Originally Posted by h2o_polo_boi
Is there any reason as to why I would not be able to salvage the original rim and spokes?
An edge of the rim was bent inward, and using an adjustable wrench, I bent it back within 4 seconds. Now you can't even notice it. I'm wondering, if it was that easy to bend the wall back, why would i not be able to squash the rest of the rim back into true and then rebuild it?
btw, my front wheel has 20 spokes if that helps.
Aluminum does not take bending well. If it is JUST the edge of the rim that needs to be bent back in place, that's probably okay, but if the overall shape has been distorted, it's not so good. It's quite difficult to bend a rim back into shape, for one thing. Your idea of pressing it between two heavy, flat surfaces probably won't work because you have to bend metal PAST the desired position in order to permanently yield it. (For example, if you bend a paper clip by 1 inch, it might spring back by 1/4 inch.)
Also, after all this bending, the rim is likely to be weaker around the bends. Might cause it to sag or bulge or come out of true more easily. How far out of round/true is it anyway???