Straightening an Aluminum wheel

Buy a new one. 150-200 to repair the current one.

I have had aluminum wheels repaired, but your average tire shop won't do it, and it'll still cost you about $100-ish a wheel (at least around here.) Only one place in my area that will even attempt it (likely for good reason - you better know what you're doing so the aluminum doesn't fracture at high speed, the liability on such a repair has to be fairly substantial.) I once had some BBSes given to me for free because two were bent, so in my case it made financial sense to have those two repaired. In your case I would say that it is not - you might as well order a new one if the pattern/size you have is still available.

nate

phaeton wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@r31g2000vbs.googlegroups.com:

Buy snow tires. 70% of winter accidents are due to cars not using snow tires. Radials are only good to about 7 above zero celcius (40ish F).

fred wrote in news:Xns9CDB89126B583fred@127.0.0.1:

@r31g2000vbs.googlegroups.com:

and 90 percent of all staticits are made up on the spot. besides where do you find non radial snow tires these days??? KB

Kevin wrote in news:Xns9CDD90D81B420kevyNOSPAMnetinsnet@167.142.225.136:

Where there's snow and the temperature goes below zero perhaps? That number comes directly from the companies that do the towing. Accident was perhaps the wrong word - called for a tow truck would be completely accurate.

fred wrote in news:Xns9CDDA6FA613Ffred@127.0.0.1:

completely

now that sounds more likely KB

Kevin wrote in news:Xns9CDDA086ED25EkevyNOSPAMnetinsnet@167.142.225.136:

And a virtually trivial difference. Now where's your proof that you can't get snowtires where *you* are?

How old are these statistics? Did these people call for a tow truck on their CB radio?

nsnet@167.142.225.136:

Got mine from the Tire Rack... of course they are radials...

Also got a set of all terrain tires for my pickemup truck from the same source... also radials...

nate

Check the auto junkyards, cash for clunkers wheels. cuhulin

Steve Austin wrote in news:4b223f17$0$26141$ snipped-for-privacy@news.westelcom.com:

No, heard it this week on the CBC news as a matter of fact.

N8N wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@v25g2000yqk.googlegroups.com:

Then they're all season radials, *not* snowtires. They're only good for rain in cool weather at best.

fred wrote in news:Xns9CDE73A20E7D4fred@127.0.0.1:

Tire Rack sells winter tires. All are radials.

snipped-for-privacy@v25g2000yqk.googlegroups.com:

Nope. Dunlop Winter Sport 195/65R15. Apparently sadly now discontinued in that size.

nate

Tegger wrote in news:Xns9CDE822D53043tegger@208.90.168.18:

Ok. Fair enough - as I found after looking at their FAQ. Specifically the first two questions. There *is* some ambiguity between the terms winter tires, all season radials and winter radials.

I wouldn't doubt you can buy winter tires in Miami. cuhulin

I'm not sure how you'd really quantify that, but they do make quite a difference. (So does having good remaining tread depth.)

Umm. There *is* a common recommendation that in snow country, at a time in the fall when you start seeing temperatures in the low single figures C, you should change to your winter tires, but the reasoning is that you don't want to get pantsed by the season's first big storm. (You don't want to change too early, or keep them on after the risk has passed in the spring, because those tread compounds wear very fast on warm dry roads.) I don't think that's meant as a statement that a decent all-season radial is no longer doing a good job at ambient temperatures of 7 /40 F.

A Tire Rack article in their "winter" series even states that (other factors being more or less apples-to-apples) the early radials were quickly noted for their superiority in winter. Anyway, the point is, if not truly moot, at least close to it in the US and probably other industrialized nations. Bias and bias belted tires are still made

-- users include heavy trucks/buses, severe off-roading, certain kinds of racing, and correct-looking restoration of antique cars -- but radials have made great inroads in most of those areas and only the last one is really ironclad.

As for the original question, I'd do a web search and ask some of the places that specialize in repairing bent or broken alloy rims. It can be done (depending on the nature and severity of the damage) but it isn't a job for just anyone. You need a place that has skill and can look for hidden damage and true it up right.

--Joe

I can recommend one (Ye Olde Wheel Shop in Elkridge) but as I posted long ago, if the wheel is still available new for less than $150 or so it'd probably be best to just buy a whole new wheel. Only reason to repair an alloy wheel is if it's a discontinued or very expensive wheel. You won't save any money by repairing an alloy wheel that is still available for a reasonable price, and you can't repair a wheel *better* than new.

nate

fred wrote in news:Xns9CDE8FE2CF16fred@127.0.0.1:

You do know what "radial" means and refers to, yes?