So my mother was driving her 1998 Honda Accord the other day and mistook a center median for the turn lane… The aftermath was a dent in one of the front wheels along the rim. The dent is about 2-3 inches along the rim and about 1 inch deep. Luckily there are no cracks!
So we thought going to a junkyard to pick out a new wheel would be the answer. Unfortunately for us the Accord is a very reliable car and out of the 10 junkyards in the St. Louis area we called, none could be found. To make matters worse, the 6 cylinder model (which we own) has a 5-bolt configuration as opposed to the much more popular 4 cylinder’s 4-bolt configuration.
My question is: is it worth taking a propane torch and a hammer to the dent? The wheel is steel, and like I said, no cracks, and it doesn’t seem to be significantly distorted. I’ve been quoted at $150 for a repair, and $50 from one of the junkyards to ‘find’ one.
If the DIY option is possible, does anyone have any suggestions/tips/hints on how to do this without damaging the wheel further?
A one inch deep dent in the rim could indicate enough force to have damaged front end components, such as tie rods, ball joints,control arms, and struts. It is even possible for a wheel bearing to have been damaged as a result of that impact.
I strongly suggest that you have a competent mechanic put this car up on a lift in order to inspect the steering & suspension components, and that you also have him check the wheel alignment.
Hitting a concrete median is likely to have done much more damage than just bending a wheel rim.
I paid $28 per steel wheel when I bought winter tires for my 99 Honda Civic from Tire Rack in 2000. A new generic steel wheel that is the same size/offset/hole configuration as the OEM is probably the safest and cheapest way to go. Make some phone calls or search on line.
You should be able to buy a replacement steel wheel for about $60 or so NEW at any auto parts store. Don’t even think about fixing the damaged one. Accords are common as dirt and many folks are now buying winter tires mounted on their own rims. The last time I visited Walmart they had a wide array of wheels.
You might check at a tire store that sells custom wheels, especially one that specializes in custom wheels, they may have some take-offs from this model. The Honda dealer may have some take-offs laying around as well.
Also, check online with any number of wheel shops and www.car-part.com. There should be a rim somewhere. I found a hard-to-find factory rim for truck that way.
Agree with most of the comments, best course of action is to buy a new wheel, either from the dealer or an aftermarket parts store. If OP insists on buying a used wheel, ask the local junkyard guy in charge there if they can use their computer network to find a used wheel for you. Most junkyards belong to a nationwide network and they’ll ship a use wheel found in a Maine junkyard to a someone who needs it in Phoenix AZ no problem, provided the buyer’s check is good. It may be the junkyard guy knows this method, due to shipping and overhead, is more expensive than buying a new wheel though, and that is why he didn’t already suggest it.
And like others have mentioned, for purposes of safety, the car’s suspension system needs a good look-see. It is quite likely with this amount of wheel damager there are some broken suspension parts that need to be replaced too.
Didn’t the scrapyard check with their Hollander interchange manual or internet access to Hollander to find an equivalent rim?
1 inch deep dent sounds like a little too much to hammer back into shape. I dented a steel rim about 3/8" deep on both sides a while back on a deep pothole with a slightly underinflated low profile tire but was able to hammer the rim back into a normal appearance. I have complete confidence in the repair as the rim metal in that area is now work hardened, stronger than before. I did not use heat.
@inventingnothing
Please list the salvage yards you called in the STL area.
Also please list
year
make
model
trim level
engine
wheel size i.e., 14" 15" etc or give size of tire
I believe you said 5 lug, correct?