Wheels Bent By Potholes

[Fast Track]

Rough winter so far. I have bent 2 wheels and replaced 2 tires on my 2018 GS. Open to any ideas on what to do. Is it possible to replace 19" wheels with 18" and use a wider side wall tire? I'm not sure 18" wheels would even fit. Any thoughts or ideas would be a big help.

 

[Kappy]

Rough winter so far. I have bent 2 wheels and replaced 2 tires on my 2018 GS. Open to any ideas on what to do. Is it possible to replace 19" wheels with 18" and use a wider side wall tire? I'm not sure 18" wheels would even fit. Any thoughts or ideas would be a big help.

TourX uses 18's so they would fit, in fact an earlier post about the Car & Driver deer strike car that was totaled had a set with winter tires available.

 

[75miguel75]

Stepping down to an 18 inch on a GS may have clearance issues due to 5he front brembo brakes. The holden vxr and opel gsi come with 20 inch

 

[stoopid]

Agree with Miguel, the brembos might need more room than the 18" would provide.

You could get a set of 19" junk rims and snow tires. Buy rims that are ubiquitous, so if you bend them you can find a replacement easily and cheaply.

 

[Ctrcbob]

Here in the Orlando area, my buddy with a Jag XJR bent a wheel. Called a guy who fixed wheels. Guy came, had a trailer with all his equipment, including a Hydraulic press. Put wheel on a spindle and after doing his magic, the wheel was fixed. Looked like new. I still have the guys card somewhere.

If I remember correctly, his business was mainly for dealers, when dealers took in a car that needed fixing.

Try to find someone who does that kind of work.

 

[Ctrcbob]

Here in the Orlando area, my buddy with a Jag XJR bent a wheel. Called a guy who fixed wheels. Guy came, had a trailer with all his equipment, including a Hydraulic press. Put wheel on a spindle and after doing his magic, the wheel was fixed. Looked like new. I still have the guys card somewhere.

If I remember correctly, his business was mainly for dealers, when dealers took in a car that needed fixing.

Try to find someone who does that kind of work.

Just found their card.
awrswheelrepair.com then find your closest location.
Alloy Wheel Repair

 

[Ctrcbob]

Just found their card.
awrswheelrepair.com then find your closest location.
Alloy Wheel Repair

Awrswheelrepair.com

 

[Fast Track]

Thank you all for the advise and help. This seems like a great community to be a part of.
If Holden & Opel are using 20" rims then maybe I could upsized the tires to 245/55r 19 and get a wider side wall with more cushioning between the rim & road. Any thoughts on how it would affect handling or safety.

 

[Fast Track]

Just found their card.
awrswheelrepair.com then find your closest location.
Alloy Wheel Repair

Thank you for make the extra effort to give me this information. I checked the website and there is a store right here in Indianapolis.

 

[75miguel75]

Thank you all for the advise and help. This seems like a great community to be a part of.
If Holden & Opel are using 20" rims then maybe I could upsized the tires to 245/55r 19 and get a wider side wall with more cushioning between the rim & road. Any thoughts on how it would affect handling or safety.

The handling and safety would not be compromised assuming you keep the tire size the same on all 4 wheels. Your speedometer may be affected by being inaccurate 2 to 3 miles. Your trans may shift slightly different since speedometer does not match actual speed. I see this all the time working on Acuras. Not sure how GM mapping is, but if there is a program built in to compensate for tire wear, then it will remap itself to the slight change in tire diameter. Acuras have it. It's why some customers notice trans lag or harsh shifting when the go from an 18inch to a 20inch. It corrects itself but speedo will still be inaccurate. Hope this helps.

 

[BoostedRegal2.0]

That size tire will rub on the front strut spring perch. It's 2 inches larger in diameter than your current tires which is way too big. If you want a taller sidewall you will need to go with 18 inch wheels and a 235/50/18 tires.