03/12/2020
5) Visible (and Invisible) Damage
Most of the time, you can use your peepers to spot a bent tire rim, especially if it’s made of aluminum (aluminum rims bend easier than steel rims). It’s usually the first and only sign that you need to repair your tire. However, you can bend the inside of your tire rim without leaving any trace of evidence for the naked eye to uncover. In these instances, you’ll usually be informed of the rim damage during your routine maintenance and wheel alignment.
4) Vibrations
Oftentimes when the front tire’s rims get damaged, you’ll notice it in the steering wheel first; bent rear tires produce the effects of a shaky car or vibrating seats. Although many other car problems may cause your vehicle to shake, a vibrating car, especially at high speeds, is a major problem that necessitates an emergency visit to your mechanic or auto body repair shop.
3) Loss of Tire PSI
After hitting a pothole, you may begin noticing your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) going off regularly. This is a classic sign that your bent rim has damaged the tire wall. Sometimes the PSI loss will be slow, forcing you to visit the air pump once or twice a month. If the wheel rim damage is extensive, you may wake up one morning to see the tire completely flat.
“Why do bent rims affect my tire pressure?” The answer is simple: Tire rims help seal the air between the tire and wheel, but when the rim is bent, that seal can be broken. In extreme cases of car rim damage, the tire itself may even become compromised. If this is the case, in addition to bent rim repairs, you may need a completely new tire or, at the very least, a tire patch.
2) It Feels Like You’re Driving on a Flat Tire
If your bent rim is damaged too extensively, your car probably won’t handle well—at all. Damaged rims can mirror the symptoms of flat tires in numerous ways, such as:
Producing rhythmic “thumping” sounds when the car is in motion;
Vibrating nonstop;
Pulling to the side that has a bent rim;
Incredibly poor fuel efficiency; and
TPMS notifications popping up mid-drive.
Left unfixed for too long, those bent rims could even pave the way for a real flat tire or complete blowout at high speeds.
1) Poor Braking
Pothole damage isn’t likely to harm your brake rotors, but that doesn’t mean it won’t affect the way your vehicle stops. A severely bent rim may cause your car to pull to the side when coming to a halt. This symptom of a damaged car rim is most noticeable in instances when you must stop abruptly, such as avoiding a fender-bender or braking at a yellow light.
