Buckled Alloys!

[ajj]

I had an impact with some motorway debris. Later, I had new tyres all round, but vibration at various speeds. Dealer thinks I have a buckled wheel, but can't be sure which one now the tyres/wheels are all swapped around. Two of the wheels have significant balance weights (more than normal).
Anyone know how I can identify the buckled wheel for certain? The shaking continues!

 

[MotardMan]

Have the tyre removed, lay the wheel on a sheet of glass, preferably on a piece of thick carpet (carefully!), and then check for run out by sight.

Alternatively, jack up the car, gaffa tape a screwdriver to a piece of wood propped against the wheel arch, so it "points" at the edge of the wheel rim, and spin the wheel. Run out, or buickle will be evident by the varying amount of day light betwixt tip of screwdriver and wheel rim.

HTH,

Jim

 

[Arnie]

when they balanced the wheel for you, the runout would have been obvious by looking at the wheel rim as it spins on the machine (unless it was some inexperienced 17-year-old who did the work). You may also be able to check by jacking up each wheel and giving it a spin by hand, while watching the rim. If you can, place a stationary marker near the rim.

 

[Malcolm Brown]

Based on experience of trueing-up bicycle wheels many years ago...

Hold the tip of a screwdriver perfectly still, close to the rim then, rotating the wheel, move the tip closer and closer to the wheel until it just touches. If you find the tip touches the rim at some parts of its rotation and not others, then it's out of true.

To make sure the screwdriver tip does not wave about, you could easily knock up a wooden jig - a flat base and a vertical pillar, with the screwdriver fixed to the pillar by a strong elastic band.