anybody crack an alluminum rim?

[davidz]

i run mudders on steelies, and all terrains on alloys for my mild manor reporter job for the Daily Buggle. and i am getting tired of swapping tires, back and forth. so i am gonna run MTs on Alloys(maybe). and the question i have is how hard is it to crack one of these stock alloys, I would surmise that the weakest point is the outer ridge of the rim. smack it on the rock it cracks,chip breaks off and the tire deflates, time for spare. is this the general idea? i see more and more companies coming out with alluminum rims with beadlockers, and seen a few crazies rock bashin a set of alluminums around Tellico, and was hoping someone had some insight. i know steel bends and is forgiving . i just dont have any history with Alloys and Rocks. being a Native Floridian

 

[rrefx]

Alluminum wheels are pretty tough, however, having said that, you can crack them. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. There is a meathod for welding and rebalancing a cracked rim, but it can be hard finding a shop capable of doing it. Up here where I live, it's a place called hub cap city, they mainly buy and resell used rims and hub caps.

 

[D Chapman]

One of mine are cracked.....

 

[billb]

Even if you crack off a chunk from the outer edge of the rim - it will not deflate. Sealing surface (safety bead) is on inside of rim far from harms way. LR rims have a huge safety bead which is why some tire places hate mounting tires on 'em and why they "pop" louder than most other tires being mounted.

I think there are lots of guys running around with chunks missing from the rims outer edge (myself included).

Bill

 

[davidz]

Dan, cracked and usable? as in it still gets ya down the road?

 

[davidz]

Bill I was postin when ya posted, So I reckon it would take a hell of a hit to fracture it deep enough to deflate.

 

[Chris-St Louis]

www.wheelcollision.com

These guys are great.

 

[D Chapman]

Dan, cracked and usable? as in it still gets ya down the road?

It would hold air, but I do not use it. The crack just kept getting longer....