Welding Wheels: Should You Weld A Cracked Aluminum Wheel?

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Most alloy wheels are difficult to weld, and not everyone can handle a cracked wheel since they don’t know what to do with the crack, which might lead to an expensive and unneeded wheel replacement.

Many people claim that welding wheels are dangerous, yet when done properly, it is a highly trustworthy and effective repair method. 

Welding over the fracture would be dangerous since the corrosion that caused the break would remain, as well as the wheel’s weakest place.

For the sake of safety, everyone is debating whether I Should weld a cracked aluminum wheel or not. We’re on our own. To everyone, there is a resounding no. Let’s talk about why wheel welding aluminum isn’t a good idea. 

welding wheels

Should I Weld My Cracked Aluminum Wheel?

Opinions range from “Yes!” to “Nooooo!” and everything in between.

So, here’s my final answer: perhaps.

If struck hard enough, aluminum alloy wheels will crack. The amount of hardness required is determined by several elements, the most important of which are the brittleness of the alloy, the wheel design, and the aspect ratio of the tire. 

A decent deep pothole or high-maintenance hole cover usually takes care of it. Cracks are incredibly harmful, not simply because they may suffocate your tire with air. They can also swiftly and unexpectedly deflate your tires.

We frequently find people who have a tiny crack in their wheel covered and sealed by the tire’s bead, preventing the tire from leaking. We’d have to persuade these people that the damage needed to be fixed, even if it wasn’t an imminent issue.

The problem is that a crack like that will expand, and it typically doesn’t take as much force to widen it as it did to generate it in the first place. You risk losing a whole wheel section if the crack bends to one side or splits into a “Y” shape.

Things To Consider For Welding Wheels That Are Cracked

Location of the crack: The cracks on the back of the inboard side of the wheels are minimally safe for welding. If the damage appears on the front face of the wheel, the cracks, like the cracks on the spokes, contain the wheel’s structural integrity. Welding will not be possible if the damage is inside the barrel.

The crack’s direction: While driving and there is a crack on the wheel at the backside, it will cross the bead region and flange at right angles to the wheel’s rotation. 

These fissures may be welded because they have been opened up to allow the weld to pass through. 

The cracks running parallel to the spin direction are not repaired since this causes the wheels to expand at the weld location, making it impossible to run straight again.

The abilities of the welder: Tungsten Inert Gas welding, or TIG welding, are used to join aluminum alloys together. Metal Inert Gas welding was used on several aluminum wheels, a tragedy. 

The bead becomes considerably thinner and weaker, and the surrounding alloy burns due to the process.

Unfortunately, the entire region surrounding the tire weakens around the weld. As a result, the wheels are only welded when a skilled welder performs TIG welding on each wheel individually. 

Considerations For Welding

For the wheel welding, the wheel should preferably straighten before welding. A cracked wheel would almost certainly bend, and attempting to untangle a wheel after welding will very certainly break the weld. 

The revolution will generally be somewhat distorted by the electrical current used to weld, needing some little truing even after the weld, but this is much easier to perform if the wheel is straight before the weld.

Once the wheel has been welded, there will be a large bead of a welder to deal with the damage. Otherwise, the tire would make poor contact with the wheel and leak. 

What Causes Aluminum Wheels To Crack?

Like any other metal, aluminum will fail if it is struck hard enough. Several factors might cause a crack in the aluminum wheel. Among them are the following:

Getting Caught in a Deep Pothole

Alloy wheels are infamous for breaking when they hit potholes. Although not every pothole has the same effect on wheel alloys, several factors contribute to revolution cracking.

Tires are typically the ones that bear the burden of these sunken patches on the road. Rough areas on the road can cut the tire’s rubber, leaving the wheel flat. 

On the other hand, Wheels can be destroyed by very severe potholes or low tire pressure. The wheels absorb most of the impact force, resulting in chipping or breaking.

Under-inflated Tires

The proper quantity of air in the tire gives a smooth ride and high gas mileage and acts as a barrier between the uneven road and the stiff wheel. However, less air means the tires will push the wheels when the car travels over bumps or rough terrain.

If you continue to drive without the proper tire pressure, the wheel will be subjected to continual road contact forces and eventually deform. This little distortion will ultimately turn into fissures. When you have a flat tire, you must drive as quickly as possible.

Consider this an extreme example of under-inflation, in which the tire is entirely devoid of air. An aluminum wheel can easily be cracked while driving with a flat tire. If you have a flat tire, move slowly and avoid bumpy roads.

Taking a Detour Around A Corner

When you drive too close to a curb, the wheel’s edge might grab and harm the curb. Curbs frequently have sharp edges and stand up from the road.

When a tire hits a curb, the vehicle’s weight acts on the wheel, compressing the tire and forcing the wheel to bear the impact. As a result, if you drive over a curb at high speed, the effect of the curb will almost certainly cause cracks in your wheels.  

Summary

If you’re going to have your wheel welded at all, all of these are very excellent reasons to get it done by specialists. The situation brings me to the last issue to think about: a weld will never be as strong as the original material, so it’s better to buy a new wheel rather than take any risk. 

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