeless for the rear wheels on my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L? As you can see from the photos, the driver side front wheel is in immaculate condition while the driver side rear wheel appears to be rusted. This condition has obviously been brought on by the harsh Michigan winters with gargantuan amounts of road salt being poured onto the roads. Can something be done to restore those rear wheels? Thanks.

 

I would have thought any decent wheel refurbishing company could make them like new, in the UK the prices vary depending on diameter / size etc,

 

Surey they are alloy?

 

The wheels are aluminum so that rust is likely deposits thrown off from the brake rotor and pads along with residues from the road. Aluminum will corrode tho if the protective finish is breached. Hard to tell from the picture how bad they really are but we've seen some before and after pictures on this forum of much worse (I've forgotten which wheel was being discussed or I'd post a link to the thread - maybe someone else remembers) so I expect they can be saved. It really just depends on the cost and whether you could source replacements cheaper.

Forty years ago when I damaged a rare metric sized aluminum wheel I was toast, calling what seemed like every used wheel dealer in the country, but today while it would be even tougher to find a replacement, I could repair it with a mouse click. Government neglect of road surface repair along with the rising popularity of cartoon-style oversized wheels with rubber band tires has given rise to an entire multi-billion-dollar industry. Every car dealer and body shop now has a contract with an aluminum wheel repair company that sends a truck at least once a week to pick up and drop off wheels. Some even even send a box van full of equipment to repair and refinish wheels right there on-site. Most get all the business they can handle just helping prep used cars for sale at dealerships or subcontracting wheel repair from body shops but a few do maintain a retail storefront or will come to your house. And there are some operations that work with automobile salvage yards to collect wheels, then just sell refinished wheels outright online or offer exchange. You can find a few nearby just searching google maps for "wheel repair".

 

Thanks for the tips and suggestions guys. Actually, I was sure hoping that I could restore the rear wheels myself.

 

If you felt you wanted to try to do it yourself then you would probably need maybe a sand blaster, the refurb companies dip them to strip them and then they build up any curb damage with weld before machining then back and then painting them or powder coating.
I have tidied up a few wheels myself but it really does depend how bad they are, you may find a wire brush attachment in a drill may get some of the corrosion off.
It all depends how good a job you want done. Personally if I could get a complete wheel refurbished for £60 to £70 I would consider the money well spent.
When I have tidied up wheels I have spent best part of a whole day improving four wheels, depends on how you value your time.

 

Lots of people DIY wheel repair to an extent, depending what exactly is needed and how durable a finish they want. You can search on youtube for how-to videos. But plenty of people have done it with hand tools, wire brushes, sandpaper, scotchbrite pads, bondo and rattle cans of primer and paint, more sandpaper, followed up with buffing wheels and compound. The wheel repair professionals tho have bead blasting, tig-welding and powder-coating capabilities that most car enthusiasts typically don't at home. Unless you are just retired and looking for something to do, I'd suggest to get some price quotes. You might be surprised how affordable it is.

 

That looks like brake dust build up to me. Try some alloy wheel cleaner.

 

Agree on brake dust and wonder if the front and rear have been swapped during rotation. Sure looks like that as the rears usually stay cleaner.

 

Well, that's exactly what I'll do. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

No, the front and rear wheels weren't swapped.