Hopped in the Cayman yesterday to head to a seminar. When I hit 70 the car started vibrating, then at 75 it got violent shaking. I had just had some front end work done and called them at lunch and brought it by after the session. We went through everything and found nothing mechanical wrong. Mech decides to put the front wheels on the balancer and WOW was my passenger one BENT.
Back story is: I had smoked a turtle a few years ago and mildly bent the rim from it, it still balanced OK so I ran it. Then I must have hit a big pothole and I learned that a bent rim is easier to bend further.
It looked like a cartoon wagon wheel spinning on the balancer.
I will be buying a used rim eventually, but for the time being I want to get this one straightened. Not sure if I trust a repaired wheel to work the way I drive.
Any experiences or horrors?
aw614
HalfDork
7/23/24 4:53 p.m.
I've had good experiences, had a few bent SSR Type C's including two that were cracked and welded, outside of one that couldn't be fixed, all drove fine with no vibrations after the repair was done.
Sister has a an 8th gen Civic with OEM ILX wheels on it and one got bent, I've driven the car since then a few times and I've noticed zero vibrations on it.
I have one that has a pretty bad bend, maybe 2-4mm out of round, surprisingly it's only noticeable as a slight vibration at highway speeds.
A wheel repair shop told me that because the bend was across the entire width of the wheel, it would be somewhere between uneconomical and impossible to repair so I should just replace it. A milder bend could've been fixed for under $200. I keep a spare track tire on that wheel now.
I don't think you should have anything to worry about when running the repaired wheel, worst-case it might bend easier in the future.
While I was there I got to see a Ferrari Testarossa with a $35k paint job, twin turbos, meth injection, 93 octane go on the dyno for it's first pull after the modifications. They are shooting for 600 wheel but it started breaking up at 500hp. I LOVE this shop! It's like being a kid at Toys R Us.
My wheel is stock to the car so I assume a decent wheel. I wish I got a video when it was on the balancer. I cuss so I know my expletive was "Holy berkeley!"
Easy and cheap, if you know someone who has a car dealership ask who they use; typically they don't advertise.
This isn't repairable
this is
for $75
Had a cracked and bent rim on my Merc repaired and refinished. It was like new when I got it back. I immediately had the other three done. They found that all the rims were out a little. Made the car feel like it was glued to the road. I think it was $700 or so for all four with the one wheel that had the crack repaired being a bit more than the other three. I am going to get the second set I have for the car re checked and re finished as well as the M5 wheels done at some point.
I had a bunch of wheels straightened by Ye Ole Wheel Shop in Elkridge MD. They could even do center-bent wheels, not just edge tacos. But they are no longer in business.
Multi-autocross national champ Chris Dorsey now has a business in CO doing this, along with refinishing. This is his place: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091080758743
Mr. Wobbley is at the tire place just now to see if it will press back into shape. I was quoted $140 in part because the 30 series rubber band is still on it.
My guys here in Omaha did a really great job on the 2 I had repaired. I wouldn't run them at the track but they both have held up fantastically for 2 years I've been driving on them. Not an issue at all. It was about $500 total for all 4 trued, 1 crack repaired and fresh new powder coat.
Done and seems fine but I only did about 50 so far.
I looked into it once. It was cheaper to buy a used wheel. Ymmv
amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:
I looked into it once. It was cheaper to buy a used wheel. Ymmv
$140 to fix vice $500 and a 6 hour round trip for a replacement. Now I can get the replacement in a little bit less time than my truck would have got it.
preach said:
amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:
I looked into it once. It was cheaper to buy a used wheel. Ymmv
$140 to fix vice $500 and a 6 hour round trip for a replacement. Now I can get the replacement in a little bit less time than my truck would have got it.
Yeah that's a bit much for a wheel. Repair cost around me started at $200.
Used one on eBay for $275... https://www.ebay.com/itm/226044255102?chn=ps&norover=1&mkrid=711-166974-028196-7&mkscid=101&itemid=226044255102&targetid=2282114766435&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9032192&poi=&campaignid=20923135820&mkgroupid=158382422614&rlsatarget=pla-2282114766435&abcId=9365852&merchantid=101688764&geoid=9032192&gad_source=1
