I took a chunk out of the lip of my rim today... It's about 4-5 inches along the edge of the wheel and and is about 1/4" deep. Looks real bad, wanted to know what I could do to fix it. I dont think a simple remachining will work as it is real deep. I have a '02 lightning. Does anybody know about how much a new wheel costs? also do i need to be concerned about rust or corrosion due to the fact that the bare metal is showing? Thanks.

 

They're aluminum wheels, aluminum doesn't corrode. You're right though, only way to fix it is to get a new one. As long as its holding air fine and its just cosmetic make it your spare.

 

Actually, aluminum does corrode... thru oxidation. However, I don't think it will corrode enough for you to notice.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yes, your wheel will oxidize (technical term for corrosion) where the bare aluminum is now exposed. How bad will it get? It depends on a number of factors including how much salt is in the air or on the ground where you live and the temperature. (The rate of oxidation increases as temperature increases.) The oxidation will also creep under you clear coat eventually and the wheel will be even more junk than it probably is now. I'd be more worried about how much material you removed from the wheel since 4-5 inches near the bead is a pretty big area. I'd suggest replacing it immediately. There's usually a number of used L wheels available in the classifieds.