Driving on the local highway at about 65 I managed to hit a hole. Not a pothole, a damn hole. Contacted the DOT about getting my wheel fixed and they said that they will send a reimbursement form. Turns out that's not a definite sign that I'll get the money back. And I'm not even sure if it can be fixed:





*Notice the crack!!*


Yes, the crack goes through the rim.


Amazingly, the tire is still holding air. I know it's not gonna last for long. Does anyone know if this is repairable or should I just buy a new wheel? And yes, the tire's gotta go as well.

 

It's fixable....but depending on what kind of wheel it is, it's probably just cheaper to buy a new one because the fix would be pretty involved.

 

That's what I was thinking, they're too damaged to be worth it. They're just stock S-Winder wheels. And I can't find a single wheel anywhere for the life of me. Guess I'll check the dealer Monday.

 

From my peronal experince Tort claims are joke. the municipality is only responcible if they were forwarned - and ignorred it. Only liable if neglegent. Watch how fast its repaired. The specifcs on location they asked, were so they could fix it - as now any further insidents would leave them responcible.

 

I agree with rally, its possible - but may not be worth it.

Alex

 

Try Wheel Worx in Maryland, www.whlworx.com, I believe.

 

I decided not to wait on the local DOT to send the form and then wait for it to get fixed. I went to my local dealer and just got a new one, comes in tomorrow. Even if it can be fixed, I'm not so sure I'd be willing to drive on it. That crack would be in the back of my mind the entire time. So I'll just have to see what DOT has to say about that.

I drive that same way from work to home everyday, and the hole was freshly paved the next day. So I'm guessing more people called them about the same thing for that to happen so fast.

 

You don't state where you are located. Wheels America has a lot of locations around the country and does very good work. What ever I bring them if it can be fixed is always about 100 bucks with my BMW-CCA discount. That may be a local thing too..

Would I fix that, nah..

 

Are you gonna be using the same tire? Is it okay? Looks like the sidewall is oddly shaped but it might just be the wheel or the pictures tricking my eye.

 

I live in Memphis, TN. There's only a few places around here that might be able to fix a wheel, and I know very little about them. I was looking at a few company's websites and the galleries of the wheels they've fixed, just to get an idea. And I didn't really find any that were as bad as this wheel. They were either bent or cracked on the edge. Not bent and cracked in the middle, like this one. So I get the feeling this one is just gone.

No, the pictures aren't tricking you. There's about a 1/2 inch buldge in the tire. Already ordered another one of those too.

 

If you are going to complete the DOT form, go back to the hole and take pictures, lots of them. Make sure you get enough of a field of view that you can easily identify the exact location from some distinguishing landmark, feature (street name, business, intersection, mile marker). Also tkae pictures of the size of the hole (have an assitant hold a tape measure showing depth and diameter. Send the pix in with your form. I went through this with PennDOT many years ago; it took 6 months, and countless phone calls until I pestered the right person enough to get my $250 back for a wheel and tire from a crater that was just on the driving side of the white line of a cloverleaf (the hole was 18' around and 7" deep).

Good luck.

 

wheelcollision.com

 

I bet you can find a set of those wheels for $250 on Craigslist. I would not spend the money on that wheel or ride on it after that kind of damage.

Here's a set with tires for $650.- Tires are worth about $100 each.
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pts/882570921.html

 

Yea, I needed that wheel quick so I was forced to go to my dealer and buy one. $260ish with tax.

But now I have a slight problem with the DOT "reimbursement" form. They require 2 estimates of cost for fixing the wheel. Already got the new wheel and tire, and not comfortable fixing a wheel that has this much damage. I think it's going to be my luck that they're going to deny my reimbursement.

 

If you take it to a repair shop and their estimate is that the wheel is "Beyond economical repair" then that means they think you should buy a new wheel, and the replacement price the the new wheel is $260+tax. Plus the cost of the tire and mounting and balancing.