Unbend a Nardi Steering Wheel?

[jux]

I had a nasty wreck about four years ago. I somehow managed to bend the 330mm Deep Corn that was in the car at the time. I guess I'm lucky I even had a chance to pull the wheel and other stuff from the car before it went to the junkyard.

The bend isn't horrible. I didn't even notice it until I happened to put the wheel down on a table and saw the hub wasn't pointing straight up.

I'd like to bend it back into shape and put it to use. It seems feasible, as the bend is in the spoke(s) rather than the ring. One opinion I've gotten is that rebending the wheel to get it back into shape would add fatigue to the wheel, making it a bit less safe.
I can certainly see the logic, and I guess we can sort of consider a steering wheel as a wear item when it comes to instances like this.

Should I bother trying to fix the wheel or just hang it on the wall as a reminder?

[horribleR]

I'd say wall.

[tanakapz]

meh hang it on the wall. fatigued metal is sketchy, especially for something you steer your car with.

[— Malibu Q —]

Wall. You'll never get it straight anyway. I've driven cars with wobbly steering wheels and it feels awful.

[WASABI]

Nardi wheels are works of art, and as such, this one should be framed in a nice shadow box. It's not worth trusting something that's not 100% reliable on your car... with your life.

-Jim

P.S. Email Nardi, and see if they have a buy back program, or crash exchange discount. Worth a try.

[iKhanh]

^ yeah, contact them and let us know what their response is, so that we can know what our options are if we were in a situation like yours (hopefully not though).

[jux]

Thanks for the input, everyone! The poor wheel's been languishing on a shelf since my last move a couple of years ago. It was on the wall before that.

Email Nardi, and see if they have a buy back program, or crash exchange discount. Worth a try.

Interesting idea! Kinda like what Bethania Garage does for their customers after wrecks: heavily discounting a replacement Hard Dog bar.
I'll see what I can find out and report back. Let's see how long this takes.

[— Phatmiata —]

Wall for sure.

[— kung fu jesus —]

Racing sim.

[Pfunk]

Badass '90s-rapper-esque necklace medallion.

[jux]

Lol! Great idea!
Sadly, I already wear a wall clock necklace.

[theothersawyer]

Driving with a previously bent wheel would scare me. My vote goes to the wall.

[jux]

I'm back with the official word. Nardi does not have any sort of replacement program.
Can't say I'm shocked to learn this. Not even a little bit.

Hey, didn't hurt to ask, and now everyone knows.
nbc_the_more_you_know.jpg

[73Bacon]

Aluminum is one of the softest and most forgiving materials. Bend it back and it will be ok. You will only fatigue aluminum by repeated cycling, that is stress that is consistently applied and reversed hard enough to deform it.

The only theoretical change to the wheel is the material that's straightened will be a tiny bit harder from the *single* fatigue cycle you will put on it. I'm pretty sure you will be within reasonable limits on the metal if the bend is so slight you just noticed it. If you do not have any cracks the wheel is fine.

It's aluminum, not eggshell. Straighten it.