Bent Rims

[FauxhawkFox]

A discount tire employee told me two of my 17" Exels are bent. You can not visually see it.
Is it possible to double check this?
Would it really cause that big of a difference since the bend is so small?
Cant they put weights on the rim to BALANCE this out?
They were weighing the rim and it didnt looked circular. There isnt any air leakage.

 

[FIND]

weights can balance it out, but in some cases it can take a lot of weight. You may get uneven tire wear depending on the amount it is bent.

As far as checking it goes......

If you have something you can put the tire up on so that it is sitting upright but suspended from the center, you can spin the tire and use a dial indicator to check it, but you would need something that you would be able to spin it straight and true with. I am assuming you have a tire mounted on it now, so your next option would be a level on a straight edge. get the rim sitting level laying on its back or face, doesnt matter which side you do first, then you put the straight edge to the outer lip on each side of the wheel and lay your level on it. Rotate your straight edge so you go all the way around on each side and you should see if part of the wheel is bent.

Also, when you do support the wheel laying flat, only support it from the inside, meaning stack up blocks to the mounting surface on the inside. Then you just need to make sure your blocks that you are setting it on are level and you dont need to worry about your tire messing up your level reading or anything like that.

As far as the employee telling you your rims were bent.... What kind of balancer is he using? Are they using a roadforce balancer (they will usually advertise the fact that they do).... If they are using a cheap balancer, chances are he just had the wheel mounted on the balancer slightly crooked. More likely than that even was that he was tricked by an optical illusion while the wheel and tire were spinning on the balancer and just thought the wheels were bent.

 

[FauxhawkFox]

weights can balance it out, but in some cases it can take a lot of weight. You may get uneven tire wear depending on the amount it is bent.

This all came about because I had the warranty on the tires. Which included free rotation and balancing. I went in for the second rotation and balance because I drove a round trip from NC - FL. Its unlimited rotation so what not? When they put the tires back on the car was shaking like crazy around 60mph. I had an alignment done right after I got the new tires. So I really dont think the bend can be that extreme. I didnt get any really bad uneven tire wear but it was slightly visible.

As far as the employee telling you your rims were bent.... What kind of balancer is he using? Are they using a roadforce balancer (they will usually advertise the fact that they do).... If they are using a cheap balancer, chances are he just had the wheel mounted on the balancer slightly crooked. More likely than that even was that he was tricked by an optical illusion while the wheel and tire were spinning on the balancer and just thought the wheels were bent.

Not too sure. It was red.:laugh:

Another question... Would the bend be in the lips or elsewhere? The lip doesnt look bent at all.

I wonder how much it would be to fix this "bend"

 

[FIND]

Not too sure. It was red.:laugh:

:laugh:

Another question... Would the bend be in the lips or elsewhere? The lip doesnt look bent at all.

I wonder how much it would be to fix this "bend"

thats one place it could be bent. If you hit anything hard it could be out of round. Or in an extreme case(not likely), it could have warped across the face of it.

If your vehicle was not shaking when you drove it in(aka during your round trip to florida), then they ed up when they were balancing it. Take it back and demand that someone competent balance the tires.

 

[gorman]

you could leave the rim on the car and use a dial test indicator (dti) to show ovality. Remember though; all rims are slightly out of shape and out of balance, it's whether it affects drivability/safety. This place that is offering FREE balancing and tire rotation, is just scouting for work. I'd take my tire to another place and have them check how much out of balance the rims is. G.

 

[FauxhawkFox]

This place that is offering FREE balancing and tire rotation, is just scouting for work.

It was a purchased warranty.

 

[gorman]

It was a purchased warranty.

It is nice to have a warranty, it makes you feel re-assured. The idea is to get you to come back so they can find other things to fix. Still, no such thing as a perfect rim. You must feel doubt, otherwise you wouldn't be asking on the forum. I'd try another garage for a second opinion ... G.

 

[FIND]

It is nice to have a warranty, it makes you feel re-assured. The idea is to get you to come back so they can find other things to fix. Still, no such thing as a perfect rim. You must feel doubt, otherwise you wouldn't be asking on the forum. I'd try another garage for a second opinion ... G.

like he said, no such thing as a perfect rim. They do all have minor imperfections, but as far as balancing goes.... go back there first and demand someone competent balance your tires, tell them your car shakes like an SOB now at 60 and didnt before. If they cant do it right, then tell them you will go somewhere else and bring them the bill.

 

[Dyoel182]

Its a good idea to have them re-mount and check again. I had one rim that was out of round just enough that it didnt show up every time but you could feel the vibration.