Out of round wheels (Repair or Replace?)
06-21-2018, 02:43 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Out of round wheels (Repair or Replace?)
Got new tires installed today. Discount Tire told me that three of my wheels are out of round so causing vibration. They showed it to me when the wheels were on the Hunter Road Force machine and the red laser marker would go up and down as the wheels were spinning. I did not notice the vibration before and visually the wheels look normal both on the inside and outside. Should I repair or replace them? I only have the car for 1 year and have only 7000 miles on the car. Even if I get a new set of wheels, I may end up in the same situation again next yr. The road in VA is not necessary the best but better than Boston where I used to live. Anyone have suggestion? I do take the car to the track so safety is my utmost concern.
My car is a 2017 GS.
My car is a 2017 GS.
Last edited by changw1; 06-21-2018 at 04:13 PM.
06-21-2018, 03:05 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
had all 4 rims straightened on my gs couple of weeks ago. cost me 600.00. new replacement wheels are whole lot more $$$$. took care of the vibrations, very happy with repair,
06-21-2018, 03:08 PM
#3
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St. Jude Donor '13
GM's official policy is that aluminum wheels should not be straightened or repaired in any way, except re-painting.
When our 2017 Z51 had about 4 months/8k miles, I had the tires rebalanced. I didn't feel any vibration but had hit a couple of big potholes. Discount Tire said one rear wheel was slightly out of round, the bend was actually in the barrel. My aftermarket wheel insurance insisted on straightening it even after the dealer showed them the GM bulletin. The bend must have been very slight, they bought it back in less than an hour. I asked the experienced tech at the dealer, who is a Corvette owner, if he would feel safe continuing to use that wheel, he said in this case "Yes".
A slow air leak that you can't find in the tire, can be an early sign of a cracked rim. Mine seems ok so far.
There have been an unusually high number of GS owners with bent wheels, Tadge says their warranty data shows nothing unusual.
Duh, that's because if you have more than about 50 miles on the car, the dealer says you hit something and it's your fault, no warranty coverage. And no data goes to Tadge to show him the extent of the problem.
GM sells wheel & tire insurance but it's horrifically expensive, partly because a lot of wheels get bent and partly because the insurance has to buy a new one.
In your case, a tough call. Remember that a straightened wheel failure can ruin your day, avoiding one can ruin your wallet.
When our 2017 Z51 had about 4 months/8k miles, I had the tires rebalanced. I didn't feel any vibration but had hit a couple of big potholes. Discount Tire said one rear wheel was slightly out of round, the bend was actually in the barrel. My aftermarket wheel insurance insisted on straightening it even after the dealer showed them the GM bulletin. The bend must have been very slight, they bought it back in less than an hour. I asked the experienced tech at the dealer, who is a Corvette owner, if he would feel safe continuing to use that wheel, he said in this case "Yes".
A slow air leak that you can't find in the tire, can be an early sign of a cracked rim. Mine seems ok so far.
There have been an unusually high number of GS owners with bent wheels, Tadge says their warranty data shows nothing unusual.
Duh, that's because if you have more than about 50 miles on the car, the dealer says you hit something and it's your fault, no warranty coverage. And no data goes to Tadge to show him the extent of the problem.
GM sells wheel & tire insurance but it's horrifically expensive, partly because a lot of wheels get bent and partly because the insurance has to buy a new one.
In your case, a tough call. Remember that a straightened wheel failure can ruin your day, avoiding one can ruin your wallet.
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changw1 (06-21-2018)
06-21-2018, 03:10 PM
#4
Instructor
Thread Starter
For your repair, did you need to remove the tires? My local repair shop said no need to take off tires. .
06-21-2018, 03:35 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
i brought the tires/rims to the shop doing the straightening. they said they remove the tires. after repair went to a buddy of mines shop to check the balance. also wanted to see how "straight' the rims were. 3 were absolutely perfect, the 4th and most severely bent one was almost perfect. re=balanced all the wheels , installed back on car and i am once again a happy camper.
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changw1 (06-21-2018)
06-21-2018, 04:08 PM
#6
Instructor
Thread Starter
This Corvette tax is killing me. I was hoping to save some money by buying Conti tires instead of MPSS and now I will end up in the same place after the repair.
06-22-2018, 01:37 PM
#7
Instructor
Thread Starter
As a quick update. I got three wheels repaired this morning and the vibration is gone. The tech told me that they have a lot of business from Corvette owners. Because our rims are so wide, the bend often cannot be seen visually. Kudo to Alloy Wheel Repair Specialist in Richmond. Cost $119 per wheel in repair which is quite reasonable.
06-22-2018, 02:00 PM
#8
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I think it all depends on what is meant by out of round. If a wheel is bent on the edge of the rim due to an impact there are plenty of shops that will repair that kind of damage. However, if the wheel is out of round due to not being centered on the hub that means throw the wheel away. I don't know of any shops that will repair a wheel that is bent through the hub which causes run out. Basically, repairs are limited to the edges of the barrels.
Bill
Bill
06-22-2018, 08:10 PM
#9
Race Director
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You felt no vibrations??? Just to be sure, I'd take them somewhere else and have them checked (especially if those who checked them also do repairs)... just sayin'.
06-22-2018, 10:19 PM
#10
Instructor
Thread Starter
Should I take a video when the tech test the wheels on the road force machine to prove the wheels are round? Even if there is no vibration on the steering wheel, doesn't mean the wheels are straight, right?
