Steel rim on Sentra shaved off

eggshell1

We bought our daughter a 2001 Nissan Sentra for college. This weekend she came home with the front passenger rim damaged. I'm guessing that she hit a curb (the tire and body are fine). The problem is that the rim didn't bend; the steel was "shaved" off from the edge of the rim, and now the bare metal is showing. Is this dangerous? If the rim needs replacing, what is the cost?

Thanks-Worried Mom

Mr_Shiftright

Nah, I doubt it is dangerous....HOWEVER, since it's your not so little girl, and if the damage looks serious, you could have the tire taken off the rim and the rim inspected for cracks and the tire for damage to the sidewall internally. This would only cost about $15. You might also check to see if the wheel weight has been knocked off, that would cause a tire imbalance.

eggshell1

Thanks "Mr. Shiftright" for the reply. I will have the things that you mentioned checked.

-Worried Mom

jgmilberg

One more thing to have checked is to make sure the rim is not bent either on the lip where the tire meets the rim or at the center where the rim bolts to the car.

If you have a bent rim it can cause a vibration that can prematurely wear out steering and suspension components. Make sure to have it looked at soon.

More likely than not it is just some minor cosmetic damage but just to be safe take it in to have it looked at. Besides a good balance and rotation never hurt anything.

Keep us posted.

eggshell1

Thanks "jgmilberg." I will post again after I have the rim & tire checked. I've never seen the metal get stripped from the edge of a rim like that. Is this common? I know that I have bumped curbs before, but I never have had this happen to me.

(P.S. My first car was a 1970 Chevelle Malibu; I think it was similar to the '70 Cutlass.)

Mr_Shiftright

It is quite common on alloy wheels, less so on older steel wheels. But there can be a lot of force applied if you scrape a curb at a decent speed.

jgmilberg

If the tire was low on air it makes this type of damage happen easier. Part of the reason for this type of damage is because of thinner metal that the rims are made out of. With all the emissions and mileage requirements the govt. has instituted the auto companies have to cut things out like heavier metal on rims to save weight that equals better MPG ratings. I know that the rim is a goofy thing to put thinner metal into but they claim that they meet all the safety requirements, at least until you hit a curb or if you live in Michigan a pothole. If you are truly concerned about the safety of the steel rims, you can try aluminium rims. I think the steel ones should be fine. Just have it checked to make sure it is running true and straight.

The Chevelle is the same body style except for the rear windows, the Chevelle got changed to a flat rear while the cutlass remained pointed. Part of the great cookie cutter era at GM. I still love my '70 Cutlass "S" though.

swschrad

if it was a tight turn before starting to roll the car, it's possible that it could have pulled enough sidewall out of the way to hit the curb... even more likely if there was a drainage grate that rises up into the curbing that was, as is too often usual, not set right so the grate sticks out like a lathe cutterhead in its tool.

unless the whole "roll" edge was shaved off, in which case I would suspect this did not occur parking at the library , shouldn't affect the wheel strength a bit. it is a spot for rust to start attacking, though... hit it with some primer and topcoat from brush touch-up kits and keep an eye on it periodically.

eggshell1

Since my daughter has the car at school, she brought it in to have the rim checked and was told that there was no danger. Of course, I'm going to have it checked myself when she comes home for a visit. She did say, however, that the metal was turning orange where the rim was damaged. Rust already!? To "swschrad": What should I do about the "orange" before priming?

P.S. Please don't go on Leno!

-Worried Mom

swschrad

as the Rust-Oleum folks used to say, "rust never sleeps." a little sandpaper or a small wire brush, don't let it work on the side of the tire though, get the red-orange off and the steel showing, then prime, wait twice as long as you think you should (like maybe an hour or so), and paint then clearcoat with the code-matched brush-in-cap stuff. if you really want to be paranoid, wash it with 99% alcohol and a Q-tip before priming to be sure you have clean, dry metal.

now, about my mail-order joke book collection.....

eggshell1

Thanks everybody for the advice and information!

-Worried Mom