Bent rims: needing replacement

I brought my car in for service when it began to vibrate, just a few days ago, at high speed. I am told that both left side rims have been bent and that the tires on rims rims have worn excessively due to those bends. I am told that the rims bent after hitting a pothole but I do not recall hitting a bump/hole in the road badly enough to bend anything! Is it possible that the stock rims are fairly fragile or that a different wheel/tire configuration would provide a more durable solution?

To replace the two stock rims, two stock tires, and then mount, balance, and align them, it will cost $1600.00 at Toyota. I don't have 1600.00 to fix these problems, and I certainly won't have 1600.00 more if this problem were to resurface in the future for such a ridiculous reason.

I have no intention on spending $302.00 per tire, seeing that I've already had one flat. I like the look of low profile tires, but if having low profile tires means severely compromising wheel structure under stress then I suppose I could live with standard profile tires.

Also, I do like the look of stock rims, but I would not be opposed to buying different rims if I can find some aftermarket rims that retail modestly below the stock $390.00 per rim and are of equal or better structural and tensile quality than the stock rims -- as well as visually pleasing.

In the end I am looking to do three things: 1) swap any overpriced component susceptible to damage for a less costly alternative, and 2) preserve the quality and safety of the vehicle by swapping one high quality component for another that meets the aforementioned criterion, and 3) prevent something like this from happening in the future (rims bending for such a petty reason) by swapping the current components for components meeting the aforementioned criteria.

Well. I've been glancing at some rims and tires on tirerack.com and I was wondering how you all felt about this choice with regard to the goals listed previously.

ASA MR9 on BSP tC. I will not use the inserts With the Kumho Ecsta ASX tire.

Also considering Enkei Performance LS-5

But both of those wheels are 25lbs. Isn't that too heavy?

Also, where can I find the rims from the scion website for the Five Star kit?

navylife59,

Thank you for your reply. I am leaning toward a darker set of rims (like the second and third rim choices in my post).

Basically I plan to buy the second set of rims: the 18x7.5 rim with a +42mm offset. Will that be the offset I need for that size wheel? And it is also constructed with a 1 Pc. Gravity Cast w/MAT Technology. Will that wheel be sturdy, durable, and reliable rim? Will I need to worry about pothole? The dealership says that a pothole cause my stock wheel damage but I don't see how anything I could've hit anything that would've bent my rims.

I would buy the third set if I could buy I know nothing about them because I can't find them anywhere.

So you would recommend against buying a 18"x7.5" because its offset of +42 is the offset I would need for an 8"?

Thank you for your reply. I don't want to do anything unless you think it'll work out problem free. So I guess I'm just, "waiting on your approval."

Tenzo DC5v2 Charcoal Gray. 18x8, 5x100, +45mm, wheel installation kit

What type of tire do I need to fit yet avoid pothole problems? (eg. Kumho Ecsta ASX, Blackwall, 225/40R18 or 235/40R18)

I don't intend on upgrading the suspension but if the ride height increases with these wheels then I would consider changine things if I could do so without fitment/clearence/financial issues.

FYI, I bought and purchased the Enkei LS-5 wheels with Sumitomo HTR+ tires. Everything seems to have worked our perfectly given the stock configuration. I will post pictures sometime later this week when I can.