WHEELS · GRAČANICA · 40 KM
Wheel service for Gračanica
The longest run of all the towns around us, which is why the trip is planned ahead and the work organised into a single visit.
A town of workshops and its vehicles
Gračanica lives on manufacturing and the trades, which means delivery vehicles moving constantly between production halls, storerooms and customers. Loading against a kerb, tight yard entrances and a heavily laden rear axle wear wheels differently from calm city driving and leave their marks on the flanges.
A rim like that goes the whole way through the workshop here: pressing the barrel true, welding material back where it is missing, turning it on the lathe and, if appearance matters, stripping the old finish and painting it afresh. On alloy wheels the bead seat can also be polished up to a shine.
Because of the distance it makes most sense to bring everything at once. Several barrels, a full set or rims from more than one vehicle are worked through in sequence, so the forty kilometre run happens once instead of three times and you know in advance when it will all be ready.
Agreeing the 40 kilometre trip first
The workshop is at 3. tuzlanske brigade 128 in Tuzla, roughly 40 kilometres from Gračanica, so a call to +387 61 570 429 is the first step. A time is agreed and you are told what to bring, which means the work can start as soon as you pull up outside.
Repair and appearance in one pass
For a delivery vehicle the function matters, for a private car the look matters too, and both are settled in the same workshop.
Welding and crack repair
Cracks, breaks, holes in the bead seat and missing chunks of metal. The area is welded through its full thickness and machined back to the wheel's original line.
More on thisStraightening buckled wheels
A wheel that hops, shakes the steering or has gone oval after a pothole is pressed back into a true circle in small stages, with the metal checked as it goes.
More on thisCNC refinishing and lip polishing
Taking a thin layer off on the lathe restores an even circle and a flat bead seat, while polishing gives the outer lip the shine of bare metal.
More on thisPreparation and wheel painting
Old lacquer and corrosion come off down to sound metal, then primer and topcoat go on in a colour agreed before any work starts.
More on thisTyre fitting and balancing
Tyres off and back on, new rubber fitted, seasonal changeovers and wheel balancing so the steering stays calm out on the open road.
More on thisBrake caliper painting
Rusty calipers are cleaned back to metal and coated in heat-resistant paint, so the gap between the spokes shows a tidy detail instead of corrosion.
More on thisWhy the longer drive pays off
No wasted journeys
When it is agreed beforehand, the rims move from one stage to the next without a pause. The long drive comes down to one trip out and one trip back.
Alloy and steel together
A mixed set is no obstacle. Alloy barrels and steel wheels are worked on in the same shop, each by its own method and in its own order.
Bringing the finish back
Beyond straightening there is preparation and paint, corrosion removal and bead seat polishing, so an old set ends up looking tidy again.
Questions from Gračanica
Is it worth driving wheels from Gračanica to Tuzla?
If several pieces come at once the trip pays off, because straightening, welding, machining and painting all happen in the same place. Call +387 61 570 429 before you leave, describe the damage and agree a time, and the rims go into work as soon as you arrive.
Do you repair larger wheels of 20 inches and up?
Big barrels are handled, as are small diameters from thirteen inches. With low profile tyres, flange damage is more common because the tyre absorbs so little of the impact, so the flange often has to be built up by welding before it goes on the lathe.
How should I pack wheels for the drive to the workshop?
The main thing is that the barrels do not knock against each other on the way. Stand them upright or separate them with a cloth, and if the tyres are still fitted, make sure they are wedged firmly. Dirt does not need removing, cleaning is part of the preparation.
Can old paint be stripped and the wheel resprayed?
It can. The old layer and any traces of corrosion come off first, the surface is levelled and prepared, then primer and topcoat follow. New paint will not hold without thorough preparation, which is why that part is never skipped.
Do you paint brake calipers while the wheels are off?
That is done here as well. With the wheel removed the caliper is easy to reach, so it is cleaned of rust, prepared and coated. If you want it alongside the wheel work, mention it in advance so both fit into one appointment.
Routes into Tuzla
Alongside Gračanica, the approaches from Tuzla, Lukavac, Živinice, Srebrenik and Banovići are each described on a page of their own.
Call first, then make the trip
A short conversation on the phone tells you when to set off and what to bring with you.