# What do you think of wheel straightening



## LarryN (Dec 24, 2001)

I posted a few days ago that I hit a pothole and damaged my passenger front and rear tires and M68 wheels. The visible damage on both are on the inside lip. Both tires are bubbled on the sidewall. 

I remember seeing a recent news special interest story about potholes, where they went on-site to a "Tire & Wheel Works" in Newton, MA. I'm debating on using them, after settling a claim with my insurance, and instead of replacing the 2 wheels, just having them fixed and buying 4 S03's with the $$. The insurance company doesn't fix wheels, they replace them, so I found out. So, I think I'd have more than enough scratch to get the S03's, if the wheels are fixable.

Anybody have any experience with these types of places?


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

It sounds like a good plan except that I would feel more comfortable getting new wheels. What if you get only the front wheel straightened and use it as the spare and then take the spare and use it as your front wheel


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## LarryN (Dec 24, 2001)

AF330i said:


> *It sounds like a good plan except that I would feel more comfortable getting new wheels. What if you get only the front wheel straightened and use it as the spare and then take the spare and use it as your front wheel *


That's what I've done right now. The spare is on the front. It was a lot worse than the rear. I just found a link to my local chapter doing a tech session there. Sounds like it might be for me, but I want to see if anybody here had any opinions.

Not too fancy a site, but the  Rim and Wheel Works have a site. Looks promising.

I'm wondering if heat treating/blending the wheels will weaken them though, especially if I autox on them.


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## cenotaph (Dec 19, 2001)

Back in December my right front tire went flat after hitting a pothole (Happend to be right befor Christmas. That made the 2nd (semi-)major repair needed right before Christmas in the 3 Christmases I've had my car.  ) After finally getting the wheel off, it was obviously bent.

I made a Sat. appointment at Rim & Wheel works and made the trip. It turns out that the tire had a sidewall puncture. I got the wheel fixed (~$100) and a slightly used Wintersport M2 tire at cost. It took ~1 hr. for a 17" wheel. (I just spent the time there chatting with the owner and here daughter.) I've been happy with the repaired wheel since, but I don't plan to autocross on it. Unless, of course, there's still snow on the ground for the April 5 EVO school. :eeps:


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## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

LarryN said:


> *That's what I've done right now. The spare is on the front. It was a lot worse than the rear. I just found a link to my local chapter doing a tech session there. Sounds like it might be for me, but I want to see if anybody here had any opinions.
> 
> Not too fancy a site, but the  Rim and Wheel Works have a site. Looks promising.
> 
> I'm wondering if heat treating/blending the wheels will weaken them though, especially if I autox on them. *


I have a friend that used to work at Inskip in RI and they sent wheels there for repair quite often. He said they were pretty good. I think you can see the testimonial on the site.

I'd say go for it!


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## ff (Dec 19, 2001)

We had a wheel straightened and repainted last summer, with the same type of damage that you've experienced, and the results were good. It was a local shop that did it for (IIRC) about $250. 

I will say that the paint job wasn't "like-new" quality, but it was good enough that nobody would ever notice the difference without really studying the wheel. For what I paid for the repair, I was happy.


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## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

I'm getting ready to send off my wheel from my 92 E34 (bbs basket weave) for straightening. It's absurd what a new one cost for a 11 year old car.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

A "straightened" wheel isn't 1/10th the strength of an OEM wheel.

If you're going that route, you're much better off buying REPLICA wheels from a reputable place. :dunno:


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## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

The HACK said:


> *A "straightened" wheel isn't 1/10th the strength of an OEM wheel.
> 
> If you're going that route, you're much better off buying REPLICA wheels from a reputable place. :dunno: *


Really? :dunno: I did not know this.


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## LarryN (Dec 24, 2001)

The HACK said:


> *A "straightened" wheel isn't 1/10th the strength of an OEM wheel.*


HACK, How can I verify this? I've been doing a bit of research, and nowhere have I found anything like that info. I'm not doubting you, I just want to make the right decision. I figured that I'd ask you guys...


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## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

If straightening a wheel costs upwards of $250, you're better off buying new OEM wheels. I found a place that sells the rear M68 17x8.5" for $225 + $25 shipping and the fronts are even cheaper. I'll post a link when I get home (it's in my favorites).


