Is it possible to judge whether a rim is bent or not with your eyes in real life or do you need some sort of machine to balance and tell?

 

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

A significant bend can be visible to the naked eye but more often than not, minor bends aren't as easy to see...

 

As Rudy says, it has to be a pretty serious lump to see without spinning the wheel.
I would recommend jacking up the car so the offending wheel is off the deck. (usual disclaimers about chocking opposite wheels, not getting under the car, etc. apply). To start with, spin the wheel and see if you can spot a bend in the rim. Do the same for the inner rim of the wheel. If you have a minor bend, it will probably be on the inner rim, as they don't have as much support as the outer. If you think you can see a bend, get some blocks of wood and build yourself a small tower so you can place something close to the rim (a spanner is as good as anything, but a steel rule is good too. A dial gauge micrometer is probably taking it too far!!). Secure this with another block on top. Spin the wheel again and look at the distance between the rim and your spanner or whatever. This should obviously remain constant. If your rim is bent, it won't. It is quite surprising how even just a mark on the tyre can fool the eye into thinking that a rim is bent. The edge against the rim is proof one way or another. It's all your Dealer will do, although he may take the wheel off and put it on his balancing machine to spin the wheel.

Mike

 

I think the Hunter Road-Force balancing machine that many dealers use will determine not only if a wheel is bent but also where the bend is. It's an amazing piece of equipment...

 

I'll second that - excellent piece of kit. This has certainly sorted a number of balance problems I've had in the past on other cars that 'standard' balancing machines could not solve.

They are extremely rare though here in the UK - I have a 120 mile journey (each way) to the nearest garage that has one! I think there are probably only 10 or so places nationally that have one (according to the Hunter website).

Does the BMW dealer Network use these machines in the US?

 

Certainly, as you can see the contour of the wheel, ideally you got to take of the rim from the car to see properly. But the outside rim is usually hit inwards, i have some wheel experience as i workied in K ONE WHEELS in Green Street, and i chnaged my wheels on my E36 about 7 times in the 5 years that i kept it.

However on the E60 i have only chnaged wheels twice from Original, 2 times.

I have this problem with my E90, the wheels have been torchered by curbs and high end pavements, women drivers unfortunately.

I,l put some pics of it up and you will see what i mean, totall disgusting, ive also been told that these wheels have to go as they are too badly damaged and that i will have to replace them at some point soon.

E60BEEMER

Will get some E90 Bad wheel pics up shortly

 

I don't know if the US BMW dealers are required to have them but it's possible that they are recommended. I'm sure my dealer has one and I seem to recall reading a TSB that suggests road force balancing as a remedy to an issue...

 

See the state of these wheels

you can see on one pic from the curve that its buckled inwards which in turn affects the camber and toe, which knocks the tracking

balancing of the wheels is done

 

Jesus man...tell me that's not your car! If it is, someone needs to learn how to park. That's some serious curb rash!

 

i think from a past post sometime those wheels are on his 3 series? well, that hurts to see more than worn out shoes on a nice car.