So I had my tires rotated and balanced the other day and the guy tells me 3 out of 4 of my rims are bent. Should I be concerned about this or is it not a big deal? I plan on eventually getting new rims but that isn't for quite a while, unless I need them now.

 

Depends what he means.... if theyre wobbling on rotation, thats a no brainer.. if the lip is bent from a curb, youre fine as long as it holds air

 

...If not, you can find some good deals for wheels on this site!

 

You probably need to put a number on that claim. Measure the runout of the rim with a dial indicator. Around 0.040" will need to be fixed or scrapped.

 

Yeah they hold air but I was wondering if it would start to ruin the tires after a while or something.

 

I run a bent rim on my cavalier. It was in the front (pot hole hit). Pretty badly bent. I've got over a 100k miles on that rim, I only run it on the back right position (otherwise it would cause steering shake). Not sure exactly how bad the runout is, but I can see it visually, so its probably more than .040". The inspection station that spotted the bent rim balanced it and moved it to the back, showed me, and recommended I change it when I have the $$$.

I get about 40-50K miles on the front tires, and about 70-80k on the rears. I don't rotate my tires and I drive about 1000miles a week commuting, mostly highway, mostly between 75 and 80mph. I don't notice any unusual wear and tear on the tires. I purchase tires that offer some performance (H rated at least since I tend to drive 40-60% over the speed limit) and have mileage ratings of between 50-80K with a compromise for lower price.

I would still recommend replacing the rim, but I haven't wanted to spend the ca$h to do mine. Also, I still have the original wheel bearings at 150K miles, so I don't think running my bent rim has made any difference at all. If it becomes a problem, like bad wear or that particular bearing is the first to go, I may consider swapping the rim out.