Can a wheel be bent by over-torqueing lug nuts?

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I'm curious if anyone traced bent, wobbly (steel) wheels back to use of impact gun on lug nuts by some maniac.
The Maxima in the sig has 205/65-15 tires on steel rims, and 2 of the rims were wobbly (side to side) - one much more than the other (I replaced the worse one).
I'm pretty sure that's how the wheels came from the previous owner, car shaked from the day I bought it. It just seems hard to believe hitting a pothole or curb on this size tire would bend them out of true, without leaving an impact mark on the rim.
 
Highly doubt that would be possible. The studs would break first most likely.

I have seen numerous rims bent from potholes, and they don't have any impact marks per se, they're just out of round.
 
Yeah, I don't think so.

I've heard of brake rotors expanding unevenly due to unevenly torqued lug nuts. Theoretically, I guess the same could happen to the same wheel, and maybe it could become permanent... again, in theory. But even if that's possible, it seems MUCH less likely than impact damage.
 
Besides the studs breaking first like Canadastang said, over-torquing would be more felt in the brakes than the tires/wheels. I have gotten brake wobble from overtorqued wheels. Potholes can damage wheels of any size especially if you have other issues with the suspension.

But the good news is that you have steelies, which can be bent back into shape, and the worst case scenario, replacements are cheap at the junkyard
smile.gif
 
As everyone else has said. no. you have flat metal up against flat metal.
Wheels bend near the edge not the center.

You can warp brake rotors or stretch/break studs pretty easily.
 
Don't under estimate damage from pot holes, they destroy cars. Stuts, mounts, bent wheels, broken ball joints, broke springs, blown tires, bent control arms are all on the long list of damaged parts.
I had a scarce polished starfish wheel damaged last year by one despite driving like a drunken sailor to avoid them, it showed no impact damage but wobbled like a weeble.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
As everyone else has said. no. you have flat metal up against flat metal.



Not on my camry steel rims. The flat metal is between the lug holes and the lug holes are elevated slightly away from the rotor face. This adds some "spring" and a resultant wider range of lug rotation that provides an approximately correct torque.

But I agree with the rest. A pothole can do way more damage than a person with tools.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies and clearing things up!
For the record, the Maxima steelies are like eljefino's Camry when it comes to the mounting surface.
Now, who knows of a place that straightens steel wheels in Orange County?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Rand
As everyone else has said. no. you have flat metal up against flat metal.



Not on my camry steel rims. The flat metal is between the lug holes and the lug holes are elevated slightly away from the rotor face. This adds some "spring" and a resultant wider range of lug rotation that provides an approximately correct torque.

But I agree with the rest. A pothole can do way more damage than a person with tools.



Right but even if tightened to 500ft/lb it would simply pull the metal in slightly and not result in the whole "bent wheel" type of vibration ride.

My earlier comment was imprecise.
 
Originally Posted By: Nigel_The_Great
I'm willing to bet that the price of a new one is the same or really close to the labor to straighten it.

A new steel wheel list price was $273 if I remember right. But they were unavailable.
The one I got from the junkyard came out to ~$30 after all the taxes they pile on (they even charge an environmental fee for taking their junk). They would not spin it, so I had to take a gamble. It is not perfect, but seems ok to 80mph in my application.
 
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