What home wheel measuring tools do you recommend for those who have measured a rim?

This article says that the normal factory spec is thirty thousandths on the "roundess", and it says that BMW wheels are the softest of all:
- Tire Review: Diagnosing Vibration Issues
Interestingly, he uses the "Mark I" eyeball for his roundness detector.

This article briefly shows one possible way to measure wheels in your garage:
- Causes of Shakes, Wobbles, And Shimmies And (Hopefully) Their Cures

They also show how to measure hub runout at the same time.

See also:
- One users quest to diagnose uneven tire wear on the inside edge due to excessive and uneven alignment camber & toe (1) (2) & how one user selects a tire (1) & what are the most common bimmerfest tire recommendations (1) & where to buy your tires in the USA (1) & how many miles do you get per every 100 UTQG points (1) & recommended tire pressures (1) & the claimed benefits of nitrogen gas (1) what tire changing tools do you need to break the bead on the rim and set the bead back on the wheel when changing a tire at home (1) (2) (3) & where are the marks on the wheel and on the tire for proper tire match mounting and wheel balancing to eliminate vibration (1) & what tools do you need to balance a tire and rim at home to eliminate shimmy or vibration at speed (1) & how do you properly dispose of your old car tires (1) & how to measure wheel dimensions such as runout and eccentricity at home (1) & where to get bent or damaged wheel rims repaired (1) (2).

Running the obligatory bimmerfest-only e39-only title-only searches for 'bent rim' and 'bent wheel', I don't find all that much that will help me DIY the measurements:

• Help Please: Bent OEM M-Parallel Rim
• is anyone riding on a minor bent rim without problems?
• Panties and a bent rim (pic)
• Bent rim
• Bent Rim - Who Can Fix in Oregon???
• Rear wheel bent outward

Unfortunately, there were no wheel specs listed in any of those threads above, nor any measurement hints either.

I haven't checked my paper Bentleys yet, but the word "wheel" is mentioned 606 times in the electronic Bentley, but I haven't found any specs yet.

Googling, I found these, but, again, no hints on measurement nor details on specs:
- Repairing an E39 M5 Wheel (Chris Parente)
- E39 wheel cracked and bent (Chris Parente)
- Curb rash repair on an E39 wheel (Chris Parente)

This video shows a measurement jig at time point 76; but it doesn't give any hints nor specs on measurement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sK-RwLdilqg#t=76

While looking for specs and methods of measurement, I found a few videos showing how the wheel straightening process is accomplished.
This short video shows how to correctly measure the diameter of a wheel (from bead seat to bead seat):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MqhLx_3HiQc#t=23

This video shows a guy using a tape measure and a pipe clamp to hold the aluminum bead together (where he says he can get to 20 thousandths):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kajpyU8kQbU#t=154

But here is a DIY video, showing how just the dial indicator stand was used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YA3ExkMPhD8#t=10

Here's another video (time point 436) simply using the dial gauge stand as a measuring tool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YA3ExkMPhD8#t=10

This video uses a dial gauge to check eccentricity at the bead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GSfENSr4slU#t=16

This video used a screwdriver as a pointer for an out-of-round wheel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Vzcc-9DXRN4#t=92

The screwdriver was held in a different position, and the wheel was spun:

And, a third position (for each side of the wheel) was checked the same way:

This guy did the same thing, but with a yardstick and a paint can instead of with a box and screwdriver:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_Zt6GW0VhqQ#t=82

This guy heated the alumimun wheel up to over 150 degrees Celcius, measured with a digital thermometer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wePQeLB4AMQ#t=114

And, they measured with a half-round moon-shaped slice of hardwood:

Interestingly, they used a truck parked on a board holding down the half-removed tire, to hold the rim solidly in place like a vise:

Running a few more searches, I find this related Bimmerfest thread:
- > E36/7 Z3 (1996-2002) > Tool to measure/check wheel roundness/trueness??

BMcCoupe said:

Is there a simple/inexpensive tool I could buy at like Kragen or NAPA that could tell if the wheel is pretty straight? I don't know what to search for when I go in to a parts store or what to ask for, and I know I heard that something like this exists.

Looked at some used rims yesterday, and need to check them for straightness, w/o using a piece of string and a ruler....

Click to expand...

Ron Stygar said:

You could use a dial indicator with stand.

I've printed out the info you need. Will post it when I get a chance to scan the 12 or so pages.
For one-part alloy wheels the spec is:
Max. radial runout of rim is 0.3 mm = .012"
Max. axial runout of rim is the same .012"

Click to expand...

Ron Stygar said:

The procedure is basically a dial indicator on a stand.
The spec with tire is 1.1 radial and 1.3 mm axial.

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And, on Bimmerforums, is this:
- How do you check a wheel for roundness?

I would like to know how one can check a wheel for the roundness. Can a invisibly small out of roundness cause vibration? Wouldn't its effect be deleted out when you balance the tire/wheel?

Click to expand...

Use a dial indicator with the freewheeling method described above. With this, you can measure runout in thousandths of an inch. Measure lateral (side profile of the lip and radial (inner face of rim hoop) on the inner and outer parts of the wheel. Wihtout a doubt you'll see some measure of runout on all your wheels and how much is too much and causes unfixable balance vibrations, i don't know. Check all your wheels for a baseline and compare values to see if one is radically more than the others.

Click to expand...

- checking if wheel is bent - possible DIY?

