Bent Wheel

This is a long story short people..........if you want the full version(kinda funny and ironic actually) email me at insane6p@hotmail.com

anyways, i "bumped" into a curb going 20-25 mph with my 1996 Buick Regal Custom(really my parents).  i know the front right wheel/tire is bent with the bottom facing in.  the left front is fine, but is it the lugs or the axle, or what thats making the wheel angled?  and can it be fixed?  cheaply hopefully???????  my parents are only out of town for 2 more days and i really need to get this fixed or it will be the end of me.  not really, but i probably won;'t have a social life for another 3,000 years.  and i dont want my parents to be disappointed in my wrong choice(s).  any help would be generously welcomed.  thanks

i think i figured it out.  its front wheel drive and its got a CV joint.  i think that the bolt holding the CV joint is broke in half because the the joint is like rammed into the interior of the rim and it looks like its no longer connected to the place its supposed to be(if that made ANY sense).  so, im thinking if i just got another bolt(assuming thats what it is) and bushings and stuff, it should be fine.  except for the rim, which has a chunk taken out of it about 3 inches long and the tire is bulging out(not good at all).  but i can find another one for $20 so i hope i can fix it

thanx for the help

Well.. on that vehicle, it doesent matter if the front axle (commonly reffered to as a half shaft) is broken or not, it WILL NOT change the allignment of the wheel/front suspension. If the wheel is leaning in or out all the time (no wobble... looks like / or \ all the time, several things could be bad. 1st thing i would check would be the ball joint. Next would be the wheel bearing. Next would be the tie rod and ends and finally the controll arm(with a tape measure).

To check the ball joint, jack the front end up, grab the tire at the top and bottom (12 and 6) and and wiggle it back and forth. This should be 100% solid, no movment what so ever. If there is any movement in there, you will want to check to see if its a ball joint OR a wheel bearing. Have a friend wiggle it (with some force) and take a peek underneath. Look at the ball joint and see if you can see it moving at all. If not, the play will be in the wheel bearing. This is best seen (when shaking it) by observing the front rotor compared to the controll arm... kinda tricky to see.. take your time and make sure.... use a pry bar if you have to.... put the prybar between the controll arm and the ball joint and see if you can get it to move up and down/side to side.

Next, grab the wheel left and right (9 and 3) and wiggle it back and forth... again there should be NO movement. If there is, inspect the tie rod and ends, these connect to the hub and steer the vehicle... with a friend shaking it... figure out which one is moving and replace it.

To check the controll arm, it gets tricky. Look at where it bolts up. Measure from the controll arm to the wheel well on the good side and compare it to the bad side... this could be the culprit as well

Good luck man