Types of Wheel Damage and How to Spot Them

Types of Wheel Damage – if the dent or bend is very severe, act immediately and in all cases, get expert advice and professional fitting services for Alloys in Antrim

Types of Wheel Damage

Alloy wheels are beautiful and they are also lightweight which means that they make your car more fuel efficient and more responsive to the steering system. But one of the few downsides of alloy wheels is that they are not quite as sturdy as steel wheels, and as such can suffer damage more easily. Let’s look at what you should be looking out for.

Dents or Bends

This type of damage is the easiest to spot – but very often you will be aware of it before you see it, as it tends to be caused by an impact, such as by being struck by another vehicle or running against an obstacle of some kind, such as another car. Bent alloys can impact on the integrity of your tyres, breaking the seal and causing your tyres to deflate. But any bend or dent immediately becomes a weak point in your alloy wheel and it is essential that you have it sorted out sooner rather than later: if the dent or bend is very severe, act immediately and in all cases, get expert advice and professional fitting services for Alloys in Antrim from Tyre Safety Centre. When the bend or dent is small and relatively minor, it can be straightened out and the integrity – not to mention good looks – of the alloy restored.

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Curb Rash

This phenomenon is caused by drivers parking a little too close to the pavement and scraping the outermost edge of the wheel as they parallel park. The result is an abraded appearance, which often does not do much more than cosmetic damage to the alloy, and could – in theory – be left uncorrected. However, this can allow corrosion to creep in, and that is a problem!

Cracks

Cracks in your alloys are a sign of serious issues. Not only do they indicate that the wheel has been subjected to a fairly intense impact but that the integrity of the wheel is compromised and might be weaker than is safe. If you feel the crack is too small to cause issues (it’s really not, even the smallest crack will readily grow with use) the fracture of the alloy coating will allow corrosion to take hold in time. If you see a crack in your alloy, no matter how big or small, you should take immediate steps to have the wheel changed.

Corrosion

Rust is the common name for iron oxide which attacks ferrous metals, turning them a crumbly reddish texture. Alloy ‘rust’ – correctly called corrosion – is white, instead and can be much harder to spot than regular rust. If your alloys have damage that has penetrated the protective coating, they will be vulnerable to this almost invisible scourge.

The good news is that with prompt attention, your alloys can be returned to their usual safe and attractive state, so as long as you frequently check your wheels (and drive with care) you will stay safe on the UK’s roads for a long time.

Get expert advice and professional fitting services for Alloys in Antrim from Tyre Safety Centre.

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