Is this bent rim fixable?

[Mintman]

Hey Guys,

 

I have dented my rear Rapidé rim quite badly. Do you think its worth trying to fix it or should I just have it replaced ?

 

Thanks for your help,

 

James 

[brad890]

I"m pretty sure that rim is toast.

 

Think there will be more than just the obvious inward bend, for a bend that bad I'm sure the rim will have been bent in a oval fashion as well. 

 

Sure one of the wheel builders on here will comment.

[Long Wheel Base]

Yoh that looks brutal. Did you take a hammer to it? I don't think that is fixable for riding. Make a wall clock out of it.

[Spoke101]

Sorry bud, that rim is toast.

 

It you try to pull the dent out you will end up with a crack in the aluminum at the crease line and a structural week point.

[dasilvarsa]

How did this happen ?

[DjCyclist]

Hey Guys,

 

I have dented my rear Rapidé rim quite badly. Do you think its worth trying to fix it or should I just have it replaced ?

 

Thanks for your help,

 

James

Had a rim dented similar to yours but not as bad managed to take a pliers and bent it a bit staight, still working today

[Mintman]

How did this happen ?

 

I was descending a very a rocky section very slowly, went over the bars, and the bike must have just flipped over and hit the rocks on that spot. A mate talked me into doing this route on my cross country bike. Never again!

[Jewbacca]

Yeah nah.....

 

Toast

[Mintman]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. New rim it is!

[ct_rider]

The rim is not toasted. This happened to both my previous American Classics AM28, as well as  both my Crest Wheels about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, this happens when you have no option but to ride through rock gardens at a pace with low pressure tubeless tyres.

 

The wheels can be straightened. Take it into your LBS. Just ensure the tension on the spokes are good afterwards. 

[David Marshall]

Had a rim dented similar to yours but not as bad managed to take a pliers and bent it a bit staight, still working today

Not the best idea to use pliers or shifting spanner etc to remove rim dents.  Best way is a two man job.  Slack off the spokes around the dent and one person hold the rim onto an anvil with the wall of the rim flat on the anvil and the edge of the rim right on the edge of the anvil.  The other use a plastic rod and hammer punch style to flatten the dent out.  It only takes one or two wacks.  If the dent goes into the double section of the rim it is usually not repairable.  

[nick_the_wheelbuilder]

Apart from the above, if the rim bed where the tyre sits is dented, you'll have a problem getting the tyre to seat in that area.

[scubes]

I had the same thing. A ding in my rear Rapide rim last year. I gently wrapped a wrench in a towel and bent it out very slowly and carefully. Which left a smaller ding. Has been fine since including on some hectic Drakensberg trails.

 

The key is the rim tape- to seal it properly. I suggest as others said, to take it to your LBS or one of the awesome wheel builders on here. My LBS built up the ding on the inside of the rim a bit, to get the rim tape to seal.

 

My wheel runs true and holds sealant. I did insert a CSIXX Foamo into this rear wheel to help prevent this again when running low pressures on tubeless. You may want to look at an insert, depending on the riding you do. 

 

 

Had a rim dented similar to yours but not as bad managed to take a pliers and bent it a bit staight, still working today

[Jewbacca]

That's not just a ding.. That looks like the whole rim wall has pushed out above the bead bed.

 

If you bend that back you will land up with a grey area of very fatigues alu on something that carries a hell of a lot of stress from many different angles.

 

Spoke tension, rider weight, rotational mass etc... Stressed alu is brittle.

 

I would replace it and save yourself a trip to the dentist after the tire rolls off or the whole thing cracks/snaps or tacos at high speed.

 

Call me paranoid but I choose safety first.

[Mintman]

That's not just a ding.. That looks like the whole rim wall has pushed out above the bead bed.

 

If you bend that back you will land up with a grey area of very fatigues alu on something that carries a hell of a lot of stress from many different angles.

 

Spoke tension, rider weight, rotational mass etc... Stressed alu is brittle.

 

I would replace it and save yourself a trip to the dentist after the tire rolls off or the whole thing cracks/snaps or tacos at high speed.

 

Call me paranoid but I choose safety first.

 

I'm with you on that. Beats having to replace everything else that breaks when that happens too. It was a freak accident as the tyre pressure was actually very hard. Must have hit a rock hard at a bad angle. Ordered my replacement rim so just got to wait it out.

[Long Wheel Base]

The rim is not toasted. This happened to both my previous American Classics AM28, as well as  both my Crest Wheels about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, this happens when you have no option but to ride through rock gardens at a pace with low pressure tubeless tyres.

 

The wheels can be straightened. Take it into your LBS. Just ensure the tension on the spokes are good afterwards. 

Pictures..................