Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Bitumen Boy]

A good few years ago, I struck a kerb quite hard - forget just how or why - while driving, and had as a consequence some pretty horrendous vibration from that wheel, think like a washing machine on spin at only 30mph. Didn't get far like that before I stopped and changed the wheel, no more vibration, carried on. As it happened I had some spare rims prepared for new tyres, so I slung the clouted one in the shed and forgot about it, as you do. Never had any trouble from the suspension as a result and I always assumed the rim must have been dented pretty badly and figured it was scrap. Anyway, I pulled it out today, and took it along with some others that wanted the old tyres off ready for a lick of paint, thought I could make a hose reel or something with it. Looking at it properly, I can't actually see any problem with the rim, in fact it appears straighter than some I'm currently driving on with no problems! I'm thinking it might be worth cleaning & repainting along with the others. It's an ordinary steel rim by the way, not an alloy or wire. The question, then, is this: is it possible for damage that makes the car essentially undriveable to be confined to the tyre, when the tyre has no* visible damage?
Your thoughts welcome as ever

*I say no visible damage, don't recall any, but it's perished so badly between then and now that looking at it doesn't really provide any clues.

[ukdave2002]

I did a similar thing with an alloy wheel on an XR3i, the tyre ended up with a bulge in it so had to be replaced, although the rim looked straight, when a new tyre was fitted, the fitter couldn't balance it, it was so out of balance that the balance machine had an auto safety cut out that kicked in as it got up to speed

Although it looked fine, I'm sure if we could have fitted it and measured the run out it would have shown a problem. It held air ok so we swapped it for the spare.

Dave

[baconsdozen]

Sometimes defects on tyres cant be seen. I had an old car that had stood for some time and one of the tyres had a flat section presumably where it had stood.Although it could just be seen when deflated (but only just) when pumped up it looked fine but vibrated like mad as soon as you drove down the road. I'm guessing the tyre had a weak spot in the tread or walls.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Bitumen Boy]

It looks very much like the problem was in the tyre. I've had a good look at the rim now and can't see anything wrong with it beyond surface rust and flaking old paint. Looks nice and straight on the bench and also rolled it down a slope to have a look at it moving, nothing to see there either so I reckon I'll bung it in the electrolysis tank while I get on with rubbing down and repainting the others. That'll keep me out of mischief for a bit