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

Sorry for the misleading post. I don't personally know what percentage a repaired wheel's strength is vs. original. 1/10th was more a figure of speech.

But think of this as simple metallurgy...Maybe Ausgang can better explain it.

The entire straightening process involves heating up the alloy wheels and banging it back straight. Now, I don't know if you've ever taken a paper clip and straighten it out, but once you do that they're not nearly as strong as they are before and the paperclip will snap off if you bend it back and forth a few times. And the bending back process WEAKENS the alloy structure and 

Personally I would never "repair" any bent wheels.


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2003)

While I believe a repaired wheel would be weaker, I'm not buying for a second the 1/10 statistic. That sounds very made-up-on-the-spot.

I've had rims repaired and been very happy with the results. For ~$100, everything is like new.

And the only risk to you of a weaker rim is that it'll bend easier the next time you hit something.

Okay, then replace it then.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

The HACK said:


> *Sorry for the misleading post. I don't personally know what percentage a repaired wheel's strength is vs. original. 1/10th was more a figure of speech.
> 
> But think of this as simple metallurgy...Maybe Ausgang can better explain it.
> 
> ...


I'm not a metallurgist, either, but isn't heating and bending very different from just bending? I'm not sure the paperclip analogy applies.


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## rwg (May 10, 2002)

I have had this done - and I won't do it again unless there is no other way to handle the problem.

They say the finish is like new - it's not. The texture is different, it holds brake dust, the color doesn't quite match and you notice it every time you clean your car (at least if you are neurotic like me). I may have had a bad job - the clear finish started flaking off too. Son fixed it and every part of the wheel he touched was better in every way than the so-called professional repair. Obviously, Son fixes cosmetic defects and neither he nor a similar artist in your area could fix a bent wheel.

On the other hand, the cost savings is dramatic. It might be worth it to you to try it. You just have to be prepared to be unhappy with the results.

With absolutely no evidence to back it up, I suspect that wheels that are repaired correctly are so close in strength to the original that it makes no difference. It's not like they take a hammer and pound it back into place. The heat them up and reform the alloy.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

JST said:


> *I'm not a metallurgist, either, but isn't heating and bending very different from just bending? I'm not sure the paperclip analogy applies. *


We need Ausgang...

From what I understand, once the wheels are "cast", as the wheel cool off the molecules form a crystaline structure and that's where the strength of a cast alloy wheel comes from. Once the wheels are bent and reformed via heating and bending, that weakens the crystaline structure. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've not seen any alloy material outside of the stuff used by the space program that does not decrease in rigidity after series of bending and heating.

Common sense tells me that repaired wheels are not nearly as strong as newly cast wheels.


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## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

I'm paying $180 for straightening and refinishing, cheaper than the $425 I was quoted by my BMW dealer for a new wheel. Keep in mind that is for my E34, 15" BBS style basket weave.


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## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

Sean/Larry-

Check out capitalwheels.com. They quoted me $250 + $25 s/h for a 17x8.5 M68. I can only imagine, Sean, that your 15" wheel is cheaper, but I may be wrong. 

They sell dealership "take offs" which is when someone upgrades their OEM wheels at the dealership. As far as condition goes, it should be good/excellent but I haven't confirmed this yet. I will be ordering a new M68 from them very shortly.


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## Sean (Dec 22, 2001)

Thanks for the heads up. I checked it out.

_The age of Take-off wheels should be considered when purchasing (i.e. it is unlikely that many wheels from 1982 will look new). Wheels may have light nicks or scratches. If you would prefer to have a Take-off wheel refinished, so that it appears new, there will be an additional charge. If you would like a wheel refinished, please contact _


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## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

Sean said:


> *Thanks for the heads up. I checked it out.
> 
> The age of Take-off wheels should be considered when purchasing (i.e. it is unlikely that many wheels from 1982 will look new). Wheels may have light nicks or scratches. If you would prefer to have a Take-off wheel refinished, so that it appears new, there will be an additional charge. If you would like a wheel refinished, please contact  *


Ahhhh... well I emailed them to find out, honestly I'd prefer a lightly scratched wheel to a refinished one. It really matters not to me since the car is a lease and is going back in a year... but if you must have a perfect wheel, well, I dunno if this is the best route after all. =/


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