Darren Faulder asked:




We frequently see and hear car advertisements boasting all sorts of fancy features – a major one being alloy wheels. But what exactly are they and how do they differ from “normal” wheels? Alloy wheels are made from aluminium or magnesium (also referred to as “mags” or mag wheels) and sometimes a mixture of the two, while regular or standard wheels are made of steel.

The main performance difference between the two is that alloy wheels are a lot lighter than standard steel wheels, thus, giving the car with alloy wheels smoother and more controllable steering and braking. Other performance benefits include alloy wheel’s ability to conduct heat better than steel wheels, which can lower the risk of brake failure. Alloys are also widely considered to be much better looking than steel wheels.

Alloy wheels are staple inclusions in most upmarket car brands; however, they are not a common feature on many others. To buy a set of alloy wheels can be expensive, especially when compared to the much lower price of steel wheels. There is no real price range as cost is dependent on the vehicle brand, model, wheel size and quality. Purchasing a second hand set is an alternative if you don’t want to pay full price. Depending on the size of your alloy wheels, you may need to purchase new tyres. However, if they are the correct size there shouldn’t be any need to.

To keep your alloy wheels in good condition and to maximise their lifespan, constant maintenance is required. An accumulation of dirt and dust from the road can make alloys prone to galvanic corrosion, so regular cleaning is a must if you want them to remain intact.

Maintaining your alloy wheels

• Before fitting your alloys, coat them with a few protective layers of car polish.

• Wash your wheels regularly with soap, warm water and a soft sponge. Anything harsher, such as buffers or heavy duty acidic cleaners could damage the surface.

• Always rinse your alloys with clean water and low pressure.

• Avoid taking your vehicle to a car wash. If it must be done, make sure you warn the staff not to use any abrasive cleaners. Also let them know that they should only use a soft cloth or sponge when wiping the wheels down.

Popular alloy wheel brands operating within Australia include Advanti Wheels, CSA Wheels, Enkei Wheels, Mangels Wheels, Petrol Wheels, Prestige Wheels, Prodrive Wheels, ROH Wheels and Speedy Wheels amongst others.

Steven Magill asked:




PDR stands for paintless dent repair. It’s a craft that you can learn and it will, once you have mastered the skill, be a way for you to earn a very nice income. You will be able to remove those dings from car doors, and other small dents that you will find around the automobile. This doesn’t take long if you are experienced at doing it. It normally takes 10 to 20 minutes and is very inexpensive, since there is no product to buy. PDR is becoming the alternative to body shops.

The biggest reason people are choosing this method over a body shop is the time that it takes at a body shop to repair a dent, and also the money they are spending to get it fixed. With PDR, not only will the time your vehicle is being repaired be shorter, but also it will cost you so much less money. It’s a new way of fixing dents and dings that is putting the car repair world at notice!

How exactly does paintless dent repair work? A person who has been trained at PDR will use metal rods and picks in order to massage out dents and dings from the finish of the car. This will be done by the expert working from the inside of the car or panel, depending on where the dent or ding is. In essence, the dings and dents are being pushed out. A normal repair from beginning to end will last about 10 to 20 minutes.

If you want to try and do this as a living all you need is to purchase the tools, get the training, and offer a service where you will go to people and fix the dents and dings, or get a shop and do the service from there. This is a very high-demand service that many people are looking to have done now. It depends on where the dent or ding is in the vehicle and how you will access it. Here are some of the more common areas and how to go about accessing it.

Doors: You will need to roll down the window, and access the area by the window ledge opening. There may be an existing opening in the door jam. Access through this spot. Take the panel off the door, or even drill a hole in the door. You can finish this off by putting a silicone plug into the hole to prevent any corrosion, and to make the door look good.

Rear quarter panels: There should be an opening or even a vent in the rear door area. Access through this spot. Go through the trunk, or through a tail light assembly. You can access the dent through the wheel well, or drill a hole through the rear door. Of course, you will need to plug it when finished.

Roof: simply remove or lower the headliner.

Front fender: go through the engine compartment, or through a headlight assembly. Again you could access this from the inner wheel well too.

Hood: remove the covering from the inside of the hood and access the ding or dent this way.

While doing these repairs, it should not require the technician to drill any holes.