[DieselDon]

'That' dent will not stop me from sleeping (since it has not impacted the drive). However, I would not let it 'pass on' problems up the suspension & steering setup.

I would get the tyre shop to hammer it into place (careful with the tube mouth though). & balance the wheel at the minimum.

I do not want to raise a controversy. However would like to be 'corrected'.
Am not sure about 'Heating and straightening'. The other procedure at the tyre shop that bends the rim evenly on a machine actually made the rims more prone to bends (read structural weakening). Hammering worked for me. Eventually, I replace the rims when I am 'sick' of them. I get these bends all the time because of the frequent inter-city runs through not so good roads.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In all other cases (where all 5 wheels/rims are same size), you can safely use all of the 5 wheels on a regular basis.

I would disagree. To me, the spare is strictly a spare (unless a strict rotation policy is maintained). Simple reason; I would like all 4 tyres to have the same wear and tear. Yes, this way the spare is under utilized and almost wasted. Better than have to put up with a bad ride due to uneven wear (once got irritated to the extent of changing all 4 tyres).

[mayankjha1806]

Is the car mostly driven within the city and rarely on highway. Have you noticed any pressure loss (sudden or slow), alternatively have you noticed any wobbly steering while doing speeds that you normally do (Usually they occur on speeds ~100). If none of the above it true, i do not think there is anything that needs to be done. I have lived with these small rim deformations for decently long periods of time and it has not given any problems.

Off course the actions would be entirely different if something like this happened to my Civic/Baleno as i do decently fast speeds when on highway, and even slightest of wheel problems gets amplified and can harm suspensions and other related parts.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

If none of the above it true, i do not think there is anything that needs to be done. I have lived with these small rim deformations for decently long periods of time and it has not given any problems.

Mayank,

The steering wobble is felt above at speeds ~100, means that the stresses generated due to lack of balancing are so high that you can feel them. It does not mean that no stress on low speeds.

So, in any case, I guess he should get this sorted out, and balance the rims. After all, we owe our cars that much, eh?

[seedyk]

I guess youre on bridgestone S322 tube type tyres, if this is the case, you won't lose air unlike the tubeless one's owing to the bent rim.

But it is quite dangerous to do higher speeds on a bent rim. replace it soon.

[Miel]

In early 2008, three of my pals and I rented a Self-Driven Santro from Hertz and took it to Coorg for a 3-day weekend. Back then the Bangalore-Mysore highway was not speed-hump infested like it is now, and we pushed the car to 120-130kmph (as seen on its speedo!) on many stretches.

This is relevant because the Santro's steering wheel did have a bothersome wobble at high speeds. Back then we thought that the tyres maybe low on air and had it checked at a couple of fuel stations, but all seemed fine. Thinking back, I remember noticing dents, similar to what Libran's tyre has, on 3 of the wheels. I am happy to have finally made the connection!

Nevertheless, other than for the slight but annoying wobble of the steering wheel, the car performed without any incident.

[anilisanil]

I have a bent alloy wheel, caused by hitting (anti)kerb// owing to road being higher than the pavement//.

It's not a big dent, but a minor undulation almost the size of what OP posted, balancing required some 30 odd grams of weights and the wheel now sits in the rear with no sign of loss of air ( I have tubeless tires). I've been driving that for almost 5K kms w/o any issue at all.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Mayank,

The steering wobble is felt above at speeds ~100, means that the stresses generated due to lack of balancing are so high that you can feel them. It does not mean that no stress on low speeds.

I just realized this today, after getting brand new rims. I was thinking the vibrations were from the engine all this time!

[tanwaramit]

I have had bent rims on my santro xing several times.

Went to a good tyre shop. He has rim straightening machine.

Tyre (tubeless taken out), rim put on the machine and its fine back to normal in 5 mins.

Tyre put on, tested for leakages and I am good to go.

Havent had replaced any of the rims yet, car has run 1L + kms.

Dont get it hammered, get it straightened through the machine (by those who have it)

[drsnt]

rim straightning machine are easily available and cost 100-120 for get them to original shape nothing much to worry, i regularly get bent rims and get them repaired

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Balancing will be affected. Maybe not at slower speeds but at higher speeds. A wheel balancer may show the reading as "OK" but you might still have wobbling at higher speeds.

Apart from this, nothing else to worry about.

Exactly the same bvehavior i had observed on my Ikon when the rims were in bad shape from ploughing through some potholes. After the rims were replaced, the wobbling was not observed.

[faustus77]

Tanwaramit
Hi good to know that a tyre shop will have rim straightening machine.
Will look around and hope I find before I start on a long journey.
Thanks and regards

[drpullockaran]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

What could be the ill-consequences of keeping such a rim in use? For now, I have put the spare tyre in service.

Rhythmic vibrations are poison for any suspension system. This vibration can be felt on good well laid roads. Other than affecting all the rubber, ball joints and steering rack and pinion the item that is most affected are the dampers erroneously called shock absorbers. Its the springs that are the shock absorbers in actuality.

Dampers(the oil filled tube like stuff) are there to prevent oscillations and rhythmic oscillations will kill the dampers efficiency in a short time.

[rxpaul]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I just realized this today, after getting brand new rims. I was thinking the vibrations were from the engine all this time!

But tell me, if the deformed rims were balanced properly, then they should not vibrate....or would they ?

My Octavia (on new tyres) decided to roll down a reverse slope (when parked). She rolled down about 100 mts until the rear tyre rim hit a ledge of a wall, broke her momentum & finally stopped after knocking off one door mirror in the process. The tyre kind of deflated. I decided to use the spare rim, but the tyre guy, hammered the rim into place and balanced the tyre. The tyre has'nt deflated/lost air since then (been about 2 months).

[greenhorn]

I had asked the rim to be re balanced, but not sure if it was really done. Even in the new rim, the guy just used the old weights (was advised by nikhil to get it redone)

[gpa]

My Alto (May 2008) has done 51,000 kms and is on stock MRF ZVTS rubber on stock steel rims. Since the past 20,000 kms the car has had a definite wobble and that was traced down to bent rims. Three of the five rims are bent and I was told I had to replace the rims.

I planned to put it off till the time I needed to change tyres as well but then came across the concept of rim straightening. The rims are in very good nick and not rusted and so I intend on getting them straightened instead of changing them. The tyres have about 5,000 kms of usable life and I do intend on using the rims as a stop-gap measure till I do a tyre change where I could switch to alloys/new steel rims.

I have zeroed in on an outlet which has the machine but I'm not sure of whether this process is safe. The car is used on highway trips and the last thing I want is a problem when out in the middle of nowhere.

How robust is the process of rim straightening? And can I use the current set of rims for the lifetime of the car?

Thanks,
gpa

EDIT: Note that there is no visible bend on the edges of the rims rather when on a wheel balancer the wheels rotate in a slightly elliptical motion instead of a perfect circle.