Should you repair damaged Custom Wheels?

Nothing looks hotter on a new car than over sized alloy wheels and low-profile tires, the look of a black rubber band around a sleek, highly polished aluminum rim.

Unfortunately, this combination has less protection from the pounding of potholes, road debris and occasional curbs.

Aluminum or alloy wheels are vulnerable and can carry a high cost to the unsuspecting car owner.

At the least, rubbing against a concrete curb can deliver a cosmetically devastating "curb rash" to a $1,000 alloy wheel. At the most, a pounding from a pothole can bend the rim or chink off a few inches of the rim lip. (The lip is the surface of the wheel that forms a seal with the tire bead, keeping it airtight. It's a piece of metal that guarantees the safety of the entire vehicle.)

Once your prized alloy wheel is damaged, your choices are limited: Replace the wheel with an identical design, pick up one that doesn't match, buy a new set of wheels or repair the damaged wheel.

In some cases, particularly on a car that is more than a couple of years old, it is difficult to find an identical alloy wheel, particularly one that was an option or an aftermarket purchase. Many vendors offer alloys on the Internet.

Buying a wheel that doesn't match is about as downscale as you can get. Conversely, buying four new alloys will set you back hundreds or thousands of dollars, making downscale seem an attractive alternative. If you're lucky, you have a full-size spare with an identical alloy wheel that you can use.

Plenty of companies have popped up to repair alloy wheels, saying that they take almost any banged-up aluminum rim and return it to an acceptable condition. Some experts are not convinced it's a good idea, however.