Have you noticed vibrations in your steering wheel or seat? Do you hear a persistent and loud thumping sound while driving? If so, you may have a damaged tire rim. Come to our store to see Dr. Rim. We are the experts you need for your bent wheel. Our technicians straighten bent rims and repair all cosmetic wheel damage. We have fixed hundreds of bent wheels/rims in the city of Orlando and its surrounding areas. Dr. Rim has the experience you can trust when it comes to fixing bent rims. When the wheel is bent but not noticeable, over time it can cause other issues on your vehicle or tires. The tires can leak slowly and even become deformed. Also, your vehicle will start to vibrate especially while going at a high velocity. It is important that you straighten your rims to avoid any further damage and stress to the vital suspension parts. Taking care of bent rim problems should be done sooner than later, that will save you money and future problems. At Dr. Rim, we guarantee after servicing your rim it will be round, hold air when mounted onto the tire and it will be properly high speed balanced. At our store we straighten: Alloy, Steel, Aluminum and Chrome rims.
Learning how to fix a bent rim has never been so easy. Fixing your bent rim will not make your wheel perfect, but it may improve your driving comfort.
However, fixing your bent wheel can make your wheel more fragile from the repair. In addition, you can even crack your rim trying to repair it yourself.
So, when in doubt it’s best practice to just bite the bullet and buy a new rim. However, understandably, rims can be costly so trying to repair it may be your only option.
Being bent or broken is okay, seek God for He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Tweet
How to Fix a Bent Rim Step by Step
If you are trying to learn how to fix a bent rim step by step, then look no further. Here at God’s Wrench, we provide you with the knowledge you need for the job.
Time needed: 45 minutes.
How to fix a bent rim step by step.
- Steel or Alloy?
Steel = Can be fixed easily but still will never be good as new,
Alloy = Can be fixed easily but you can risk damaging the wheel more. - Find the Bent Rim
Look at the inside of your rim for any bends or dents. Taking your wheels off might help you to find the bent wheel. In addition, rolling your wheel could even show the bend in your rim. For instance, your wheel may not roll strait, can dramatically change direction, or hop.
- Get the Right Tools for the Job
In order to fix your bent rim you will need a dead blow hammer, blow torch and a block of wood.
- Get the Bend on Your Wheel Hot
Heat up the bend on your wheel with a blow torch. However, be careful not to over heat and get your tire hot.
- Place Your Piece of Wood Over the Bend
Hold the piece of wood over the bend. To clarify, a piece of wood curved like your wheel will be more sufficient.
- Hammer the Bend on Your Wheel
Hammer on top of the piece of wood on your wheel to try to bend it back. If it’s not bending remove the wood and try hammering the wheel. Be care full not to hammer to hard and crack your rim.
Common Question(s) About Bent Rims
Can I drive with a bent rim?
It is not recommended that you drive with a bent rim or a flat tire. This can cause further damage and increase repair cost.
Can you fix steel and alloy wheels?
If you have steel wheels you can usually fix it. However, if you have alloy wheels, there is typically no way to repair it.
Photo by Bill Abbott — CC BY-SA 2.0
We’ve all done it. You’re taking a turn in a shopping center or on a road where the median is almost non-existent. As you start to round the corner, you can feel your tire rub. Or, even worse, you feel the car shudder, and you bump up over the curb hard. It can happen to the best of us.
In most cases, it’s totally fine, and you can get by with just the jolt itself. However, in other cases, as you start to drive away, you can feel the car shaking, maybe even vibrating. Something is up.
So, you think you might have bent a rim. You probably find yourself wondering how much it costs to fix a bent rim. Well, you’re in luck. Check out our article below on all you need to know about rim damage and repair.
Wheels Make the World Go Round
The rim is just one of the three main components of your car’s wheels, but it may be the most important. Without the rim, your tire would have nothing to attach to the hub, and you’d be going nowhere.
While you may think that all rims are built alike, it’s essential to understand that your vehicle’s rims can be pretty complicated pieces of metal.
FEEL SECURE IN THE CAR YOU CHOOSE
You don’t want to buy a car - you want to get the best deal on the car you’re looking for. The CoPilot app will notify you if there’s a similar vehicle in your area at a better price, so you’re always certain you got the best deal available.
Rims have a very specific build, and they’re all somewhat similar, but their complexity ranges. Generally speaking, rims have some main components that are similar in all options on the market. These options can impact how much it costs to fix a bent rim.
- The Outer Lip - This is the rim portion out from the center on the vehicle exterior. Deep dish rims have large outer lips, while many stock rims have very little when it comes to an outer lip: the larger the outer lip, the more susceptible to damage.
- Inboard and Outboard Flange - All rims have both of these components, as they help in preventing the tire from slipping off of the rim. A crucial piece.
