Straightening a buckled alloy wheel?...

[riot68]

Is this possible? anyone know anyone who does it well for a decent price, especially East Midlands area, cheers...

[jon]

You could try Wheels in Motion in Chesham, not exactly close but they do advertise wheel straightening.

http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/alloywheelrepairs.php

[riot68]

That looks like just the place, will get in touch with them, cheers...

[dantheman]

A wheel that has buckled will never be as strong as a normal wheel. By trying to fix it you are playing with your own safety. I wouldnt risk it personally.

[uglee]

A buckled wheel that is straightened has not undergone any sort of heat treatment so difference in strength after sorting would be negligible and you're not exactly going to lose a wheel through failure.
If you see some examples of very badly damaged alloys that can still be saved it's all about the quality and standard of the repair. It's amazing what they can do!

[riot68]

Certainly.going to look in to it, wheels seem quite rare so not going to pick up a spare easily and just had brand new tyres on 2 of the others so not cost effective to sell up & get new wheels. Seem a repair will be about £40...

[Draven]

£40 is a bargain.

[2tmike]

This guy might be a little nearer ?
http://www.alloywheelrepair.co.uk/

[dantheman]

A buckled wheel that is straightened has not undergone any sort of heat treatment so difference in strength after sorting would be negligible and you're not exactly going to lose a wheel through failure.

A buckled wheel will have yielded plastically. Hit a pothole or object on the motorway at 80, wheel is no longer as strong, could bend slightly, create a gap with the tyre and blow out.

Why risk it? Is your life worth less than the cost of a new alloy? Might be a bit drastic but thats my viewpoint

[Kongaroo]

I think it's a bit risky too. The metal of the wheel will have undergone work hardening - once while it was being bent out of shape and then again when it is being straightened which will make it more brittle. Whether or not it is heat treated will not change that fact.

[riot68]

Think I might just get some new wheels that fit the same tyres. Off over to the wanted section now...

[pnicho]

What wheels were they and were they cast or forged? Also are you sure the wheel is buckled and not just the lip being bent (how did you check)?

[riot68]

They are OZ racing F1 EVO cup, don't know what they're made off. Garage said one wheel is egg shaped...

[pnicho]

That doesn't mean it's buckled - is the tyre on it or off it? If it's off then roll the wheel along your floor and look at it - it may just be the lip is bent - what happened to it?

[riot68]

Tyre is on it, have no idea what happened, just got done over by the guy who.sold me them...

[pnicho]

Ring up wheels in motion (black circles) and take some photos for them - you're better off getting the tyre off so that they can see it better. Best thing to do is pop off to local tyre place and ask them to take the tyre off (presuming you're not using it) and ask them to put it on their balancing machine - that will tell you if it's massively out of balance.

The old owner of my car replaced the wheels because of a "buckle" but it turned out to be the tyre was crap.

Don't waste money until you've investigated it properly.

[riot68]

The garage I took it too, said it was bad and they couldn't balance it. If I can find some wheels that fit & take the same tyre then not too bad. It's a Honda civic and rover mg for, found some nice mg wheels just offset is 45 & not 37 so trying to find out what thy will mean, look like. Need to use the car ASAP really, might have to put the steels back on but they've got a tyre that keeps going down too. Nightmare...

[pnicho]

why not put one steel on and rescue the alloy? out of balance doesn't mean it's the alloy - ask a wheel place to check it without the tyre.

[riot68]

Yeah maybe, they garage also said the fronts were a bit battered but they balanced up ok, I think the rolling radius of the steels is wrong for the car and different from the alloys, would that make it crappy to drive?

thank you for all the help by the way, appreciated...

[pnicho]

Most alloy wheels can be repaired. Pointless buying new wheels etc when you can get the old repaired for less than a single new wheel. Ring wheels in motion and speak to them.