A month ago, I hit a patch of ice and skidded up onto a curb. It was a stressful day, so I glanced at the wheel, saw the busted hubcap, thought “no big deal”, and carried on with my life.
Slowly, I came to realize that the hubcap wasn’t the only thing damaged. The rim was bent too. I’ve just now gotten to the point of taking the car into the shop. They (very nicely) read me the riot act about how driving with a damaged rim…on a front wheel…for a month…probably wasn’t the smart thing to do.
They’ve rotated my tires until the replacement parts come in on Monday.
What’s the likelihood that I caused further damage (and further cost) by driving on a bent rim?
Not likely more damage, but did they carefully examine your suspension for damage? It’s very easy to bend things in that situation, speaking from experience (twice, once me, once my brother).
In addition you need to have your alignment checked.
And to Lion’s suggestion about checking the tire for damage. Hopefully you’ll ask them to do that when they remove it from the rim. Having the new wheel “road force balanced” to detect internal damage isn’t a bad idea either. It costs a couple more bucks that a regular spin balance, but it can pick up internal tire problems that regular spin balancing won’t.
+1 for all former comments. @Laney1331…you don’t want to find out that you have a damaged tire while traveling at 70+mph on the interstate. Get that tire completely checked out.
Some years ago, we were preparing to leave our home in rural Mexico, and return to the States for a visit.
I went out to look the car over, and there was a low tire. A cousin volunteered to take it to be repaired.
When he brought it back, it was covered with hammer marks. The klutzes where he took it didn’t have an air operated breaker, so they hammered it off.
Several weeks later, I was motoring across Georgia at 70 mph, when my tire pressure light came on. This car actually compares tire rotation speeds, and turns on if there is a difference.
I pulled off in a safe place and checked tire pressures. All were okay.
I drove on and the light came on again. I found a rest stop and looked the tires over really well. On the hammered tire, i could tell the tire was trying to come apart,and put on my spare. When I got to my son’s house I bought a new tire.
I was convinced if not for that tire pressure light, that tire would have eventually blown up at 70 mph,
When I got back, I had a talk with the cousin, telling him that is what happens if you hammer a tire off. I found a tire repair place which uses an air pressure device to break the tire loose. I have had no more problems, though I do get a lot of nail flats here.
The tire guy does have another problem. His old itre gauge actually says 35 when its nearly 60, so he has learned to start filling it, then borrows my gauge to finish filling it.
Curb strikes and bent wheels often mean other things are bent also. If the car goes on the alignment rack and things are out of whack it’s not because things are out of adjustment; it’s because suspension and/or steering components do not have their original shape.