welding cast aluminum Q

dove'd85 · Oct 1, 2009

can it be done? mig or tig? i bought a set of rims for my car and one has a pretty bad crack in it, i would post a pic but i am unable to post on this forum still...

thanks in advance

james

Corey Y · Oct 1, 2009

Welding a cracked wheel is bad IMO, Jeepmauler :corn: ?

CHOP SHOP · Oct 1, 2009

Crazy Daze said:
Welding a cracked wheel is bad IMO, Jeepmauler :corn: ?

Its done all the time. Theres a card at the yard for a guy that specializes in aluminum wheel repair. I have seen expensive bent 20 inch rims that he had retrued and welded and remachined the lips on. Look like new.

dove'd85 · Oct 1, 2009

thanks for the reasurence(SP?) but can i use my spool gun or do i need to tig weld the cast aluminum

CHOP SHOP · Oct 1, 2009

dove'd85 said:
thanks for the reasurence(SP?) but can i use my spool gun or do i need to tig weld the cast aluminum

I wouldnt use a spool gun on anything that has to be near perfect and strong.

I would use a spool gun to make a radiator shroud or the like, but not weld a t-case adapter crack or fix a wheel that could fail.

Corey Y · Oct 1, 2009

CHOP SHOP said:
Its done all the time.

I know the Russians like to do it when they fix up wrecked vehicles for resale. It should be tig'd.
:corn:

crash2 · Oct 1, 2009

Just because its done all the time doesn't make it right. IMO I would never run on a repaired wheel like what you are asking james...

Homey · Oct 1, 2009

if its in the center it'll just keep cracking because of the heat treating.....if its on the bead should be ok..should be tig welded imo..

dove'd85 · Oct 1, 2009

it's cracked on the outer lip, all the way through it, roughly 3/16 thick in that area and roughly 3/4in long, i brought it to a knowledable welder friend and he told me that he has made repairs just like this on more then one occation(SP) and he told me i would be fine to use my spool gun.. so thats what i am going to do, if it works awesome if it fails i guess i will be buying a new rim... shitty thing about that is that they no longer make this rim any more...

it is a 17in konig holes

MarcW · Oct 1, 2009

dove'd85 said:
it's cracked on the outer lip, all the way through it, roughly 3/16 thick in that area and roughly 3/4in long, i brought it to a knowledable welder friend and he told me that he has made repairs just like this on more then one occation(SP) and he told me i would be fine to use my spool gun.. so thats what i am going to do, if it works awesome if it fails i guess i will be buying a new rim... shitty thing about that is that they no longer make this rim any more...

it is a 17in konig holes

spoolgun does not have the adjustability for hot start/ramp down too properly weld a crack in cast. it will crack again and it wont hold air. it should be retrued, tig'ed, then machined. if your cheap that means beat it with a hammer, tig it, and then grind it so it seals. spoolgun will just make a mess IMO.

jeepmauler · Oct 1, 2009

dove'd85 said:
it's cracked on the outer lip, all the way through it, roughly 3/16 thick in that area and roughly 3/4in long, i brought it to a knowledable welder friend and he told me that he has made repairs just like this on more then one occation(SP) and he told me i would be fine to use my spool gun.. so thats what i am going to do, if it works awesome if it fails i guess i will be buying a new rim... shitty thing about that is that they no longer make this rim any more...

it is a 17in konig holes

Meh......do what ever ya want.

If it were mine I would stop drill the crack,take a thin(.065) cutoff wheel and open up the crack on both sides......clean the holy poop outa the opened up crack area.......grab some 4043 rod.....set my TIG on KILL and stick that mutha

Clean up with flap disk then move on with my life

The beauty of useing a TIG is you can watch for inclusions(black spots) in the puddle and "float" them out......Spool gun will work too .....just not as sexy and a little harder to control the puddle/penetration etc.

Giver HELL!!!:redneck:

Homey · Oct 1, 2009

i live in woodinville...bring it buy and i'll tig it up for ya...

Hip · Oct 1, 2009

posting picture for James.

Bunk1 · Oct 2, 2009

My opinion. Dont make a potentially expensive mistake since your cheap. Some where there is a rim like yours for sale.

Fordzuki · Oct 2, 2009

Even if you do manage to properly fill that crack, there are probably thousands of microcracks around it that you can't see, but will continue to crack when it get's jolted again. Volkswagen, along with a few other carmakers do not "allow" the use of refurbished wheels on their cars. (guideline that insurance companies have to follow in the repair of vehicles.) That being said, I think it would be fine if it had a tire with any kind of sidewall on it, but from the looks of the rim, you probably have low profiles on it? So next time you hit a pothole and the rim explodes, is it going to be worth it? :corn:

CHOP SHOP · Oct 2, 2009

Fordzuki said:
Even if you do manage to properly fill that crack, there are probably thousands of microcracks around it that you can't see, but will continue to crack when it get's jolted again. Volkswagen, along with a few other carmakers do not "allow" the use of refurbished wheels on their cars. (guideline that insurance companies have to follow in the repair of vehicles.) That being said, I think it would be fine if it had a tire with any kind of sidewall on it, but from the looks of the rim, you probably have low profiles on it? So next time you hit a pothole and the rim explodes, is it going to be worth it? :corn:

yes:awesomework:

This is not the "cracked lip" I was expecting.

I was thinking it was curbed and folded over then pulled back over and straight leaving a crack in the crotch of the bead lip.

That rim was potholed or speed bumped and is JUNK. Repeat, JUNK.:;

dove'd85 · Oct 2, 2009

the rim runs perfectly straight, i fix'd the flat spot and i am going to attempt to weld on it tonight or tomorrow

that being said i am running low profile tires and from the looks of the red paint on the lip of the rim, my guess is we was drifting in the rain/snow out of control and nailed a curb... well see how it turns out

i am going to use die pen to locate the end of the crack and any other potential cracks that are on the surface

Bunk1 · Oct 2, 2009

dove'd85 said:
the rim runs perfectly straight, i fix'd the flat spot and i am going to attempt to weld on it tonight or tomorrow

that being said i am running low profile tires and from the looks of the red paint on the lip of the rim, my guess is we was drifting in the rain/snow out of control and nailed a curb... well see how it turns out

i am going to use die pen to locate the end of the crack and any other potential cracks that are on the surface

What kind of insurance do you have on your car?

Has anyone ever said "I told you so" to you?

Dont do it, You got too much to loose.

Binder · Oct 2, 2009

dove'd85 said:
i am going to use die pen to locate the end of the crack and any other potential cracks that are on the surface

Bet it looks like a spider web.

bigiron · Oct 2, 2009

Rims are welded at the manufacturer all the time 3 piece style.....with that said if you know what you are doing I would fix it......if you do not know how to repair it properly put it in the scrap pile.