‘57 bent rim?

[willcarter]

Hi all,

I noticed when checking the air in my tires today that I seem to have a bent wheel. (See attached pictures). I have no idea when or how it may have happened: I don’t recall driving over any hard bumps or anything like that. I also don’t know whether it’s relatively new or has been like this for a while: I don’t recall noticing it before, but I can’t swear that if hadn’t been this way for a while. I did recently have new tires put on; could this have happened when the shop was doing that?

I have a few questions:

1. Does this in fact look like a bent wheel (as opposed to, say, a defect in the tire or the mounting of the tire)? All of the other wheels look perfectly circular as far as I can tell.

2. I think I have a full-size extra/spare wheel in the trunk with a very old tire on it. (It looks full size; haven’t measured it. What’s the best way to verify? Just measure the circumference?). I also happen to have a new matching tire that’s not yet mounted. Seems like the easiest solution would be to:

(a) have the new tire mounted on the spare wheel;
(b) toss the old tire;
(c) have the new tire/spare wheel mounted in place of the one with the bent wheel.

If that all seems sensible, then the follow-up questions are:

Can I drive safely the few miles to a tire shop to have all this done or is the bent wheel such that there’s a risk of a blowout or flat on the way to the shop? (For that matter, should I been driving on it at all in the meantime?) I assume the bent wheel causes some risk of loss of air and/or other problems, but I don’t know how significant that risk is. Or, rather than driving the T-Bird there, should I just take the spare wheel and new tire to a shop in my other car; have them mount it; and then bring it back home to swap the wheels myself? If it matters, I was planning to just have this done at a Goodyear Tire Center nearby; it seems like it’s straightforward enough that I don’t need to go to a “specialist,” but please correct me if I’m wrong!

Also: once the new wheel is on the spare tire and it’s all mounted on the car, should I also try to have them fix the bent wheel and keep that as a spare? The tire currently on there is new, but I don’t know how much damage a bent wheel can do to a new tire. Or should I just get a new spare wheel?

[ward 57]

Not likely the tire shop bent the wheel, You would see it in the paint but my question is why did they even mount the tire in the first place? I used to work for Goodyear and mounted hundreds of tires and a bent wheel would be obvious at the start when removing the old tire let alone when setting the bead on the new tire and then balancing it.
I would mount the new tire on the spare wheel and there are shops all over the place that can repair the bent one. As far as the old tire, how old is it? As a spare you could even buy a good used tire to mount on it when it's repaired or buy a matching tire to the other 4. Consistency is not required for a spare unless it's for show as long as it's of the same construction and size.
You should have no problem driving it for a short distance.

[CSPIDY]

It can be straightened

[Rusty57]

I agree that it is very unlikely that the tire shop bent that rim when mounting the new tires. I also am totally surprised and disappointed that they would mount the tire on that wheel and not at least tell you about the damage. Even though the TBird wheel is a reverse rim, they still should see both sides of the rim when they balance the assembly.

That definitely can be straightened and provide many years of good service. Whether you swap tires with the spare is your choice.

I do chuckle when people say that they are not as concerned with a tire or wheel because it is “just the spare”. While I agree it might not see much use, I think they still expect it to function safely.

[MarkR]

Will, I agree with whats been said above. Also if it had happened under your watch you would have definitely felt it and checked it at the time. It takes a hard curb strike to do something like that. I guess there’s a possibility it was dropped while off the car with no tire mounted but any quality shop would have mentioned it. I’m surprised your wheel cover fit properly.

[willcarter]

Thanks for your replies! Very helpful.

I called the closest Goodyear Tire Center; think I’ll keep looking for somewhere else to take it, because the person I spoke with there was scarily uninformed.

Him: “It’s a Thunderbird? Who made that car?”
Me: “Ford.”

Him: “I need to know what kind of replacement wheel you want me to order.”
Me: “I don’t need a replacement: I just want the tire mounted on an existing spare wheel.”
Him: “Wait, what? You have the wheel?”
Me: “Yes.”
Him: “So what is it you want us to do again?”

Etc.