I bought a style 66 from Wheels and Caps for my 00 540i. The wheel was sent by Coast to Coast International. I think these are the same company or closely related. The wheel is for the back so it is a 17x9. The price was very good IMHO. You can check on the webiste. Before I decided to keep the wheel I wanted to check a few things:
1 - "roundness" - radial and lateral runout on both lips - pictures attached
2 - finish quality and color match.

First "roundness".
I setup and measured both lips for lateral and radial runout. The wheel is true. Radial = 6-9mils TIR, Lateral = 3-4mils TIR. The radial runout was bumped up a bit from some debris painted over near the mounting bead, so I think the number is really a bit better.

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I found these specs by googling, so, pretty much, we have the specs figured out:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Hunter GSP9700 balancer. What numbers should we shoot for?

edjack said:

From the TIS

Max. radial runout of tire: Rim with tire max. mm 1.1
Max. axial runout or tire: Rim with tire max. mm 1.3
Max. radial runout out rim max. mm 0.3
Max. axial runout of rim max. mm 0.3
Max. imbalance for each side: (before balancing): max. g 90 for clamp weights; 120 for stick-on weights
Permissible residual imbalance for each side: (after balancing) max. g 4
Elimination of imbalance: Up to 60 g with one weight; or more than 60 g with two weights

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This reference was on the Pelican site:
- What's a reasonable rim runout limit?

According to the Technical Specifications book 78-81 930:
Max permissable radial runout for steel rims 1.25mm
Max permissable radial runout for alloy rims 1.0mm
Max permissable lateral runout for steel rims 1.25mm
Max permissable lateral runout for alloy rims 0.80mm
Max permissable radial and lateral runout for rim + tire 1.50mm

Click to expand...

This was also found:
- From the BMW Technical Data fiche # 6 part # 01 51 9 788 311 dated 02/96

From RonStygar_at_aol.com Thu Mar 19 01:59:50 1998
From: Ron Stygar <ronstygar_at_aol.com>
To: BMW-digest_at_mailgate.wizvax.net, dale_at_unofficialbmw.com,
318ti-compact-list_at_lists.tvfcanada.com
Subject: <all> Alloy Wheel Specifications

For someone who wanted to know if his restored wheels were within OE spec., as claimed by the restorer.
From the BMW Technical Data fiche # 6 part # 01 51 9 788 311 dated 02/96 which retails for $ 14.40.

Max. radial runout of tire rim with tire = 1.6mm (0.063)
Max. axial runout of tire rim with tire = 1.6mm (0.063)
Max. radial runout of rim = 0.6mm (0.024)
Max. axial runout of rim = 0.6mm (0.024)
Max. dynamic imbalance for each wheel max. gcm = 180
Max. dynamic imbalance for each side max. g = 90 Elimination of imbalance: Up to 60g with one weight, or more than 60g with two weights.
RonStygar_at_aol.com FLY BMW
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/ronstygar.html

Click to expand...

</all></ronstygar_at_aol.com>

This seems to show how to check wheel runout for BMW alloy wheels:
RIM/WHEEL:
1. CHECKING WHEEL RIM FOR RADIAL AND LATERAL RUNOUT

WHEEL/TIRE:
2. CHECKING WHEEL FOR LATERAL AND RADIAL RUNOUT

Similar to the BMW test above, this reference shows tests being run:
- Testing vehicle vibration

The flaw, in all these measurements, is that we have to find a way, at home, to spin the wheel assembly perfectly evenly on a hub-centric axle.
Either we...

1. Spin the wheel on the car
   • But does this work?
2. Spin the wheel on a vertical home-made axle
   • What's an easy way to make one?
3. Spin the wheel on a horizontal home-made axle
   • Can we easily retrofit mounting or balancing tools?

I think a nice axle might be the vertical-style tire balancer of this type:


I'm not sure my static balancer would do, as it's not designed to have the hub spinning on the fragile soft-steel point (the point should have been made out of hardened steel instead).


Perhaps I can slip "something" over the top of this tire-changing tool, to turn it into an axle?

Any advice you have for me to make a hub-centric home-made axle?
See also:
- Which of the dozen alignment specs are adjustable on the BMW E39 (1) (pdf) & cn90's front alignment DIY (1) (2) and cn90's rear wheel alignment DIY (1) & what tools measure rear camber at home (1) (2) and what tools measure front/rear toe at home (1) & what tools lock the steering wheel & brake pedal at home (1) & why does BMW recommend weights to set the normal ride height (aka nominal suspension position) prior to any alignment (1) & how to diagnose uneven tire wear on the inside edge due to camber and toe alignment issues (1) (2) & how to select a replacement tire strictly by the numbers (1) & what are the most common bimmerfest user's tire recommendations (1) & where do people buy their tyres anyway (1) & how many miles do you get for every 100 UTQG points (1) & what are the recommended tire pressures for front and rear (1) & what are the claimed benefits of nitrogen gas (1) what tire mounting tools do you need to change your own tyres at home (1) (2) (3) & where are the match mounting marks on the wheel and on the tire for precise tire mounting based on radial runout and heavy spot considerations (1) & what tools do you need to balance a wheel at home to eliminate shimmy or vibration at speed (1) & how do you properly dispose of your old worn out car tires (1) & how to measure bent wheel dimensions such as rim runout and wheel eccentricity at home (1) & where to get bent or damaged wheel rims repaired (1) (2) & what winter driving ice and snow tire chains to use (1) & what are the most recommended products for cleaning BMW BBS wheels (1) & where to buy E39 wheels online (1) & what are the main causes of vibration while highway driving (1) & vibration while highway braking (1) & how to diagnose a violent shudder while slow speed braking on bumps (1)