Has anybody tried straightening a bent steel wheel with a big hammer?
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Dec. 21, 2011 9:06 p.m. mikeatrpi New Reader
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Dec. 21, 2011 10:19 p.m. frankenstangsghost New Reader
Yep. Careful where you hit it... Take it to a tire shop, easy fix if you have something to spin it on like a balancer.
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Dec. 22, 2011 6:54 a.m. 44Dwarf Dork
What parts bent? Aero wheels sells a tool for the lip and bead area.
http://www.cmwraceparts.com/proddisp.php?pn=AER54-500005
44
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Dec. 22, 2011 6:57 a.m. Toyman01 SuperDork
I've had pretty good luck with a 4 pound sledge.
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Dec. 22, 2011 7:04 a.m. Streetwiseguy Dork
Tough to do if the center is bent. Easy to do if its just the lip. Concrete floor and a bfh will do the job.
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Dec. 22, 2011 7:11 a.m. HappyAndy HalfDork
I once fixed a bent rim on my F150 without even removing it from the axel. 4 lb hammer.
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Dec. 22, 2011 7:42 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
If it's just the lip a Crescent wrench (adjustable wrench) is your best friend.
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Dec. 22, 2011 7:52 a.m. Gasoline Reader
I have fixed several with a little hydraulic jack. I'm bending back a motorcycle rim in the picture, but you get the idea. Works for me.
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Dec. 22, 2011 9:01 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork
Yeah, side of the road, BFH. Still using it 15 years later.
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Dec. 22, 2011 4:10 p.m. mikeatrpi New Reader
Thanks all. I gave her 'ell today with my ball pein and some pipes and stuff. Its not perfect, but its better. It should at least get me to the junk yard while I search for a suitable replacement. I'm hesitant to run it too fast - it was a pretty hard hit with a curb / pot hole / ?? that caused this damage.
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Dec. 22, 2011 5:41 p.m. 93gsxturbo HalfDork
Looks fine to me. If it doesnt vibrate or lose air, I wouldn't sweat it.
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Dec. 22, 2011 5:53 p.m. J308 New Reader
Gasoline wrote:
I have fixed several with a little hydraulic jack. I'm bending back a motorcycle rim in the picture, but you get the idea. Works for me.
Isn't that an aluminum wheel? I've done it, but the usual warnings apply because it's easy to crack it, and I'm 99% sure it seriously weakens it.
Steel, yeah, as others have said, hammer away.
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Dec. 22, 2011 5:58 p.m. miataman86 New Reader
Just be glad the rim isnt made of Magnesium....
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Dec. 22, 2011 6:04 p.m. Toyman01 SuperDork
I've done a cast aluminum wheel with a BFH successfully as well.
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Dec. 22, 2011 6:05 p.m. mikeatrpi New Reader
93gsxturbo wrote:
Looks fine to me. If it doesnt vibrate or lose air, I wouldn't sweat it.
It never even lost air after the incident. However my repair isn't perfect - the picture makes it look better than it is. I'm going to check for a replacement at the junk yard tomorrow.
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Dec. 23, 2011 6:54 a.m. Gasoline Reader
In reply to J308:
I also have to use heat to soften the aluminum while bending back. The MAAP gas is sitting next to the wheel, but I usually pull out the Ox/Ac torch. It is the same way the pro's repair wheels.
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Dec. 23, 2011 8:32 a.m. J308 New Reader
I have no doubt you're making a good repair, but it's a bit different than whacking a steel wheel with a 4lb sledge. Yeah, I see the torch now. I was so focused on that strap-rig you had there I barely even saw the wheel.
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Dec. 23, 2011 10:25 p.m. unevolved Dork
miataman86 wrote:
Just be glad the rim isnt made of Magnesium....
Interesting fact: Magnesium, unlike aluminum, actually has a fatigue strength. It's around 12-14ksi depending on the alloy, but it's there.
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May 23, 2012 11:37 p.m. Curmudgeon MegaDork
I cracked a cast aluminum wheel by trying to straighten it with a hammer. Gasoline's method is the way to go. And I have beaten the snot out of more than one steel wheel with a drilling hammer, then drove away.
Drilling hammer:
Aim carefully.
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May 24, 2012 7:32 a.m. DeadSkunk Dork
Okay, I'll bite.......what's a drilling hammer ? Never heard that term before.
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May 24, 2012 7:43 a.m. Curmudgeon MegaDork
It's generally used for driving concrete nails and other stuff that require a really hard bang. IIRC the name came about back in the days when men drove straight metal rods into rock when drilling holes for setting explosives in mines, etc. Drilling hammers were used to start the rods (drills), then it was finished with a sledgehammer.
I got well acquainted with one of these a little while back.
