Rio S2K

Is it possible to get a proper alignment to spec on a car if one of the wheels is bent? Basically, a wheel that has a bent lip to the point where the whole wheel is no longer balanced meaning if you took the wheel to get balanced, they would be unable to do it also declaring it irrepairable. Would it be possible to get a 4-wheel alignment to meet specs with such a wheel on the car or is it impossible to get alignment even if one of the wheels is out of balance(putting it mildy)?

FO2K

It sounds like the wheel needs to be replaced. Why not do that first? A wheel has to be messed up to be declared irreparable. Have you tried a wheel repair shop?

Slows2k

Sorry, you can't align with a bent wheel. You won't be able to compensate the Alignment machine's heads that mount at all 4 wheels.

Utah S2K

Yes you can get the car aligned........

Alignment is a static process....balance is dynamic. The car may be perfectly aligned with no wheel weights at all on the car.

Your problem is that if you get an alignment with a wheel that will not perform dynamically then the alignment is mute. Once the car is in motion the effects of the unbalanced wheel will cause the wear on the tire, not the alignment.

You need a dynamically balanced set of wheels on an aligned chassis (ie.wheel alignement relative to the chassis). Remember toe and camber are chassis functions not wheel functions.

Utah

Note: Slow is correct providing an alignment machine is used. But lots of folks are doing it "by hand". Particularly on lowered cars.

Rio S2K

Okay, now the facts about my specific case. I recently curbed my passenger rear wheel and needed to get it replaced but I also mananged to ever so slightly put a few scratches on the front passenger wheel. Now, I happened to remove both wheels for better inspection and upon doing so found out that at a specific point the inner lip on the front wheel was bent. Upon closer inspection, the bend on the front wheel inner lip was substantial to the point where it also was irrepairable(Took it to a wheel repair shop). Now, since I'm 99% sure that the incident which happened to the rear wheel only put a few very light scratches on the front wheel, this means I've been driving around with a bent front passenger wheel the whole time and the car drove perfectly in a straight line and showed no signs of even a slight pull to either side. It should be noted that an alignment was performed somewhere down the line after purchase perhaps after the incident which bent the inner lip on the front lip occurred. All I know is that the car handled great and had a "irrepairable" front passenger wheel. Could the alignment performed on it have been that good where the driver wouldn't be able to notice anything wrong with the steering is my question? Also, I noticed no uneven wear on the front tire with 7K miles on it. BTW, I appreciate the feedback up to this point.

hondamanwill

Some alignment machines will tell you what the runout of the rim is, if in fact the runout is excessive the machine will not go any further and will say excessive runout can not continue and give you a percentage. I have had bent wheels before and you can move the head to certain points of the wheel to trick the machine into thinking that it isn't bent. But to do it properly the rim should be replaced.