Originally Posted by
Deontologist
I hit a HUGE branch on the road today - lights were pointed too far upward for me to see the branch.
When I got home I spun the front wheel around a bit and noticed that at times the wheel comes ever so closer to the brake pads (which are already very, very close to the rim to begin with). I'd say maybe a millimeter of side to side wobble every now and then.
Is my wheel untrue? Or is the rim bent? What should/can I do?
Edit: I just tested it again pushing the brakes really, really close to rim and yes, the rim is rubbing on the brakes sometimes when I spin it. Not all the time. Just sometimes. So yes it appears that the rim is slightly bent.
Most likely, your rim is not damaged, it just needs to be trued up a bit. Still, if you don't know what you're doing with it, take it to a shop rather than do it yourself and chance messing it up worse.