Wheel Repair at Johnny's Automotive
Potholes and curbs bend rims and open slow leaks with nothing to find in the tread. We repair what is safely repairable and tell you plainly when it isn't.
Can a bent wheel be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?
Central Florida roads are hard on wheels. A pothole you barely registered, a curb on a tight turn out of a parking lot, and the wheel takes the hit the tire couldn't absorb. Sometimes you feel it that day as a new vibration. Sometimes the only clue is a tire that's a few pounds low every single time you check it.
The slow leak with no puncture is the classic. We put the assembly in water and the bubbles come from where the tire bead seals against the wheel, not from the tread. On alloy wheels, corrosion builds up on that sealing surface over the years and gives air a path out. A bent bead seat does the same thing. Cleaning the surface, resealing, and remounting takes care of a lot of those, and it costs a lot less than a wheel.
What's repairable comes down to cosmetic versus structural. Curb rash on the face or the lip is cosmetic, and refinishing handles it. A minor bend in certain areas of the wheel can often be straightened back true. Cracks, missing chunks, and damage in the load-bearing parts of the wheel are a different category. Those get replaced, and we'll say so even when it isn't what you were hoping to hear. A wheel holds up a corner of your car at highway speed, and that isn't a place to get creative to save a few dollars.
You don't have to take our word for the condition it's in. Our digital inspections send photos to your phone, so when we tell you a wheel is cracked or the sealing surface is corroded, you're looking at the same picture we are and making the call from there.
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Problems we fix
Our experts diagnose and resolve any issue.
A tire that's low every week with no nail in it
When the tread checks out clean, the leak is usually at the bead where the tire seals to the wheel. Corrosion or a small bend on that surface will bleed air steadily without ever showing you a puncture.
New vibration after hitting a pothole
A hard enough hit can bend the wheel itself, and a bent wheel won't balance out no matter how much weight goes on it. That's why we look at the wheel before adding more weight.
Curb rash down the face or lip
Scraped, gouged, or scuffed edges from parking against a curb. It's cosmetic damage on most wheels, and refinishing brings the face back without touching the structure.
White powdery buildup around the rim
That's aluminum corrosion, and on the bead area it's the most common cause of a mystery leak on an older alloy wheel. It gets cleaned back to clean metal and resealed.
A crack or a missing chunk
Cracks and broken sections in the structural areas of a wheel are a replacement, not a repair. We'd rather lose the repair ticket than send you out on a wheel we don't trust.
The tire won't seat or hold a seal after mounting
When fresh rubber still won't hold air on a wheel, the wheel is telling you something. Usually the bead seat is damaged or too far gone to seal against anymore.
More tires and wheels services
Explore our other tires and wheels services.
New Tires
New Tires addresses the listed maintenance need based on vehicle condition and service requirements.
Learn moreTire Repair
Tire Repair addresses diagnosed damage, wear, or system faults related to this service.
Learn moreFlat Tire Repair
Flat Tire Repair addresses diagnosed damage, wear, or system faults related to this service.
Learn moreWheel Repair questions, answered
Common questions about our wheel repair services.
Is it safe to drive on a bent wheel?
It depends entirely on where and how bad the bend is, which is why it gets inspected instead of guessed at. A wheel that's leaking or vibrating is already telling you something changed, so get it looked at rather than waiting to see what happens.
Can a cracked wheel be welded and put back in service?
Not by us. A crack in a load-bearing area of a wheel is a structural failure, and that wheel gets replaced. We'll tell you that up front rather than sell you a repair we wouldn't put on our own vehicles.
Will repairing the wheel actually stop the slow leak?
When the leak is coming from corrosion or a minor bend at the bead seat, cleaning, resealing, and remounting usually fixes it for good. If the sealing surface is too far gone, we'll show you the photos and explain why a new wheel is the honest answer.
Can curb rash be refinished, or do I need a new wheel?
Most curb rash is cosmetic and can be refinished. Where it gets more involved is on wheels with a chrome or specialty finish, since matching that is a different job than a straightforward repaint.
If one wheel is damaged, do I have to replace all four?
No. Wheels aren't like tires, so a single replacement is fine as long as it matches the others in size, offset, and load rating. Matching appearance on an older set is usually the harder part.
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