What To Do If Your Alloy Wheels Need Straightening
With UK roads being packed with potholes and raised manhole covers its no wonder so many car wheels have buckles. This can be resolved by straightening the wheel. Straightening alloy wheels will not always be possible, it all depends on the extent of the damage and the degree of manual ability. We have all gone over a pothole too quickly or a raised manhole cover, it can damage the alloy wheel, and this will prevent you from being able to drive the car due to it being unsafe. If you have hit a curb or driven over a raised manhole and your steering is shaking and you’re experiencing extreme shaking from the steering wheel its best to not drive the vehicle until the “buckled wheel” until it’s back straight.
How to spot a buckle
It’s not always easy to see if your wheel has been buckled but there are certain things to look out for while driving that could indicate a buckle has occurred. If your car starts to vibrate or if the steering wheel shakes it is very likely that you have got a buckled wheel. You can also spot a buckled wheel by looking at the tyres to see any bulges or swells. In addition to the wheel being not able to perform to its highest standard therefore, this would add more pressure on to the suspension. Changing the wheel back to a circle will stop any air loss and will stop the vibration from occurring. If you attempt to straighten the alloy wheels yourself this could cause a wheel crack and will make the problem more serious.
Even if you believe that the wheel is past the point of saving its always best to get a professional’s opinion as they might actually be able to straighten the wheels.
With the state of the roads at present, we are seeing more and more bucked wheels, with the correct straighten equipment and machinery you don’t always need to get your wheel fully repaired because you’ve not spotted the pothole. In most circumstances, it’s not even necessary to apply heat to straighten the wheels and even id heat is required it would be kept within specific range away from the actual alloy wheel. We would make sure that the wheel has just the right amount of heat to the affected area and then roll out the buckle.
Will the strength of the wheel be affected after the repair?
This will not be noticeable at all, our roads are very poor and can cause damage again to the wheel but the wheel quality will not be changed by the straightening it will still be just as strong.
We hope that this blog has been informative if you have been a victim of the “pothole plague” and have any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01604 600 581 or head over to our website. If you think you have sustained a buckle it is advisable to get it checked out by a professional and not to drive the vehicle.