MDT HAS 1 MAIN GEAR TIRE DEPART THE ACFT ON TKOF. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT.

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ON DEP FROM RWY 4 AT CHAMPAIGN; IL; ENRTE TO CHICAGO; IL; THE #3 MAIN WHEEL DEPARTED THE ACFT. THE TWR INFORMED FLT OF THIS AND AFTER CONTACTING DISPATCH A DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT FT WAYNE; IN. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENCE. THE PROB STARTED WHEN COMPLETING A 180 DEG TURN AT THE END OF RWY 4 AT CMI. THE NOSE STEERING ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ACFT WOULD NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT. EVEN WHEN USING OPPOSITE BRAKES AND DIFFERENTIAL PWR. MAINT WAS CONTACTED THROUGH OPS AND A CONVERSATION THROUGH A THIRD PARTY WITH THEM DIRECTED US TO TRY WHAT WE HAD ALREADY DONE. A DECISION TO HAVE A LCL FBO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS MADE. THE FBO TRUCK CAME OUT TO THE ACFT WITH 2 AGENTS AND ATTACHED A TOW BAR AND STRAIGHTENED OUT THE NOSEWHEEL. THE FO GOT OFF THE PLANE ONCE WE SHUTDOWN THE #1 ENG (THE #2 ENG WAS STILL RUNNING) TO MAKE SURE THEY ATTACHED THE TOW BAR CORRECTLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR. HE THEN GOT BACK ON AND ASKED IF EVERYTHING WAS OKAY BUT I COULD NOT TURN THE NOSE STEERING BACK ON UNTIL THE TOW BAR WAS DISCONNECTED. HE GOT BACK OFF AND HAD THEM DISCONNECT. ONE OF THE AGENTS SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A MAIN TIRE OR WHEEL IN A CASUAL MANNER. THE FO INDICATED THEY LOOKED NORMAL TO HIM AND WE STARTED #1 ENG AND DEPARTED. NOW AFTER THE FACT; I HEAR THE AGENT SAID 'THE WHEEL WAS BENT INWARD SO FAR IT TOUCHED THE STRUT.' SINCE THE WHEEL DID FALL OFF PERHAPS IT WAS BENT. BUT I KNOW THE FO WOULD NEVER KNOWINGLY GET ON AND ALLOW THE ACFT WITH 37 PEOPLE TO DEPART. THE ACFT TAXIED NORMALLY. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROB. SO WHAT HAPPENED? I SUSPECT THE CASUAL ATTITUDE OF THE FBO AGENT AND THE FACT THAT THE #2 ENG WAS RUNNING AND THE FO HAD EAR PLUGS IN COMBINED WITH A 15 KT WIND CREATED AN EXTREMELY NOISY ENVIRONMENT TO COMMUNICATE IN. IT WAS ALSO DAWN; COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAD A PROB WITH THE NOSE STEERING NOT A MAIN WHEEL AND MAINT SAID NOTHING ABOUT A MAIN WHEEL WE HAD NO INDICATION OF A PROB EXCEPT THE ONE COMMENT FROM THE FBO AGENT. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT ANY PERSON INVOLVED IN AVIATION WOULD NOT KNOWINGLY LET AN ACFT DEPART WITH A PROB THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I KNOW THOSE OF US ON THE FLT DECK WOULD NEVER HAVE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DEPART HAD WE KNOWN OF THIS PROB. PERHAPS THE AGENT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ADAMANT. A DIRECT LINK TO MAINT COULD HAVE HELPED. COULD THE ACFT MANUFACTURER HAVE HELPED TROUBLESHOOT?