The driving environment of today is full of difficulties, including poor road quality, aggressive potholes and curbs on the road. Wheels are always in contact with the ground which makes them the most susceptible to collisions and necessitate repair. These may result in rim cracking, powertrain problems, radiator problems, drivetrain damage, tire blowouts, and other problems. Although it can be replaced, can a cracked rim also be repaired?
Capacity of the weld to sufficiently stabilize the vehicle will determine whether you can fix your fractured rim. A skilled expert can easily fix small hairline fractures. But the wider and longer the crack becomes, the higher the likelihood that the repair would not hold up over time.
Scroll down to know more as we have discussed all the related information for you about the repair of the broken rim!
Is It Possible To Repair a Cracked Rim
The answer would be yes and no both. A small crack on a rim is repairable but the location should not compromise the wheel’s structural integrity completely. Instead of replacing a wheel, your car wheel can be welded if it is a singular hairline crack. This is located on the rear lip or in the middle of the wheel.
But you cannot get your wheel repaired if there is a large crack on the front of the wheel, directed in multiple directions, or any other way that seriously impairs the wheel structure.
Well, there is no assurance that your cracked wheel will ever be as efficient as earlier. This is the reason why we suggest you take your wheel to a trained workshop for advice on possibility and how you can fix the tire.
How to Check If The Rim Can Be Repaired or Not
The whole wheel needs to get examined to ensure that you are fully aware of the tire condition. This stage is unquestionably the most important of all. Assessment of the wheel can help you decide if the repair is worthwhile.
Do not hesitate asking someone about the rim so that you can get as much information as you can. Your rims cannot get repaired if there are several cracks in the rims, it has previously been fixed, has a large crack or at the front or the cracks extend in various directions.
What Tools Are Needed To Repair a Cracked Rim
You can effectively solve any problem if you have the proper tools for the task and the required information. If you are sure that the wheel can get fixed, make sure to collect these tools as you’ll need them for fixing the rim. What you will need to repair a cracked rim is a:
- File
- Large hacksaw
- 80, 100, 320 grit sandpaper
- Black marker pen
- WD-40
- Drill and drill bits
- Hammer, chisel, or a screwdriver
- Thinners
- Belt sander
- Nut and lug bolt
- Chain or sling
- TLG welder 150 amps and 1.52mm alloy rod with 5-10% of magnesium
How Can a Cracked Rim Be Repaired
We will now go over everything you should perform to fix a minor hairline crack in the wheel that can be repaired.
It is always preferred taking your car to a professional workshop with experience and customer satisfaction whenever it concerns repairing wheels, which is very significant for your on-road safety. Follow the below mentioned guideline to repair the cracked rim:
Step 1: Decide if it is ok to fix the rim by doing a thorough inspection. Make the proper equipment for the work ready.
Step 2: Rim should be ready for welding. Next, weld the rim.
Step 3: Check for the final outcomes.
How Can The Rim Be Prepared For Welding
Now the rim needs to be prepared for welding which calls for a suitable setting. Place the wheel with caution and fasten it with a strap to stop it from moving.
Make sure you drill a 13mm hole on the both ends of the crack so that the wheel gets easily welded. Sand down the region close to the crack with a rough sandpaper after cleaning the surface.
How Can You Weld a Cracked Rim Correctly
We will now get down to business by trying to repair the crack. We would advise to avoid attempting this yourself if you do not have the required experience as it is essential for creating a structurally sound wheel.
Make sure you slow-weld in a circular motion at the 13mm hole inside the wheel. It would be better just calling a welding technician and asking him to do this step if you do not have any know-how of welding.
How To Check If The Rim Crack Has Been Repaired
You can evaluate the caliber of a rim welding process in one of the two ways. The first one is to lightly tap the rim with a hammer, screwdriver, or a chisel for evaluating its strength.
In a successful repair, the wheel would consistently ring like a bell; but a failed weld would have fading sound which can go away soon.
A little WD-40 thinner mixed with a black marker is the second option. The repair was not successful if the crack is still visible. It would be best to leave it at this point and go get a brand-new set of wheels.
What Are The Charges For Repairing a Cracked Rim
A good set of brand-new wheels comes in a range between $200 and $500 each. But if you wish to have high-end, custom, magnesium, and carbon fiber wheels, that can cost up to $20,000 each.
A fractured rim can be repaired when you do the calculations, but do not push it as safety always comes first. Just changing the wheel is the only way of ensuring complete safety. The fact that there would be no need to do this frequently means that spending more sometimes is reasonable.
People usually prefer fixing a fractured rim rather than replace one, or even all four wheels at once as it would be more costly.
Based on where, size, and severity of the crack is, the majority of skilled workers would probably repair a damaged rim for between $80-$150. Many businesses will gladly terminate your request or cost you double due to the difficulty in the repair of cracked rims.
Can You Drive With a Cracked Rim
It is really not a smart idea to be driving on a damaged wheel irrespective of the type or location of the crack. You would probably run into one of the following three situations upon deciding to keep driving with a cracked wheel.
First, the rim can suddenly come away, that can be disastrous. The second possibility is that the crack will spread and worsen because it continues to develop. The crack may also start to spread in multiple directions till it reaches the very edges of the wheels.
Talking about the third scenario, the crack remains where it is for a bit, yet there is no assurance that it will not start to widen at some stage in the future. There may be an impact on the rim in the next 15 minutes, the next month, or the next year. This is by temperature changes, aging, the driving environment, and your driving habit.
The concerning factor is that you cannot always be confident which of these will be the situation, so it is advised to stop going on a damaged wheel to prevent this from happening. Only when you are loading the car into a flatbed sounds reasonable for riding with a cracked tire.
Is It Possible To Repair a Cracked Aluminum Wheel
An aluminum wheel should only be welded with the TIG or Tungsten Inert Gas welding technology, making mending a steel wheel much simpler and faster than the fixing of an aluminum wheel. The MIG or Metal Inert Gas welding technique usually used to weld steel cannot be utilized to weld aluminum. This is because it can totally damage the material.
It would be appropriate to say that welding or fixing an alloy wheel is much more challenging , needs more time, accuracy, and capability.
The same goes for steel wheels, where certain defects can get patched up. It is still advised to avoid fixing a cracked aluminum wheel completely although there is no assurance that a restored aluminum wheel would ever keep up in the future.
Wrap Up
If the position, severity, and size of the crack allow for it, a cracked rim may get fixed. As a result, rims that have many cracks, severe cracks, multi-directional cracks, or any other types of defects that jeopardize the structure of the wheel should just get replaced.
The wisest choice you would make is to take the damaged rim to an experienced technician. He should be with considerable and ongoing expertise in the field of repairing damaged wheels. Then decide if it is needed to do the repair. there is no assurance that a set wheel will ever again provide the same level of safety in either case.
We hope that now you have got to know about the repair of cracked rims along with other related information that you should know. Hit the comment section if you still have any confusion. We would love to serve you with the needed guidance!
