How to tell if alloy is buckled

[JonnyP2468]

Hi,

I just wanted to know if it would be fairly obvious if I have buckled an alloy just through driving? How do you differentiate the normal feel of the road through the steering wheel to that of the vibration of a bent rim?

 

[toolman1954]

If you had a buckled wheel then for sure you would feel it. Have you jacked up the car and spun a wheel around to have a look. I am assuming here that it is on the front. Buckled rears are not so easy to feel through the steering wheel.
Perhaps just as easy would be to take it to a local tyre shop and get them to put it onto the wheel balance machine, that will soon show up any buckling. Of course if you are very lucky, the wheel might not be buckled and just need balancing.

Add..... at the time of writing this, I had not noticed your previous thread which is rather relevant to this.

Steve.

 

[Flyinspanner]

Jack it up and spin the wheel, try to set up some kind of pointer. Maybe a pencil on a post? It would also help you see any flat spots.

 

[OneForTheRoad]

A buckled wheel on the rear will be felt through the rear propshaft area , back seats ,floor pan.

Take it to a tyre centre and explain and they can put it on a wheel balancing machine and watch it spin.

 

[JonnyP2468]

Thanks for the replies!

Im just curious about all of this that’s all. Am I right in saying that run flats would be more susceptible to fracture/cracking rather than bending? Also, would the pothole have to be fairly considerable and hit at quite a rate?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Gbrowncls55]

Most will have the buckle on the inside which is harder to see as that is where the greatest stress is on high offset alloys. As said fronts will give a steering wheel wobble similar to out of balance wheels rears are less likely to show symptoms. If you have a friendly tyre place get them to put it on their balance machine you will soon see. or do it at home with a pointer as above

 

[Gbrowncls55]

When I had mine refurbed 3 were buckled (no real symptoms) and three were cracked on the inside rims. All easily repaired but as far as I can remember didn't go over any big pot holes. AMG wheels of my age are particularly fragile and prone to cracking.

 

[JonnyP2468]

I’ll see what the tyre shop says over the road. Did yours show any run out on the outside of the rim at all?