Anyone know of a place to straighten my steelies in NorCal?

I recently picked up four 16x4 1/2" '40's Ford steel rims of Craigslist. I had them checked out at a local tire shop and two are not straight.

Does anyone know of a shop that might be able to straighten them in my area? I live in Santa Cruz Ca.

I just got off the phone with the WheelKid and he might be able to do it. But thats a very long drive. I would like to try and get these fixed before I buy some new or used ones off Jimmy.

Thanks!

 

Stay away from Stockton Wheel. Lots of excuses about not completing a simple job. Want money upfront and keep quoting another three weeks. I won't ever do business with them again. The FOGGER

 

Thanks for the heads up.

I've talked to the WheelKid a few times and he seems real cool, but I would like to try and get these original wheels straightened before I take the 3 hour drive.

Anyone else got any ideas?

 

http://www.wheeltechniques.com/

 

Alot of shops that do brake jobs straighten wheels all the time. Try to find an old timer mechanic with a brake drum lathe, most of those guys had hubs for just about everything ever made. When a wheel is bolted to a hub on one of these old lathes, they turn pretty slowly and it's easy to see the bend, and it doesn't take that much to straighten one, on the big old heavy lathes a jack can be put against the lathe and straighten 'em right out.

 

A brake drum lathe. Ok, its time to make some more calls.

Thanks

 

How bent are they?
Both inside outside or both?
I hit a pot hole one year off Summit Rd bent my Chevy Rally wheel and tire went flat. After I got home (and putting on spare) I just "beat it back into shape" with a 2lb hammer! Never had a problem after that.( I kept checking how straight I was getting it with a level across the rim)

Now if you want it STRAIGHT...
Try Wheel Works in Campbell.(408 371 8100) They're not too far "over the hill" and I think they still do wheel straightening.

 

them guys bummed me out too. oh well

 

I got 3 16" ford rims and the hubs are bent. can those be fixs?

 

You might try checking with a used car manager at a good sized dealer. We have 2 wheel repair shops in the area. Trade ins with bent wheels often get straightened to save them money. The rim shops market to the dealers more than the public. A used car lot probably has a card pinned on their bulletin board somewhere. There is a big market for repairing the high dollar aluminum wheels. It's the same process for steel wheels.

Sometimes a replacement wheel is cheaper than repairing one.

 

Talk to the guys at the Costco in Santa Cruz, I worked at the Gilroy one, and we had a 'rim straightener tool' there...Its a LARGE, heavy wrench type thing that is shaped to fit on the lip of the rim, and heave...It'll do a pretty good job if they ain't too bad.

 

Great!

I'll check into all of these.

Thanks again

 

wheels america, located in the bay area ...www.fixrims.com give em a try.