MTFCA Forum

This 21 inch rim seems a bit pretzeled but otherwise ok. I've tried straightening it by hand but it still off. Is there an established way of straightening these in this axis?

If you mount a tire in it and line up the straight edges, don’t you think the beads of the tire will straighten the rim and allow it to be properly expanded and locked in place? Jim Patrick

That rim looks like it has been through a fire. I'd look for a better one.

I'm sure someone could kit-bash it to something rounder...but something like that is way outside my wheelhouse and I'd just find a replacement.

How did it get that way? That whirligig thing in the pictures referenced? You wind it to the point you can just get the bead off...in your example someone wound it until near full closed and expected the tire to fall off. Does't work that way.

I've had some success pushing curly-cues back and locked, but a) you need a good lock. b) you have to press it out slow and even, and c) you better hope the lugs are tight! Even at that some wobble will remain and can be seen...but it gets the job done and by. Find a better rim and do pay attention to what style rim your are replacing...there were several designs, all different.

It can be straightened with a press & lots of patience & thought.
A customer had a tire shop try to install new tires for him. They "pretzelized" one & gave up.
I didnt have an extra one to sell the guy. Nothing to loose. Straightening took over an hour to get right.
I started by getting the rim to lay flat, then tweeking it to round.