Bent Wheel or Damaged Rim

Most Likely Causes

1. 1

   Pothole or curb impact

   Hard impact can bend the inner rim lip where damage is hard to see.

2. 2

   Cracked alloy wheel

   A crack can leak air and make the wheel unsafe.

3. 3

   Out-of-round wheel

   The wheel may wobble even if tire balance numbers look acceptable.

4. 4

   Corrosion at bead seat

   Rust or corrosion can prevent a tire from sealing and create slow leaks.

How to Diagnose It

1. 1

   Spin wheel and inspect runout

   With the wheel safely lifted, watch for side-to-side or up-down wobble.

   Tool: Jack stands, dial indicator if available

2. 2

   Check air loss at rim bead

   Use soapy water around the bead and valve area to find leaks.

   Tool: Soapy water spray

3. 3

   Have wheel inspected on balancer

   A tire shop can confirm if the wheel is bent or cracked.

   Tool: Wheel balancer

How to Fix It

• Replace unsafe wheel

  Replace cracked or severely bent wheels with the correct size, offset, and bolt pattern.

  Wheel/rim↗

• Professional wheel repair for minor bend

  A qualified wheel repair shop may straighten minor bends if the wheel is not cracked.

• Rebalance and inspect tire

  After wheel repair or replacement, inspect tire damage and balance assembly.

  Wheel Weights↗Tire If Damaged↗