Flat spot in tire??? Or bent wheel?

[deftsound]

Ok so about a month ago i ran over a curb going about 20mph and rashed the crap out of my wheel and bent the lip. The wheel and tire pretty much went up and over the curb instead of just scraping alongside it. Afterwards I could feel a slight bumping coming from that wheel driving around. At first I didn't think much of it because it wasn't very noticeable.

Well I got the wheel fixed at a local shop, looks like new. They balanced the tire and wheel. I put it back on the car and i still noticed the slight bumping sensation coming from it. So, thinking that I must have screwed up a tie-rod arm or something to that extent I pretty much re-did my entire front suspension with a tubular k-member, control arms, adjustable tie-rods...the whole 9 yards. I had it aligned and everything came out perfect.

Well, afterwards, driving it around I could STILL feel the bumping sensation from the wheel. The tubular k-member made it more noticeable if anything. My tuner told me I likely had either A) a bent wheel or B) a flat spot in the tire.

Now it seems to me, that if i had a bent wheel that they wouldn't have been able to properly balance the wheel/tire after fixing it. And wouldn't they have noticed that the tire was screwed up when they put it back on the wheel from fixing it? Am I wrong? Im thinking that I most likely just have a flat spot in the tire like my tuner told me. Would they have been able to properly balance the wheel if the tire had a flat spot?

Thoughts? Im hoping its just a flat spot in the tire like my tuner said...



To summarize: I hit a curb, the wheel makes a obvious bumping sensation when i drive. Nothing is wrong with the front suspension. I had the wheel fixed, the bumping is still there. My tuner thinks i have a flat spot in the tire. What do YOU guys think?

 

[GDawg]

I'd take it back to the place that balanced it and have them show you that they balanced it correctly. If the wheel is damaged, they should have easily seen that. Our aluminum wheels get jacked real easy.

 

[TropicMustang]

If the wheels is bent you can still get it to balance out but you will still feel that bump because the wheel is bent. I work at les schwab. Take it in and ask them if you can watch the wheel while they spin it. You will easily be able to see the bend as the wheel will be bouncing up and down. Seen it many times.

 

[SaleenGT2001]

find a shop with a road force machine. that will measure the rim run out and tell you how bad your rim really is.


BTW how did they "fix" a bent aluminum rim?

 

[VEE EIGHT]

I just had to replace both front tires due to some pretty bad flat spots. The symptoms were much like you just stated, a rhythmic bumping as you drive. One way to check is to have somone sit in your car, turn the wheels hard right/left so you can easily see the entire tire and tread. Thn, have that person SLOWLY drive forward while carefully examine the tread for a flat spot. Place a finger in the deepest valley of the tread and let the wheel roll so you can feel for a flat spot. This is how I found mine.

 

[deftsound]

Thanks guys! When i get home in 2 weeks the first thing im going to do is take care of the problem. I hope its just a tire...although a new wheel isnt much more than a tire...lol