So I mounted my RO_JA LT5s and was very proud up untill I realized that 2 of the rims had mild bends.

The tire shop said that mild bends were normal for cars with low profile tires, so I mouted them and drove on my merry way.

Next morning, my drivers side front tire is at 10 psi. I filled it up to 40 psi and the morning after that it was at 20 psi again.

Also, at speeds between 55-65, the steering wheel wobbles like crazy.

Im assuming one of the bends is worse than I thought.

My question is: What does someone with a bent rim do? I've heard of a company called "American....something" that fixes damaged rims.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

Best you can do is get a quote to repair the damaged wheels. If the wheels are very expensive it may be worth it to repair them. If not, it may be cheaper to replace them. If one of the tires is losing air it must be a pretty good bend. You definitely want to get it repaired.

 

The bend is barely noticable to the eye. Its visible, just not prominant.

The tire is new so I doubt its that. Could be a leaky valve stem or something else?

 

I have 17" wheels on my Tiburon and they have some very minor dents, too. I had the steering wheel vibration at highway speeds so I switched the front wheels to the back and it pretty much disappeared. It didn't seem to make sense to spend the money to repair them so I will just live with it as it is. I don't have any problem with pressure loss though.

First I would determine what the cause is. Visually inspect the tire for any punctures. If none are found submerge it in water to see if you can spot the leak. I partially fill the laundry tub with water and put the tire in and look for air bubbles. This way you can pinpoint exactly where the leak is. If it is the valve core you can replace that yourself. Otherwise take it in to be repaired or resealed. You might want to experiment with wheel rotation to see if you can eliminate the vibration.

 

Found the website for wheel repair:

http://fixrim.com/index.htm

 

$129 per wheel is a little expensive but worth it if the wheels were $500 each new. I wouldn't spend that much for a repair on a cheaper wheel.

 

OKay, so I assume your wheel is bent on the lip, correct?

I have a slightly bent rim on the front left drivers side. I noticed that it seems to lose air a whole lot quicker than the other tires. sad.gif

I also got scrapes all over the spokes/lips of most of the other wheels, and no center caps. It is hardly even noticeable from afar, but I do not know how there is so much damage after just 6 months..

I am thinking that instead of repairing the wheel, I might as well get new 17's. There is a place called NTB around that sells great wheels/tires for excellent prices.

That is a good site you found, but who knows how much they are going to charge you for the repair.

 

They charge $129 per wheel no matter what they have to do to the wheel to repair it. That's what it says on their site.

 

I to have a slightly bent rim. Is it on the outer lip? You may be able to hammer it back a bit to help. I did this with a hammer and piece of wood. A rubber mallet may do the trick also. Definitely have them check the valve stems. I don't know how many times I've had to go back to the tire shop after getting new tires because the tech didn't put the stem in right.

Also, make sure they balanced your wheels correctly. If you have 17's or larger, even 16's, make sure they balance the inside AND the outside of the rim. This can be done entirely with weights on the inside of the rim. Look inside your rim. There should be weights on both the most inner part of the rim and on the surface that is closest to the outside of the wheel. I had my rims balanced at a small shop and they only balanced one side. My car shook horrible over 45 mph. Had them rebalanced at another shop, and they drove just fine.

Most wheels are pretty hardy. I had a set of Enkei's a while ago and one was dented like a mofo, but it still held air. Huge flat spot that was completely and easily visible, but ran fine and pretty damn smooth as long as it was mounted on the rear of the car.

If none of that works, well, damn, just get a new rim I suppose tongue.gif

 

I think the leak is because of a valve stem, but thanks man. The info really helps.

I get the Kumho ASX's on the car later this week.