If you've hit a pothole hard and now feel a vibration through the steering wheel at speed, or a faint pull to one side, the usual suspect isn't your tyre — it's a buckled rim. The good news: most buckled alloy wheels can be repaired without replacing the wheel.
How do you know if a rim is bent?
The most common signs are vibration through the steering column (especially between 80–110km/h), a visible wobble when the wheel is spinning free, a pulling sensation under braking, or a tyre that keeps losing pressure on one corner even with no puncture.
What actually gets repaired?
We use precision hydraulic straightening equipment to cold-press the rim back to factory tolerance — no heat, no welding, for straightforward bends. The wheel goes on a balancing machine first so we can measure exactly how far out of true it is, then controlled pressure is applied to bring it back into spec. Every straightened wheel is re-checked against factory tolerance and inspected for stress fractures before it goes back on your car.
When isn't a rim repairable by straightening?
Severely buckled wheels, or wheels where the impact has caused a crack (not just a bend), usually need crack & weld repair first, or aren't safe to straighten. If there's any doubt, send us photos before you drop off — we'll tell you straight whether it's a straightening job.
What does it cost?
Wheel straightening at our Southport workshop starts from $99 per wheel, most jobs are done same day, and it's a fraction of the $200–$800+ cost of a replacement alloy.