06-27-2018, 10:21 PM
#11
GM's official policy is that aluminum wheels should not be straightened or repaired in any way, except re-painting.
When our 2017 Z51 had about 4 months/8k miles, I had the tires rebalanced. I didn't feel any vibration but had hit a couple of big potholes. Discount Tire said one rear wheel was slightly out of round, the bend was actually in the barrel. My aftermarket wheel insurance insisted on straightening it even after the dealer showed them the GM bulletin. The bend must have been very slight, they bought it back in less than an hour. I asked the experienced tech at the dealer, who is a Corvette owner, if he would feel safe continuing to use that wheel, he said in this case "Yes".
A slow air leak that you can't find in the tire, can be an early sign of a cracked rim. Mine seems ok so far.
There have been an unusually high number of GS owners with bent wheels, Tadge says their warranty data shows nothing unusual.
Duh, that's because if you have more than about 50 miles on the car, the dealer says you hit something and it's your fault, no warranty coverage. And no data goes to Tadge to show him the extent of the problem.
GM sells wheel & tire insurance but it's horrifically expensive, partly because a lot of wheels get bent and partly because the insurance has to buy a new one.
In your case, a tough call. Remember that a straightened wheel failure can ruin your day, avoiding one can ruin your wallet.
When our 2017 Z51 had about 4 months/8k miles, I had the tires rebalanced. I didn't feel any vibration but had hit a couple of big potholes. Discount Tire said one rear wheel was slightly out of round, the bend was actually in the barrel. My aftermarket wheel insurance insisted on straightening it even after the dealer showed them the GM bulletin. The bend must have been very slight, they bought it back in less than an hour. I asked the experienced tech at the dealer, who is a Corvette owner, if he would feel safe continuing to use that wheel, he said in this case "Yes".
A slow air leak that you can't find in the tire, can be an early sign of a cracked rim. Mine seems ok so far.
There have been an unusually high number of GS owners with bent wheels, Tadge says their warranty data shows nothing unusual.
Duh, that's because if you have more than about 50 miles on the car, the dealer says you hit something and it's your fault, no warranty coverage. And no data goes to Tadge to show him the extent of the problem.
GM sells wheel & tire insurance but it's horrifically expensive, partly because a lot of wheels get bent and partly because the insurance has to buy a new one.
In your case, a tough call. Remember that a straightened wheel failure can ruin your day, avoiding one can ruin your wallet.
06-28-2018, 08:18 PM
#12
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St. Jude Donor '13
I have a 17 GS and just got 2 bent rims from a relatively minor bump in the road. The ride is excessively harsh, I do not feel that tour mode was made for road driving. I am going to get the magnetic drive control "upgrade" to see if I can get a reasonable ride on roads. My hope is that a more forgiving suspension will lesson the risk of bent rims.
But here on the bombed-out roads of the Midwest, it's a different story. Our 2009 Z51 had the factory shocks replaced with slightly softer Bilstein Heavy Duty (actually, a medium-duty) and it rode about the same as our 2017 Z51 in Tour. Which is to say, not "excessively harsh" but stiffer than I think Tour should be. I'm waiting for the update for the 2017 Z51 software update to appear, haven't heard anything lately.
06-29-2018, 08:21 AM
#13
Bad suspension-wheel match
My concern is that I have been driving on the local roads for decades and have owned over 20 cars including 3 Corvettes and this is the only one with bent rims (2!). Every seam in the road is a hit in tour or eco mode. Given what I see posted by others there is an engineering/design issue with the large/heavy GS and Z06 wheels and the stiff suspension. Good that they may have designed a fix. Bad that we need to pay $350 (plus the $1,000 that the bump in the road cost me).
07-05-2018, 02:25 PM
#15
Pas moi
I bought 2 rims from House of Wheels and had the bent ones straightened by Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists. Didn’t try warranty. I am also getting the Magnetic Ride Control “upgrade” which I hope cuts down on the trauma to the car and me when I encounter bumps.
07-06-2018, 09:53 AM
#16
what is an acceptable level of runout with these oem z06 wheels?
I wish I took a video of mine, I was too much in shock at the time. I mean I knew I felt a small rhythmic sensation while driving, kept thinking it was just the road.. but now that I see the wheels spun, its just looks worse than it felt . The DT guy says to me that its easy for wheels like these, thin, wide barrels to get like that..
If dealer wont assist in replacement.. I hesitate to attempt a straighten (against GMs policy as per Gearhead Jim) if I plan to just beat em up on the track..
I wish I took a video of mine, I was too much in shock at the time. I mean I knew I felt a small rhythmic sensation while driving, kept thinking it was just the road.. but now that I see the wheels spun, its just looks worse than it felt . The DT guy says to me that its easy for wheels like these, thin, wide barrels to get like that..
If dealer wont assist in replacement.. I hesitate to attempt a straighten (against GMs policy as per Gearhead Jim) if I plan to just beat em up on the track..
07-07-2018, 07:11 PM
#17
Melting Slicks
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Kinda off subject. Have always wondered about track guys (road courses) whose best times result from banging the curbing at the apex. Does these repeated sharp/jarring hits cause you tire/wheel damage? Been to the school & was reminded to ask this after reading the All Roads article about the MS school & seeing all the tire marks on the curbing-
Any track stars please respond-I'm sure others would like to know also. Thanks!
Any track stars please respond-I'm sure others would like to know also. Thanks!
Last edited by madrob2020; 07-07-2018 at 07:12 PM.