A bent rim is one of the most dangerous situations that you can have going on with a car. But, unlike some other more obvious issues, it is not necessarily something that you will always be aware of.  Many times, you might not know that you have a bent rim until it is too late. It’s important for all motorists to know about bent rims, the dangers, and causes of this common problem on vehicles.

What is a Bent Rim?

First lets establish which part of the wheel is the rim. Many people use the words wheel and rim interchangably, but there is a difference. The wheel is the entire structure, the rim is just the outer edge. You can read more about the differences here.

A bent rim is simply where the rim of the wheel itself has been bent. Although a wheel is made of hard metals, that doesn’t mean that they are completely impervious to damage. It is perfectly possible to bend them, dent them, and scratch them…

What Causes Bent Rims?

There are a few major and common causes of bent rims that you should be aware of. Here are the most common…

Driving Into A Curb

If you have ever driven into a curb at speed, you will know that it can cause a huge crashing sound. This sound can be the rim being bent, and usually it is going to be bent beyond repair if it happens in this way. Although the tire provides a level of protection the speed and the strength of the curb play a role. This can also cause your wheel to crack.

Underinflated Tires

If you drive on tires which are underinflated, then this can cause a bent rim too if you are not careful. This is especially possible if you are driving on rough roads at the same time as having under inflated or flat tires, as the road surface can poke through and damage the rim. This happens a lot on underinflated low profile performance tires since the rim already travels close to the road surface.

Corrosion

Just like all metals, a rim can become corroded over time as a result of being exposed to oxygen and other elements. Corrosion has an affect of weakening the metal. With this corrosion, you might find that you are soon driving on a bent rim. It will happen gradually over a long period of time, but it is no less dangerous then any other cause.

Potholes

Driving into potholes can have a similar effect to driving into a curb. If you live in an area with a lot of potholes, then you might find that you have a bent rim. You need to try and avoid potholes wherever possible, driving around them whenever it is safe to do so. Pot holes can also completely crack your wheel.

Signs of Bent Rims

The most obvious is visual inspection. You can see that the rim has been bent, mis-shaped, or deformed in some way. The structural integrity looks comprimised. While driving you might feel a lot of vibrations or thumping in the wheel when you are driving. If you start to notice that as you are driving, you may want to pull over and look. Otherwise you are going to be putting your car and yourself at risk unnecessarily. 

Can You Get  Bent Rims Repaired?

Yes, but it depends on the level of damage. Common repairs are done for curb rash, bent rims, and cracked rims. The ability to repair will depend on the level of damage and the type of material being repaired. While most big box brand tire places don’t do rim and wheel repair, there are many specialized places that do.

The cost of fixing a bent rim can be expensive, especially on high end after market rims. It’s common that when a rim gets bent, paint gets chipped, metal gets scuffed, and other issues occur. If you care about the asthetics of your wheels, then the secondary damage that also incurred needs to be fixed as well.

Bent Rims – Conclusion

Driving on a bent rim is very dangerous. It is something that you should address right away if you notice or feel the issue while driving. Depending on the level of damage, the rim may be able to be straightend out and fixed so that it is safe. You should never try and repair a bent rim yourself, it is a job best left for a wheel and rim pro shop.