aluminum wheel rims

[kcstott]

Depends on what you are going to use them for.
Off road use = Who cares go have a blast.
On road= Don't come through California with them. If it should fail and in the investigation it's found out that the rim fail due to being welding upon. Guess what. Illegal and unsafe repair of a safety device. Same would be true for machining a set of rotors to thin and killing your self or someone else.
I know rim ain't cheep but they ain't worth the risk either Not for on road use

[shovelon]

I weld aluminum wheels on Honda 4 wheelers and other off road vehicles that are used in the fishing industry on the beach of the Bering Sea ....I vee out the cracks and preheat the wheel and spool gun them with 5356....The ones that come in with chunks missing from the rim can be built up and ground or turned to shape if the missing pc is not too big......This is all off road use and for people that are in the bush and are only interested in getting back to work...Looks always take a back seat to function on weld jobs like this...The repairs seem to hold up as well as the original wheels in this very abusive environment...I have had local dump truck guys come to me wanting truck wheels welded .......I won't do it.....

Right on Bayweld.
I know exactly why you are preheating and mig with 5356.
5356 can sometimes overage the HAZ if you weld it cold with Mig.

I see a lot of alum wheels that have cracked on the inboard lip where there is no spoke support.

[bayweld]

I weld aluminum wheels on Honda 4 wheelers and other off road vehicles that are used in the fishing industry on the beach of the Bering Sea ....I vee out the cracks and preheat the wheel and spool gun them with 5356....The ones that come in with chunks missing from the rim can be built up and ground or turned to shape if the missing pc is not too big......This is all off road use and for people that are in the bush and are only interested in getting back to work...Looks always take a back seat to function on weld jobs like this...The repairs seem to hold up as well as the original wheels in this very abusive environment...I have had local dump truck guys come to me wanting truck wheels welded .......I won't do it.....

[trevwelder]

How does a pipe cert, make you certified to weld aluminum wheels! I know that Les schwab will not put a tire on a wheel that has been welded!

[Portable Welder]

A friend of mine who does a fair amount of aluminum tig on castings for Ford Motor company, one day when the engineers stopped by his shop they told him that rims are heat treated and that its not a good idea to weld on them.

That being said when I used to do it I used 5356.

[jerry spell]

aluminum wheels

to WORNGHAND, from jerry spell. i have been a certified pipe welder sence 1962. i am only tring find what type alloy, and filler metal should be used. thank for your info and help.....

[wronghand]

Official answer:

Don't do it! Welding on rims is unsafe, not warranteed

Unofficial answer:

5356 for truck/passenger car tires
4043 for off road stuff like quads or 4x4 s as the rims flex quite a bit and your repair will last longer

[shovelon]

Not a safe repair for the home handyman.

Griff

How about a Motorhome handyman.

I would suggest the strongest wire, 5356.

[griff01]

what type wire "ER4043,ER5356 etc" should be used to repair aluminum wheel rims, what alloy is used in making wheel rims?

Not a safe repair for the home handyman.

Griff

[jerry spell]

what type wire "ER4043,ER5356 etc" should be used to repair aluminum wheel rims, what alloy is used in making wheel rims?