adclark

In a crash last weekend, my rear wheel sustained some damage from sliding across the pavement. The largest gash is about 1/32" deep and the width of the brake track. It extends radially outward on the brake track. It is not deep enough that I worry about the rim failing, but I can hear every time it reaches the brake pads when applying the rear brake. Does anybody know of a way to flatten this out so that it doesn't chew up my brake pads?

I have filed down a rim joint before, but doing that here would leave a dip in the rim surface rather than flattening it so the brake would have a surging feeling I think. I would prefer to keep the same rim and not to have to relace a new rim to the hub if possible. My only other option is just to keep it as is since I don't use the rear brake much anyway and it will still work when I need it. My main concern is excessive wear on the brake pads. Thanks for your help.

Gluteus

pics?

10 Wheels

Get another wheel..

tardman91

Put a small amount of JB Weld in there and then file it down.

RedLeg

...or a new rim, and have the bike shop rebuild the wheel OR check the manufacturer for a warranty.

dnuzzomueller

emory cloth, take off any burrs and let natural rim wear do the rest.

adclark

It was a crash so no warranty there. I can rebuild the wheel myself, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to.

EDIT: Here's a picture:

RedLeg

I would still check on the warranty. OR better yet, have your LBS check for you....you never know.

Easton for instance gave me a 30% discount on a front wheel that had three spokes blown off in a race due to a crash.

adclark

And this one is the winner. I took it by the LBS that I trust due to the varying opinions here. They told me the pad will likely wear out faster, but it is safe to ride for now. They also suggested that I could smooth it out a bit and let the brake pad do the rest.

Specialized2k10

i have almost the same gash except mine is two gashes instead of the 4 you show on the pic. my friend is a former shop mechanic, he took my wheel and resurfaced it. i dont know what he used but i know that my wheel doesnt make the scraping sound while braking like it did before it got resurfaced.

ivan_yulaev

What about filling it with epoxy or JB weld and the sanding it smooth? Won't do much for structural integrity but it will allow you to smooth out the area without having to remove much material.

alexaschwanden

^ ditto, or replace the rim with the exact one.

bored117 

or do Aluminum brazing rod thing...
Dura Fix and resurface...

redoak

As was said earlier...............emory cloth and forget about it. It won't damage the brake pad. The sound from the pad touching the gash will diminish really fast. The rim will be smooth and good to go.
If you can't wait for the pad to do it for you, Mavic Tech says to fill with epoxy and sand away the excess epoxy.
I'm speaking from experience.

m015094

Awesome. I'm glad I found this thread. I was using a spare Ksyrium Elite on my commuter bike and had a run in with a taxi cab. The rim has a nice gouge in it and I was wondering what I could do to fix it. It's also got a small dent on the inside of the rim (non tire side).

I'll post some pics when I get home tonight....and then hopefully so "after" pics once I get it fixed.

Homebrew01

Small block of wood with fine grit sandpaper .... back & forth a few times in the direction of rotation, until there are no high spots .... good as new (almost).

m015094

geist

Save yer brake pads and sand that shiz down. Doesn't look structural from the photo.

m015094

Well, I got some 150 grit sand paper and went to town on it. It's not perfect by far, but it doesn't give me the bucking broncho effect that was going on when it first happened. I'll let you know when, and if, the rim fails due to the impact. I'm hoping never, but maybe I'm naive.

novacoke

That dent makes it look toast IMHO. If that's a front wheel, I wouldn't chance it.

ahsposo 

I'd junk that wheel on either end of the bike.

Toast.

Homebrew01

Go for it. I bet it lasts a long time. Just check it regularly to see if it forms cracks.

antmeeks

Smart.

Good common sense.

Are you familiar with Darwin's Theory?

m015094

Well, it lasted about a year and 1,000 miles since I mainly used another set. But, ultimately the rim cracked, but not at the site of the dent, but about 120° from it.


So, I scrapped the wheel. I took out the spokes and it still took me a good 5 minutes of wailing on it before the rim broke.

rpenmanparker 

No wheel building job is easier than replacing a rim with the exact duplicate. You just tape the two rims together and move the spokes. No muss, no fuss. An easy job for the LBS if you don't know how to do it yourself. I say just do it.