Technical Is this cracked rim savable/useable?

Those videos are amazing. It's probably one of the more sought after jobs there.

I like watching this girl. She's good.

 

Thanks for the tip

 

We used to see a lot of them come in broken just as Nailhead Jason explained in the 70's. Broken by being mishandled on that style of tire machine.

 

Unless it's super rare, not worth the risk. Around here, an 18 pound Al wheel is worth less than $20 in scrap, but, I couldn't move that wheel along to someone else knowing they might not be as concerned about their own and other people's safety. Take a small financial hit, scrap the wheel, and know in your heart you did the right thing.

 

Just FYI, you are not alone in your misfortune. I failed to thoroughly inspect (as did the seller) this Keystone Rogue wheel prior to handing over the cash, and while I do think this could be repaired, I doubt it's worth the time and/or expense. I'm not out a whole lot of money, but, still a bummer when it happens. Lesson learned.

 

If only I was 40 years younger.....

 

You might still be 10 years too old

 

The owner at the station I worked at had a sign up by the tire machine “not responsible for …” and a list of wheels.

Fella came in and wanted tires changed on some Cragars, my boss told him it was a risk, the guy said do it. I proceeded to get the tire off and “snap, crackle, pop”.
Guy was pissed, said something like “my wheels aren’t listed on the sign”.
The owner went into the office, came out with a felt pen, wrote “Cragars” under the list of wheels.

But, there was a somewhat recent thread on this very thing, seems there’s an adapter for the Coats machines as I recall, I forget how it clamps/holds the wheel down though.

 

I agree with the others here that I would not run a wheel that's been cracked through there, especially since it looks like the crack went all the way through the width of the wheel. It's just not worth the risk.

That being said, I'm not inherently against welding a wheel to repair it, even an aluminum wheel. A while back I had an M-package BMW that had low profile tires on aluminum wheels, and cracking one of them on the terrible city streets was basically a 2x a year experience. At first I paid a local dude to weld them but it wasn't long before I realized I could just as easily TIG them myself. However, those wheels cracked through the bead, not the hub, and were nowhere near all the way through width of the wheel, instead only cracking about an inch or so. I've seen plenty of welded wheels, even some that have gone over 200 mph. But in the case of the OP, I wouldn't chance it.

 

Jarring my memory I think that the tire guys in the Firestone store I worked in always put those wheels and the 5 spoke Cragers face down on the tire machine and there was a rubber or leather pad that was laid on the machine. Most had enough reverse that the short shoulder was to the back side anyhow. The tire is mounted with the narrow side of the rim up (yellow marks) as the wide side that is usually out on a reverse wheel (red marks) doesn't give you the space to get the bead down in to have room for the bead to clear the lip of the rim on the other side.

 

In wouldn't put that on a Bigwheel...

 

That wheel may have been cracked for years but if I were to notice it when changing tires it would never be used again, don't take a chance. HRP

 

This one hanging on my shed with a crack in the rim. Hose holder as well.

 

Why would being rare make it a viable option???

 

Old saying “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”

 

Don't use it.

 

I was going to have a similar comment since there is a guy in our prototype shop that has welded up a couple wheels for me that were cracked through the rim area. But, as you mention, that is different than through the hub. Worst thing I figure could happen to the ones part way through the rim is the tire go flat...which is how I found the crack in the first place.

 

I wouldn't use it and I would make sure no one else can either. Use it as a hose reel but hog out the lug holes or something so no one mistakenly uses it.

 

As in a candidate to repair and refurbish if finding another is near impossible, not to use it as is.

 

That's what would happen to me. I actually rode around with a 12v compressor in the trunk so when the tire pressure light would come on, I'd inflate the tire back and then have to fix the rim. The crack would always resurface eventually, though I did get 2 years out of one repair. One of the many pain in the**** things about that car that I don't miss.

 

And the third world countries do not have 8 lawyers for every 2 people.

 

Lawyers are the bane of society until you need them. Lucky mine works for beer!

 

Ever see the video of these guys in India or wherever fixing a broken truck crankshaft? Sandals and the robe must be standard "safety" equipment .

 

When I was slinging tires around 1974, I saw a busted Cragar now and then. People just did not know. For our own stuff, we broke the bead manually and used irons. There was a VW adapter that was sometimes used with success.

 

Been there done that. I worked at an Exxon station the summer between my Junior and Senior year (1977) out in a little farming town called Rowlett Tx, which is now HUGE, but all the old farmers would bring their tractor tires in to be fixed, split ring tires, etc. The Texas summer heat would absolutely kick your**** trying to bust those big tires down. We had a big sledge hammer that had a broad tip on one end that was used to break the beads. Swing that thing all day long and then go chase tail all night long. Ahhh! The good old days!

 

Heck, I still have the same sledge you’re speaking about. Swung the danged thing many a time changing tires on my dads bottom dumps and transfer. Once he noticed I could do it, I don’t think he ever lifted it again!

 

I obtained one at a place I went "picking" a while back, but I only lifted it to get it in and out of the truck. I think it is sitting outside the shop door just in case I ever need it. Hopefully I wont!

 

The one I have is “hitech”. I’d hesitate to wonder when my dad got it, probably in the ‘80’s, but it has a fiberglass handle. Did the one you use as well? I’ll shoot you a pic of it after I I get up today.

 

Best answer!!