Was tracking down a vibration problem and found a bent rim. I'd like to go to a salvage yard to get a replacement, but want to stay OEM. How can I tell if the rim they give me is OEM Toyota? and for my '99 Avalon? (I've never seen a rim off of my current car, without the tire).
I just looked at the reverse side of some alloy rims from an '03 Matrix. There are various marks including the anufacturer's name (Toyota.) You can compare those markings to make sure you are getting a matching rim. It seems unlikely to me that you will have a problem with counterfeit rims. The whole point of aftermarket rims is to have something that looks distinctively different from the factory rims.
You might also check eBay and Avalon enthusiast boards, if any exist. I got a set of 4 rims for my Matrix with 50% rubber for under $300.
HTH, hank
If you don't find what you're looking for under "rims" look under "wheels," the correct nomenclature. A "rim" is a part of a wheel although uninformed enthusiasts and automotive writers have incorrectly made "rim" a synonym for "wheel."
Also look for places that repair aluminum wheels. I've seen the results and you would be hard-pressed to find where they did the repair.
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My Chrysler has a bad alloy wheel. $373 at the dealer. I found one at an auto wrecking yard for $60.
The tire store was nice to tell me that there's a number on the back of the wheel that identifies it.
Ray O wrote:
I haven't seen these. I would like to fix the old wheel and keep it around just in case, if it's cost effective.
Junkyard wheels are okay, but they need to be checked carefully before reuse. You always have the tire shop put the wheel on the balancer without a tire and spin it to check that it is not bent in either direction. And if there are any questions, take the wheel to a machine shop for a Magnaflux and/or dye test to check for cracks.
Once Aluminum is bent past it's working points, it develops cracks easily and they will spread as you keep flexing it. Someone could have whacked that junkyard wheel against a curb in the recent past, the wheel may look great now but fail after some use.
There is an ID string stamped on or cast into the wheel that has the diameter and width, code letter(s) for the lug type and offset, and a manufacturer identification - like "14x7 JJ TOYOTA". They might also have a date code or plant code so they can trace back faulty wheels, but I haven't looked lately.
If it's the right size and offset, and the right bolt pattern, it should fit. But sometimes the only way to be sure is to mount the wheel and make sure it clears the brake drum/rotor/caliper.
Anyone who repairs aluminum wheels has to REALLY know what they are doing, because doing good structural welds on aluminum is very difficult. And wheels use casting or forging grades of aluminum alloys that are even harder to weld than the usual extrusion or sheet goods that they use for a bass boat.
This isn't something to taker to your friend with an old Lincoln AC/DC Tombstone buzzbox and zap it back together. It takes a master welder with thousands of hours experience, and several grand invested in TIG welding equipment and supplies.
Then they have to have a big oven to preheat the whole wheel before welding, and pop it back into the oven for a controlled cooling, or the differential shrinkage can pop the crack right back open...
And you have to get the alloy of the filler rod right, or the repair will show after refinishing the wheel, and the wrong filler will fail again. I know enough about welding to know what I /don't/ know, and there's no WAY I would attempt that one.
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