So the other night I was driving home and they had started working on the roads near my house. Where the new pavement had started there was about a 3 inch bump, and since they are against putting up street lights where I live, I drove right into it at about 45mph. I checked my wheels when I got home and the front two are bent. It's not too bad, and the tires are still holding air but you can definitely notice them.

Is this something that I should worry about even though the tires are still holding air and there is no noticable vibration? I don't know if this could lead to any more/worse problems down the road (no pun intended). If I do need to do something about it would I be better off trying to get them repaired, or just buying new wheels?

Oh, and I am on 18's with 215/35 tires.

Thanks for the help!

 

Ouch! Depending on what the wheels originally cost, it may be more economical to simply replace them.

I'm glad I went with 17" rims... have a bit more sidewall (runnin 45's) to contend with such problems as bumps.

Anyhoo, sorry to hear of your plight, I hope you find a fairly low cost resolution to your problem.

 

If you can visually see the bends, and they run the entire width of the rim, then you may want to have a shop look at them and possibly repair them, if possible. Most bent rims will result in a shimmy, noticeable in the steering wheel while driving above 60 mph,; I've heard most people feel the most at around 75-80 mph, but these things vary.

Go for a drive on the freeway and drive at varying speeds and see if you get the vibration in the steering wheel...40...50...60...70...80 mph ( of course don't get caught speeding!) If you do, get the wheel repaired or get some new ones...or live with it.

 

oh yeah....35 series with 18's...........................equals death over bumps, especially at high speeds...squared-off bumps of the 2-3 inch variety are hell!


You can usually see the bends inthe rim from the outside, but the other concern are bends of the inner side of the rim. Do a visual inspection from underneath the car and see if there are any bends or dents. Check the rears too. They can get bent, andyour rear passengers will feel a rougher ride.

 

Act now! I can't tell you how many times myself, or friends have been through the same thing.

A couple of questions...

Were there signs posted that there was road work in the area? (Hopefully no.)

Does the condition that caused the damage still exist? (Hopefully yes.)

If so, get yourself back there as quickly as possible. Make sure to bring along a camera and a ruler or tape measure. Document everything. Take wide shots of the entire road to display that there was no warning of the road work taking place. Take up close pictures of the bad paving with the ruler or tape to display how large the offset was between the two paved sections. Once you finish there, take plenty of pictures of your damaged wheels.

Next you need to determine if the road is city, county, or state. Visit whichever office maintains that specific road. Before ever mentioning why you are there, inquire if the work being performed on that road is being done by their labor force, or if it work being done by a private contractor. If it is the agency you are speaking with, tell them you need to file a claim because of damage caused to your vehicle by the work being performed. BE NICE. Usually the women in the front office will have no problem providing you with the necessary paper work.

Now in some instances the work is being done by a private contractor. If this is the case, the governing agency will provide contact information for the general contractor on the project. Before contacting the general contractor, get a quote to have the wheel repaired. Have that quote ready when you talk to them. When you contact the general contractor, explain the situation to them. Again, BE NICE. Tell them you simply want your wheels repaired, nothing more. Usually it isn't even the general contractor doing the work, but one of their sub-contractors. In that case, the general will quickly give you their contact information and pass the buck.

Do the same thing with the sub-contractor you did with the general contractor. If you start to get the run around, or they try to blow you off, you have one last resort before threatening court. It is another sort of threat, but it is VERY effective. If they aren't willing to work with you, simply state that it is a simple matter to correct and if they aren't going to cooperate you will be forced to file a lien against them until the matter is resolved. This is what I had to do in one instance, but it worked. The lien essentially stops the contractor or the sub-contractor (whoever you file the lien against) from getting paid on the job until the matter with you is resolved.

When I went through this, as soon as I started using the word "lien" the owner of the Electrical Contracting company was more than helpful. It took a few days and a couple of calls, but it worked. In the end I got a brand new 18" wheel to replace the old one. They attempted first to have the wheel repaired (re-hooped) through a shop the contracting company chose. That was a miserable failure and I had to open up another "can" on the owner before he finally agreed to order the brand new wheel for me.

The most important things are to be nice, and be persistent. Don't lose your cool until you have no other option.

This post is long enough already, but if you have any questions, just ask.

 

I have 18's too, hit a 1 inch pothole on the Garden State, insignificant to normal tires, bent the wheel, moved it to the right rear to elimininate vibration, can't rotate it now though. Last week, hit what appeared to be another insigificant piece of blacktop on the Balto Beltway. got the same wheel bending thud and immediate vibration(sounds and feels like your running wheels with no tires on them). When I got home, the wheel appears undamaged, but the belt has shifted in the tire creating a slight bubble and vibration. While checking the left front, found a 2 1/2 gash in the sidewall. I replaced with the puny factory wheels today, sure love the slot car handling of the 18's, not sure I want to keep buying wheels and tires though.

 

Listen to what this person says and get on this as soon as possible! Take a lot of pictures.


John