Wheel Straightening equipment?

[Gus_Mahn]

Anybody have the equipment for home straightening of alloy car wheels. The roads here are terrible, and I've got two bent wheels. I'd be willing to spend up to $1500 buy something. Local shops charge at least $100 to straighten wheels, so it'd pay for itself pretty quickly.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I didn’t know they made machines for this. I’ve always been told you have to replace the rim.

 

[The Cobbler]

straightening alloy rims? I'd like to see that . what sort of process?

 

[Gus_Mahn]

Something like this.

Or this. This one looks great, but I think it's very expensive.

 

[22george]

Maybe l'm all wet, but l would worry about the aluminum cracking??

 

[Gus_Mahn]

Maybe l'm all wet, but l would worry about the aluminum cracking??

It's been common practice for quite a while, but I understand that might not make it proper. There are commercial shops who have done these repairs for decades. I believe a little heat helps prevent cracks during the repair, and it is common to weld small cracks during the repair.

 

[CJM8515]

equipment isnt really the issue, its knowing wtf to do and repair them properly. 100 bucks a wheel is a steal, could do 20 wheels before the stuff paid for itself

 

[Packard V8]

Yes, in a medium-sized city, we have two wheel straightening shops. They love all the lifted 2500-series pickups with very-low-profile tires, especially those Chicom dubs on trucks/Escalades/Suburbans. One owner says the profits from straightening these send his whole family to Hawaii for two weeks every winter.

He also loves the extreme trucks shows such as "Texas Metal" build; those grotesque show rigs do a lot to send his shop more business.

jack vines

 

[Neggy]

for what Keystone sells refurbished wheels for, it is hard to justify the capital expense.

Plus a lot of wheels are being recreated in the aftermarket.

I have used Rimpro out of Tyngsboro MA for insurance claims when I could reach agreement with the shop to do so.

https://rimpro.com/

I am not a fan of fixing anything more than minor lip damage or something that just needs to have a clean up cut on the face and a refinishing.

I recently got 4 17" alloy wheels for my Mustang, brand new from Ford for $94 each..... the down side was the $50 core charge ( I hated that when I worked at TASCA Ford parts department) I ate the 200 dollar core charge as I was not parting with a set of wheels with 8300 miles on them....

 

[Packard V8]

I recently got 4 17" alloy wheels for my Mustang, brand new from Ford for $94 each..... the down side was the $50 core charge ( I hated that when I worked at TASCA Ford parts department) I ate the 200 dollar core charge as I was not parting with a set of wheels with 8300 miles on them....

So a new wheel purchase from an over-the-counter Ford Parts Department now requires a core charge? Interesting. I've been buying OEM and aftermarket wheels for sixty years and never had to bring a core/pay a core charge other than used wheels from a salvage yard.

jack vines

 

[The Cobbler]

^^^ makes me think they are refurb not new

 

[Neggy]

So a new wheel purchase from an over-the-counter Ford Parts Department now requires a core charge? Interesting. I've been buying OEM and aftermarket wheels for sixty years and never had to bring a core/pay a core charge other than used wheels from a salvage yard.

jack vines

As far back as 2011, Ford has had core charges on NEW bumper covers, wheels, headlights and other items they do not want falling into the hands of Keystone who repairs/refurbishes them and sells them on their website to the trade.

 

[Neggy]

 

[Neggy]