- Bead Rests - Modern tires have what’s known as a bead running in them. A bead is a metal wire or braid in the tire that creates a rigid structure, meant for slipping into the bead rest of the rim and ensuring a proper fit.
- Drop Center - The drop center is, you guessed it, the center of the rim. It’s more narrow than the rim itself, allowing the tire to fit around it loosely before having the bead set into the rim.
- The Valve Stem - It’s the rubber stem affixed to the rim, allowing air to pass into the tire for inflation and out of the tire for deflation.
Now that you’ve learned about the rim anatomy let’s talk about how to tell if your rim is bent!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU REPLACE YOUR BRAKES?
Unless you’re a mechanic or super-dedicated car enthusiast, you might not know much about the brakes on your car. How long do they typically last? How often should you replace your brakes? We’ve got answers
What’s the Damage?
There are a few easy ways to tell if your rim is bent, all of which you’re able to do yourself.
Feeling
When something is wrong with your vehicle, nine times out of ten, you’ll be able to feel it before you can see it. Bent rims are no different. When driving on a bent rim, you’ll typically be able to feel substantial vibrations or shaking.
It may even feel like your car is handling in an entirely new way to you. These are tell-tale signs that you’ve got a bent rim.
Visible Damage
Sometimes when you’ve bent a rim, the damage is significant enough to be seen. Some sections of the rim may seem bent out of shape or even flat in areas.
Additionally, there could be more significant damage in the form of cracking or dented metal. These all could be attributed to a bent rim.
Constant Flats
If your tire continues to go flat for what seems to be no apparent reason, there’s a good chance that your rim is bent. When bent, the seal that the tire bead creates with the rim may not be tight any longer, allowing for slow leaks over time.
Bent rims usually don’t allow for a good connection between them and the tire, so flats are another good sign that your rim is bent.
Now that you can identify one, you’re probably wondering how much it costs to fix a bent rim.
THE BEST CARS FOR SNOW
Winter driving impacts young and experienced drivers alike. We’ve compiled a list of the best cars for snow, so you can get from Point A to Point B as safely as possible.
The Cost For Rim Repair
Not that many people think of rim repairs when it comes to repairing their vehicles, but it can be done, depending on the type of rim that you have.
Steel rims are easily bent back into place without much thought, as the material can tolerate successive bending. Alloy and aluminum rims are a bit different, but rim experts would be able to tell you if the damage your rim has incurred can be bent back or if replacement is necessary.
The answer may surprise you when you ask yourself how much it costs to fix bent rims. Often, with a shop that can repair the bend, it can cost less than $150 in most cases, according to Rim Blades USA.
When comparing that to the cost of wheel replacement, it’s pennies on the dollar. According to Repair Pal, rim replacement can cost anywhere from $698 to $710. This is directly related to the cost of a brand new rim by itself.
Even the base set of steel rims found on economy cars can cost anywhere from $350 to $400 per rim!
How to Prevent a Bent Rim
Like most car problems, the best way to deal with a bent rim is to prevent it from happening altogether. Although the next big pothole lurks around the corner, there are several things you can do to avoid bent rims:
Maintain proper tire pressure
Optimal pressure will enable your tires to bounce over uneven spots on the road, including potholes. On the other hand, underinflated tires put more pressure on the rims when driving over rough surfaces.
Stay away from low-profile tires
Urban roads are smooth and well-maintained in an ideal world, but we know that’s not always the case. Urban drivers prefer low-profile tires because they’re thinner. However, low-profile tires tend to have lower bounce, pushing the pressure onto the rims.
Avoid potholes
Just because your vehicle can easily drive through potholes, it doesn’t mean you should. Driving through potholes regularly, without a care in the world, is how you get bent rims. We’re not saying you should avoid all the potholes and uneven surfaces within your route, but try to avoid them when you can, and at the very least, drive carefully when you have to go through them.
The Takeaway
If you believe that your rim is bent, be sure to pay attention to a few key details. Consider how the vehicle is handling, as vibration and handling issues could be signs of a bent rim.
After reviewing our guide to the anatomy of a rim, look and see if you can find any physical damage. Think about if you’ve had frequent flats, as well.
How much does it cost to fix a bent rim? Not much. As long as the damage can be repaired, you probably won’t spend more than $150. Not bad when you need to keep your car rolling!
Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You
The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.
Only looking for newer models? CoPilot Compare is the search engine for nearly-new cars. Only see cars five years or newer with low mileage — CoPilot Compare is the best way to find off-lease, early trade-in, and CPO cars.
The best part? CoPilot is built using the same technology that dealerships use to buy and sell their inventories, so we have more info on each vehicle than competitors. CoPilot doesn’t work with dealerships, so there are no sponsored posts or other shady practices — just the most info on the best cars. Check out our About Us page to see how CoPilot works.