is it legal to fix cracked rims

[polski_ogurek]

just a quick question regarding rims with slight cracks resulting from potholes, is it legal to fix these?? and if so, how well do these fixes hold up when done by someone who knows what they are doing??

cheers

[brad]

Yes it's legal.

Repair is generally stronger than the rim.

[dylan8]

Yes it's legal.

Repair is generally stronger than the rim.

assuming it is done correctly.

In saying this I have had both professional and home job repairs done.
Both were fine afterwards

[brad]

assuming it is done correctly.

In saying this I have had both professional and home job repairs done.
Both were fine afterwards

I assumed that he was asking "if done by suitably trained & experienced people".

Sure, if I did it then he'd be taking his life in his hands.

[polski_ogurek]

I assumed that he was asking "if done by suitably trained & experienced people".

Sure, if I did it then he'd be taking his life in his hands.

yes i was asking if/when done by a pro, not myself, no chance i would be any good at aluminium welding

[gldgti]

my experience (as someone who Tig welds every day of the week) is to take it to someone who specifically advertises alloy wheel repair - It takes a lot of experience to do it right (the welding part) and usually they can re-roll the rim back to round aswell, which is very important, not just for the obvious reason, but also because it helps to work harden the weld and HAZ (heat affected zone), minimising stress concentrations.

[wai]

Personally, if I had a wheel that cracked for ANY reason, I would be replacing it. You need to be absolutely sure that you know what has caused it. You cannot second guess. If it has cracked because it has hit potholes, it must have been a pretty hard hit. Wheels do not crack because they have had a light hit. Even if it undergoes non-destructive testing (dye penetration, ultrasonic and magnetic particle (might be difficult with alloys)) you can never be sure. Cracks you can see are one thing. It is the ones you cannot see that you need to worry about.

By the time you go through all the cost of testing, repair and any heat treating, you still have a wheel that has been damaged. It is simply not worth the risk and could be cheaper to replace the wheel.

[brad]

Personally, if I had a wheel that cracked for ANY reason, I would be replacing it. You need to be absolutely sure that you know what has caused it. You cannot second guess. If it has cracked because it has hit potholes, it must have been a pretty hard hit. Wheels do not crack because they have had a light hit. Even if it undergoes non-destructive testing (dye penetration, ultrasonic and magnetic particle (might be difficult with alloys)) you can never be sure. Cracks you can see are one thing. It is the ones you cannot see that you need to worry about.

By the time you go through all the cost of testing, repair and any heat treating, you still have a wheel that has been damaged. It is simply not worth the risk and could be cheaper to replace the wheel.

It depends on the wheel & circumstance. I worked at one of the first places to do wheel repairs in Sydney back in the 80s. We (the wheel guys, I did mechanicals & alignments) did a lot of exotica & rims that couldn't be replaced. It was often cheaper to buy a new rim. The guys did some amazing repairs though.