It’s not so much the lack of knowledge that concerns me; it’s more that the apparent inattention to even the simplest of statements makes me think they may not pay much attention when actually working on the car. It was almost like he was drinking or was high…

Which gets me to a quick question:

Rusty, you said “ Even though the TBird wheel is a reverse rim…”. I don’t know what a “reverse rim” is; never heard that term before. The point isn’t that I don’t know what it is - I’m not going to be putting the tire on myself- but rather, it makes me wonder whether the (possibly stoned and/or lackadaisical) employees at a generic shop that only ever deals with modern cars will know how to properly mount a tire on a “reverse rim” or whether I should take it to a specialty shop with more experience with classic cars. (For example: Since my call to my local Goodyear made me skeptical, I was going to try calling one of the other chains: Monro, Pep Boys, etc. I am now wondering whether that is wise.)

[Jimntempe]

I agree with what's been said, it can easily be straightened and reused... but that doesn't mean that in today's world the tire shop won't claim it's unsafe and they won't touch it. You'll have to see what they say. Once straightened you can keep using it on the car or move it to the spare if the one for the spare would work on the car.. same size, offset, paint color, etc. If you have a Discount tire place nearby, I'd try them first as in my experience they seem more competent then some of the others and all they do is tires and wheels. I have driven on far more bent wheels than that.. I wouldn't take your tbrid on a long trip but if it's on the car now I would not be worried about driving it as is to a tire shop.

[MarkR]

Will, I understand your concerns about kids working at these places and you wanting someone experienced to do the work. I think we have all gone through this at some time. There is nothing tricky about mounting a tire on our classic bird rims but you do want someone experienced to do it. The only detail I ever ask for is to have the balance weights put on the backside so they don’t show. Easy enough to do.
When I moved to Vegas I had to find a shop I could trust for wheel/tire work. I went to a nearby Discount Tire with good recommendations and waited for the oldest customer service rep to be available. While waiting I went outside and watched each bay through the open garage doors. I picked out the oldest employee. When I talked with that customer service rep and made my appointment for new Coker Americans I requested the older technician and told the rep why I waited for him and why I wanted that technician. He simply said Smart Move. I’ve been using them for 8 years now. Both those guys have moved on but I’m friends with the manager now so I’m taken care of.

[willcarter]

Thanks, Jim. The spare wheel is definitely the same color. I believe it is the same size (I’ll measure it). But how do I verify whether it’s the same “offset”? I’m not familiar with that.

Also: no Discount Tire nearby, unfortunately…

I agree with what's been said, it can easily be straightened and reused... but that doesn't mean that in today's world the tire shop won't claim it's unsafe and they won't touch it. You'll have to see what they say. Once straightened you can keep using it on the car or move it to the spare if the one for the spare would work on the car.. same size, offset, paint color, etc. If you have a Discount tire place nearby, I'd try them first as in my experience they seem more competent then some of the others and all they do is tires and wheels. I have driven on far more bent wheels than that.. I wouldn't take your tbrid on a long trip but if it's on the car now I would not be worried about driving it as is to a tire shop.

[voltron]

If the damaged part of your hubcap coincides with the bent spot of the wheel it's likely they were damaged at the same time. Were you with the car when the tire work was done?

[willcarter]

Nope: the damaged hubcap was on an entirely different wheel.

And no, I wasn’t with the tire the whole time the work was done, unfortunately.

If the damaged part of your hubcap coincides with the bent spot of the wheel it's likely they were damaged at the same time. Were you with the car when the tire work was done?

[ICON 1956]

What ever happened to your rim just try to get it straighten as best you can. Chalk it up for experience. When ever your bringing your car to any service needs take pictures. Show who ever writes up the service sheet.

[DynoDan’55]

The only detail I ever ask for is to have the balance weights put on the backside so they don’t show.

A lot of places don’t use the trad. clamp style lead weights, but instead will balance with the stick-on flat ones. If so, and you have full wheel covers, then it really doesn’t matter which side they are on. BUT, at least make sure they place them on the horizontal, not the vertical surface of the wheel. The double-sided tape sometimes comes loose, which is less likely if centrifugal force is holding the lead down. I have them on the front, so if a weight does come off, I will hear it rattling under the hubcap, and I can reapply it in it’s orig. location.

[ward 57]

Those stick-on weights were designed for alloy wheels where a clip-on could damage the rim if they would fit at all. There is nothing wrong with them but I wouldn't trust the glue sticking to old steel wheels.

[Jimntempe]

57 wheel backspace