Replace Tire

[dvd7e]

Hi,

I was pulling off a semi-major road (that was well plowed) onto the turn off ramp that was not plowed at all, very snowy and slippery. I started skidding and hit the curb, and it appears that there is some damage to the rim of the tire:


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It seemed to drive fine the rest of the way home, about 10 mins on the highway. I'm going to try and get it checked out tomorrow after work, but just wondering what people think. Is this an immediate concern? I'm a little worried of a blowout.

I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla, was going about ~20 mph when I hit the curb.

[MagicRat]

That's why they call 'em 'curbs'.

Excellent pics. It looks as if the lip of the rim has become bent inwards. Chances are, the rim took the full force of the impact, so the tire should be okay.

It would be a good idea to get the tire and rim checked out. Chances are, the tire can be reused but the rim will need replacement. The rim may simply have a bent lip, or it may now be entirely bent and will wobble a bit, when rolling.

Also, have a mechanic check out the rest of the front end for any bending or damage, such as the hub and control arm. Chances are they are fine, but you just want to be sure.

You have a steel rim which are fairly inexpensive to replace. Chances are, you could even pick up a used steel rim from an auto dismantler quite cheap.

I do not think you have an immediate safety concern. Unless the tire is damaged in a way I can't see, it will not 'blowout'. You may have a slow leak around the point of impact, though.

BTW if this was an aluminum rim, you would have a more serious proble, Unlike your steel rims, aluminum ones tend to crack, not bend and be far less forgiving of impacts..... and cost more to replace.

[dvd7e]

So I brought it to Big O Tire and they said that it appeared that there was no damage to the tire, just to the wheel (altho he wouldnt be sure until they disassembled it) - the rim was bent back for about 1/4 of the wheel perimeter. He gave me a quote for

$110 for the wheel, + $15 installation, + $69 4 wheel alignment.

I then drove it to Goodyear and the guy took the tire off the wheel, bent the rim back into place with some big pliers, and put the tire back on. And all for free! It's definitely a lot better now.

I have about about 3-5k miles left on my front tires, so i think when i get those replaced I'll get the wheel replaced too.

What's the quality of after-market wheels? Where do I go to get them?

(and the car is an '07 Toyota Corolla)

[dvd7e]

So I brought it to Big O Tire and they said that it appeared that there was no damage to the tire, just to the wheel (altho he wouldnt be sure until they disassembled it) - the rim was bent back for about 1/4 of the wheel perimeter. He gave me a quote for

$110 for the wheel, + $15 installation, + $69 4 wheel alignment.

I then drove it to Goodyear and the guy took the tire off the wheel, bent the rim back into place with some big pliers, and put the tire back on. And all for free! It's definitely a lot better now.

I have about about 3-5k miles left on my front tires, so i think when i get those replaced I'll get the wheel replaced too.

What's the quality of after-market wheels? Where do I go to get them?

(and the car is an '07 Toyota Corolla)

[dvd7e]

(sorry for the double post, browser hung for a while so i submitted again, i guess they both went through)

[dvd7e]

Also, should I get the 4 wheel alignment after getting the new wheel?

[MagicRat]

If the mechanic found no other damage to the rim, then bending the damage back is acceptable temporarily.
It's not ideal, so the rim should be replaced eventually.

$110 for the rim is an okay price, but you could pick up a used steel Toyota rim from a wrecking yard /auto dismantlers for a lot less.

It's always a good idea to get an alignment whenever you buy new tires, even if you think there is nothing wrong with the car.

Aftermarket rims are almost always aluminum. There are a large number of brands and styles for them, sold either on-line and at local tires stores. But they are more expensive than steel rims.

[dvd7e]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Aftermarket rims are almost always aluminum. There are a large number of brands and styles for them, sold either on-line and at local tires stores. But they are more expensive than steel rims.

Do you recommend steel or aluminum?

[MagicRat]

Aluminum rims look nicer and have a very slight performance advantage. They have lower mass so a car can, in theory, accelerate or stop slightly better. But in reality, this difference is almost too small to measure.

Aluminum rims cost more and are more fragile, when hit with curbs, etc. You would have to buy 4 of them, or else your car would look odd. So, unless you love their look and want to spend many hundreds of dollars upgrading to 4 aluminum rims, then just get one steel rim and you will be fine