If you have just replaced your damaged rims with brand spankin’ new OEM wheels, you may have found yourself with some extra steel or alloy on your hands. Hopefully, the auto shop that put your new wheels on was able to dispose of your old rims and tires, if necessary. The DIY enthusiast, however, may have to (or just want to) figure out how to dispose of old wheels and rims on their own. It can get even more complicated if there are still tires mounted on your rims, especially if the tires are past their prime.
If you had a set of damaged rims but they still had tires in decent shape, you may have elected to dismount those tires and put them on your new OEM wheels. If you didn’t, you may want to consider having them dismounted and selling them to a used tire dealer or a place like Craigslist if they are still in good shape but you have no need for them.
If the tires are worn out or otherwise of no value to you, you will likely want to dismount them and dispose of them. Dismounting on your own without proper tools can be done but is not an easy chore. However, it’s important to remember that some auto shops charge anywhere from $5 to $20 per dismount. Due to the fact that tires are usually lined with a bead of steel for reinforcement, you can’t just toss your tires in the garbage can like normal trash. You will have to take them to an auto shop or tire recycling facility or garbage dump in your area and pay a small fee per each tire. This fee usually ranges from anywhere from a a few bucks and up to $10 per tire.
If the tires on the old rims still have some tread left, you may want to consider dismounting from the old wheels and either saving them for the future or putting them up for sale. You can try posting on car forums or you can even take them to a used tire store, although you will get less from a used tire store since they have to keep room to make a profit for themselves.
As for disposing of your actual wheels / rims, the scrapyard is usually a good place to get rid of steelies or alloys. Keep in mind that your steel wheels are probably not worth very much but this is still an easy way to get rid of them. On the other hand, damaged alloy wheels will be worth a lot more at the scrap yard. If they are not terribly damaged, you may be able to have them reconditioned, or sell them to a facility that handles such reconditioning. This method can get you more than their worth in scrap metal, but they have to have minimal damage. See our brief slideshow on the bottom of our We Buy Wheels page to see what type of damage would render an alloy wheel unable to be reconditioned.
If you’re really having a hard time getting rid of your old rims, throw them up on a local online forum or classifieds website such as Craigslist. Remember, one man’s trash if another man’s treasure.
If you’re looking for how to dispose of your damaged rim, it might be time to get some new wheels. Luckily, you found the best place for that! Sign up for a free Wheelfinder account to browse our entire selection of OEM alloy wheels and OEM steel wheels.