Billy1111

I went over a large bump a bit to fast and my rack ripped off the back of the car and my baby smashed to the ground!!

derailleur bent....to blown tires but the rims took hard and they are wobbling heavy.....were they just knocked outta true or are the done??

Andrew R Stewart 

Let me use my telescopic eyes and take a look at your wheels, would you mind holding them up to window that points towards the NW...

Really how do you expect us to help without photos/videos or some point of reference?

But you can help the next victim of aggressive driving by cluing us into the brand and model of your rack and car. No Kidding, your bad experience if explained well might prevent some one else from making the same error. Andy.

Billy1111

Its an Allen trunk rack......it was all my fault and no fault of the rack. I also has the side straps off because they kept scratching the trunk, not saying they would have stopped what happened but who knows. Slight slack when the bike bounced up the top truck hooks unhooked and down she came. I watched all happen in slow motion in the rear view mirror I figured veterans on here would know with out pics ill take them in tomorrow and see if they can be saved

Bill Kapaun

Shortly after getting my Globe, I did a panic stop and almost did a nose over with the rear wheel WAAAAAY off the ground.
I kind of stepped off to the side and the rear wheel came down & bounced hard. The wheel nearly taco'd because the spoke tension was so erratic. I'd hate to think what would have happened if I hit a real pothole?
So, you might be lucky and a proper tensioning of the wheel might be all that's necessary.

FBinNY 

Odds are they're bent or out of true because of a side impact. That usually bends the rims, but it's a question of degree. If the runout is gradual and spread over a decnt distance, then the rim is probably reasonably OK, and thr wheel can be trued. If there's fast local changes in true, the rim is likely bent and will resist efforts to true.

But even if the rim is bent, all may not be lost. Skilled mechanics can bring back many seemingly hopeless cases.

IMO, a photo here won't help, unless it's well beyond the pale. I suggest you consult with a local wheel builder or skilled mechanic and see what he (or she) has to say.

cny-bikeman

Truing typically can do little to straighten a significantly bent rim unless you are willing to give up stability for straightness. If the spokes in the area where the rim is bent are very loose in the direction of the bend then the rim is significantly bent and will need to be bent back before an attempt can be made to true the wheel.

FBinNY 

I consider massaging the rim part and parcel of truing if it's necessary. It's all one job, the wheel is bent or out of true, and needs to be made true, by whatever means necessary. Of course, not very wheel can be saved, and others can only be made good enough, but not perfect, but it's all a question of mechanic skill and paid time.

zacster

This is why I put my bikes inside the back of my minivan. My kids are all in college and we leave the rear seat folded down. The bikes just slide in and out.

Billy1111

the front can be saved but the rear they dont think so....they are not great rims but i liked them, hopefully can get replacement, they are specialized axis 2.0 disc ....if it cant be replaced will have to get a knew pair because i will go mad with 2 different wheels

jcb3

I myself am stunned that they are still making Allen Racks!

Everyone had them back in the 70s and we dropped a few bikes (and dented quite a few trunk lids)

I figured when Thule and Yakima came out with the premium racks in the 80s, Allen would be gone.

Rip Van Winkle to now and I'm surprised (but happy that a $35 rack can be had)

jcb3

Regarding a dented rim......

I procured an old Centurion Elite RS - Craigslist Special - the rear (mavic 27x1) had a bit of a hop/dent, enough that I could feel it when I rode (actually when I got going pretty fast, not so much at lower speeds)

I took it to the locally renowned master wheel builder and he woudn't touch it.

Now, a new wheel would have cost as much as the whole bike, something I was morally opposed to, so I came up with this contraption.



Cut up an old set of kid bmx handlebars, loosened the spokes around the hop/dent, and gave it a go.

When I retensioned the spokes, and trued the wheel, I noticed that the dent was pulled back in a bit, so I figured this is a weak spot and decided (the horror!) to de-tension the whole wheel (about 1/2 turn each spoke) and pull the dent out again - this time, with more care on the retensioning, it worked enough so that I don't feel the hop anymore.

Good luck (and I'm so sorry about the accident)

fietsbob

Somewhat like the above but less gentle and taking much less time..

I've had a shop co-worker demonstrate Newton's 2nd law , in un denting a rim with a flat spot in it , somewhat.


A beam sticking out of the wall worked well .. you put the wheel over it , and slam the wheel rim down over the protruding beam end

with a force equal, in the opposite direction, as the force that made the flat spot in the wheel in the 1st place.

cny-bikeman

I do as well, of course, but I was going from the OP's starting point - "bent rims or just outta true?" That's why I separated the two, but explained that a rim can be bent back and then trued.