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Just bought a set of wheels and noticed one has a bit of a dent in the lip and slightly in the wheel itself. It's probably ok and would balance out but if rather get it straight before i put a tyre on it.
I emailed a place and they wanted 60 quid which would mean they're no longer a bargain. I figured I'd have a go myself... I'm thinking heat + a scissor jack or something? Has anyone had any success?
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It all depends on the shape of the dent/damage mate.
If you're honest though when has heat and a scissor jack ever produced a tidy result.. lol.
You're going to need to get it really hot in order to reshape it otherwise you'll end up deforming it more, a rubber mallet and/or block of wood with a hammer will give you more control in my opinion mate.
What wheels are they?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,309
Club RR Member Number: 170
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DIY wheel straighteningChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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If you get the wheels refurbished by the same outfit they'll generally lower the price of the straightening to almost half.
If of course they are not dented it doesn't help you much.
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You can see it at about 1 o clock on this pic. Probably down to the tiny rubber bands that were being run on it:
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It all depends on the shape of the dent/damage mate. If you're honest though when has heat and a scissor jack ever produced a tidy result.. lol. You're going to need to get it really hot in order to reshape it otherwise you'll end up deforming it more, a rubber mallet and/or block of wood with a hammer will give you more control in my opinion mate. What wheels are they? Haha - very true... not exactly a recipe for finesse! How do the pros do it?
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Gentle heat and a few taps of a copper hammer. Leave the tyre on, it will provide a buffer.
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Gentle heat and a few taps of a copper hammer. Leave the tyre on, it will provide a buffer. It doesn't have a tyre on at the mo But a copper hammer sounds like a plan 🖒
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Gentle heat and a few taps of a copper hammer. Leave the tyre on, it will provide a buffer. It doesn't have a tyre on at the mo But a copper hammer sounds like a plan 🖒 Something hard but soft at the same time heat gun on hot setting. You’re lucky as it has a “lip”, if it was a flat face wheel it would be harder
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Is my blow torch a bad idea? I don't have a heat gun
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,309
Club RR Member Number: 170
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DIY wheel straighteningChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Given it is the outside of the rim I'd pay the money TBH; I also reckon that possibly is buckled too. You wouldn't want to make the faces either.
It's not a nice thing to happen with wheels but let it be a lesson; FWIW I've been bitten twice in the past and now check rims thoroughly prior to buying them now. Balancing can get rid of them but no where near as much as having a straight rim from the off.
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Companies that undertake wheel straightening have a specialist / dedicated machine that clamps through the wheel centre and then pull the wheel straight using a variety of jigs attached to mechanical hydraulic ram - it's a pretty quick process but the machines alone are tens of thousands of pounds - hence the £60 charge - it needs to pay itself - To be honest you are absolutely wasting your time attempting to warm it up and knock / jack it out - you will just make a bigger mess of it than it already is
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taurus
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,084
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Companies that undertake wheel straightening have a specialist / dedicated machine that clamps through the wheel centre and then pull the wheel straight using a variety of jigs attached to mechanical hydraulic ram - it's a pretty quick process but the machines alone are tens of thousands of pounds - hence the £60 charge - it needs to pay itself - To be honest you are absolutely wasting your time attempting to warm it up and knock / jack it out - you will just make a bigger mess of it than it already is I'd second that suggestion. At this stage you've got to accept that they're no longer a bargain either way. You can pay £60 and have a set of wheels that are good. Or try a DIY bodge and risk end up throwing away whatever you've already spent on them. If value for money is driving your decision then paying for a professional repair is the only way to go.
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