South Florida Bent Rims FAQs

Rims are an incredibly important part of your vehicle because they serve as the link between the axles and the tires. In a perfect world, rims would remain in pristine shape forever, especially considering they can cost so much.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Sometimes a rim gets bent and throws the entire vehicle out of whack. Many customers ask us questions about bent rims and how to deal with them, so we decided to put together this list of FAQs.

1. What Causes a Bent Rim?

The short answer is a heavy impact on the wheel. Even though rims are made of aluminum alloy, chrome, or steel, they’re still vulnerable to impacts caused by potholes, curbs, speed bumps, and other road hazards.

2. What Happens If I Have a Bent Rim?

If not caught in time, a bent rim can cause the tire to leak air, which leads to decreased fuel economy and poor handling. It may even result in a flat tire or blowout, which can be pretty dangerous, especially at highway speeds. Bent rims can also cause wheels to wobble at speed, making your vehicle unstable, and they can interfere with steering too.

For all these reasons, it’s wise to take care of a bent rim as soon as you notice it.

3. What are the Symptoms of a Bent Rim?

The most common symptoms of a bent rim include:

Vibration in the steering wheel
Vibration in the seat (a sign that one of the rear rims is bent)
Less responsive handling
Tire scallop
Decreased fuel economy
A thumping sound while driving
4. Is it Possible to Repair a Bent Rim?
It depends on the level of damage to the rim and the type of wheel you have.

If you have steel wheels, and a bent rim is your only issue, you can usually have the wheel repaired.
If you have alloy wheels, there is typically no way to repair a bent rim. Even minor bends can crack if you try to repair them, so it’s usually a good idea to just buy a replacement wheel.

Not sure if your rim would be a good candidate for South Florida Rim Repair? Contact us to find out.

5. Why Are Replacement OEM Rims So Expensive?

Replacing an OEM alloy wheel typically costs several hundred dollars – far more than you’d pay for a single aftermarket wheel, but not quite as much as a set of inexpensive aftermarket wheels. This is intentional, as replacement wheels are a great source of profits for most automakers.

It’s for this reason that you may want to look to South Florida rim repair to solve your problems before you ditch the rims for good.