BUCKLED ALLOY - Safe to straighten?
Discussion
My local indpendent has such a tool. They have a experienced technician that straightens alloys by hand/eye...
A ferrari dealer tool not sure of the name? Friend has a 430 scuderia and frequntly dings wheels on the Devon potholes, swears by them as the wheels are not cheap to replace!
Dinged rims is more common now due to such low profile tyres (unnecessary on most vehicles - below 200bhp/ton, but its for that certain BS look - I guess in a few years time they will revert back to chubby profiles).
Can alloy take being bent back andforth like steel? I am not a metallurgist and I dont have a scanner but I believe alloy either deforms or fractures depending on the mix and nothing inbetween? In other words; if they can true your alloy without fracture it is good to go - safe.
Will
A ferrari dealer tool not sure of the name? Friend has a 430 scuderia and frequntly dings wheels on the Devon potholes, swears by them as the wheels are not cheap to replace!
Dinged rims is more common now due to such low profile tyres (unnecessary on most vehicles - below 200bhp/ton, but its for that certain BS look - I guess in a few years time they will revert back to chubby profiles).
Can alloy take being bent back andforth like steel? I am not a metallurgist and I dont have a scanner but I believe alloy either deforms or fractures depending on the mix and nothing inbetween? In other words; if they can true your alloy without fracture it is good to go - safe.
Will
I am a metallurgist, well to be fair I did a degree in it and then decided my career was doing something different. It will depend on a number of factors, the size and type of damage, the alloy itself etc. If all that is done is to physically straighten the wheel it will be weaker where is was damaged. On low profile tyres and our crappy roads I'd be thinking very carefully about a repaired alloy, especially if its on the front
Have to agree with acf69, I only did mech eng to HNC level, so he will know!
However if the wheel is repairable then fine. But, get someone that really knows about wheels, not those that say they do. I have had wheels straightened when I couldn`t get spares when I ran an ex-works Ford RS200E. The wheels were a magnesium/aluminium mix that would bend a little when hit. Yes they were for forest/gravel use and would take serious punishment. I only used them for doing demo runs on tarmac, and they were fine and true. I used Ian Jemison at Bishopthorpe near York. He straightens lots of wheels. I also have a set of wheels on my Z3MC that have been refurbed by Lepsons. They weren`t bent but the finish is excellent. Maybe they could help?
However if the wheel is repairable then fine. But, get someone that really knows about wheels, not those that say they do. I have had wheels straightened when I couldn`t get spares when I ran an ex-works Ford RS200E. The wheels were a magnesium/aluminium mix that would bend a little when hit. Yes they were for forest/gravel use and would take serious punishment. I only used them for doing demo runs on tarmac, and they were fine and true. I used Ian Jemison at Bishopthorpe near York. He straightens lots of wheels. I also have a set of wheels on my Z3MC that have been refurbed by Lepsons. They weren`t bent but the finish is excellent. Maybe they could help?
To correctly straighten bent road wheels the wheels need softening or annealling before straightening is carried out.The wheel then needs heat treated to increase it's strength .if the wheel is staightened without the annealling the wheel will be stressed and on my opinion not safe to use
To correctly straighten bent road wheels the wheels need softening or annealling before straightening is carried out.The wheel then needs heat treated to increase it's strength .if the wheel is staightened without the annealling the wheel will be stressed and on my opinion not safe to use
sorry to bring this topic back up to the top!
i need an 18" M sport alloy wheel repaired, which is originally for a BMW 5 series of the E39 shape.
can anyone recommend a proper repair outfit around hertfordshire.
i dont actually mind travelling around 50 miles out from here, but want someone who knows what they are doing, not a monkey with a mallet and a piece of wood or something alike.
personal recommendations would be good.
i have emailed plenty of companies online, and had absolutely no response so far.
best regards!!!
i need an 18" M sport alloy wheel repaired, which is originally for a BMW 5 series of the E39 shape.
can anyone recommend a proper repair outfit around hertfordshire.
i dont actually mind travelling around 50 miles out from here, but want someone who knows what they are doing, not a monkey with a mallet and a piece of wood or something alike.
personal recommendations would be good.
i have emailed plenty of companies online, and had absolutely no response so far.
best regards!!!
As said by others above, it really depends on the damage.
The ex-Lepsons franchise now Platinum Alloys just off the M4 at Swindon offer a check and report service on all routine wheel refurbishment. If it buckled and they are able straighten it, its only about £10 (+VAT) per wheel. Give them a call direct on 01793 887222.
HTH
The ex-Lepsons franchise now Platinum Alloys just off the M4 at Swindon offer a check and report service on all routine wheel refurbishment. If it buckled and they are able straighten it, its only about £10 (+VAT) per wheel. Give them a call direct on 01793 887222.
HTH
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