Should I repair this Fuch - welcome your guidance

[NigelJones]

Dear Pelicanites,

I have a '73 RS replica with 16 in Fuchs. 8J on the rear.

Unfortunately, I found a flat tyre in the garage this weekend. I took off the wheel to inspect for nails etc but was a bit surprised to find no debris. I took the wheel down to the local tyre shop, they reflated it and started searching using the soapy water technique.

I was shocked when they found this - a small crack in the Fuch.



Looking at this closely it looks to me like there are some pinholes either side of the crack and some sort of inclusion on the lip. The wheels were refurbished when the car was built 5 years ago. I wonder if there was a crack that has been repaired?

Now I need some guidance please:

- is this anything to be worried about ... is it a simple weld and refinish of the surface (although this is not so straight forward an option as I am in Asia so I will need to see if I can find a welder who is confident on this kind of alloy)

- is this too risky, should I not take any risks and buy a new wheel?

- any views on replacing just one rear wheel and not the other (or should I assume that the other wheel is just waiting to crack at high speed?)

- is this wheel anything special - here are the stamps from the back side - or is this just a cheap replica from years gone by that should be junked?





I appreciate your kind guidance.

Many thanks

Nigel Jones

[dad911]

I hope someone with more experience chimes in, but I've seen stress cracks in the petals and around the lugs, not the barrel. However, this looks like it may have been damaged/repaired before.

What does the backside look like, with the tire off? Evidence of welding?

[NigelJones]

I haven't taken the tyre off yet I must admit that I went home from the tyre shop a bit shocked so didn't have the common sense to get the shop to remove the tyre

Yes I speculate that it's a bad repair gone sour.

NJ

[AVDCAV]

It looks to have already been repaired , why wouldnt you have it repaired again
Its nothing more than aluminum it will be fine and save some money.

[NigelJones]

Many thanks for the quick replies.

I am open to all guidance - is anyone able to help me instruct the shop? What's the recommended way to weld aluminium, TIG? What kind of depth should the crack be ground out? Should I touch those pin holes

Thanks again.

NJ

[McLaren-TAG]

Is it worth to risk your life? I'm sure some sealant maybe a liquid epoxy would easily fix the leak, but it wouldn't make it safe to drive that at speed especially because hitting a bump could turn that into a catastrophic rim failure.

[NigelJones]

Yep - I am getting some mixed advice in Singapore from repair to replace so am turning to Pelicanites for definitive advice .

NJ

[gr jetson]

Just curious, how many miles on on the car? Of course, we have no way to know if these are the original wheels on the car, or how many miles are on the wheels. However, my worry is that no matter how good Fuchs are, they won't last forever, and that a lot of owners are driving on wheels that could disintegrate while drive at high speed. How does one determine when a wheel has seen too much use?
Greg

[NigelJones]

20k since the car was rebuilt 5 years ago but these are the not the original wheels. They were refurbished 5yrs ago but I don't know the age of the wheels

NJ

[Cairo94507]

The definitive expert on Fuch wheel repairs and refinishing is Harvey Weidman in Oroville, CA "Weidman's Wheels". If you can get him on the phone and send him some good hi resolution pictures he should be able to tell you if you have a problem or not. He gets wheels from all over the world to repair and refinish. 530.534.7903 is his number.

[RSTarga]

If it was my wheel I'd replace. It has been repaired before.

[vintagecarlover]

Repair depends entirely on the welders skill sets. The repair isn't a problem for a qualified craftsman and under 100. For weld and cleanup but the alum rods are a different composition than the mixture (alloy) of metals in rim makeup so it will likely be a different tint. anodization may camouflage some but may see it. Other option is POWDERCOAT but not for everyone. I am doing a set in powder but logistics kills any deal to buy.

May use a hose reel?

[Norm01]

Originally Posted by Cairo94507

The definitive expert on Fuch wheel repairs and refinishing is Harvey Weidman in Oroville, CA "Weidman's Wheels". If you can get him on the phone and send him some good hi resolution pictures he should be able to tell you if you have a problem or not. He gets wheels from all over the world to repair and refinish. 530.534.7903 is his number.

Follow this advise, send Harvey high quality pictures and he will tell you if it can be repaired.

[donporfi]

Buy a good used one.

[kens_74_911s]

The wheel looks as if it was welded . Those small pits are inclusions in the weld (pores). The small crack is likely showing where the original crack was and the weld didn't fully penetrate. Its likely not a structural issue unless you can detect another crack or evidence of weld in another area. Trying to determine why it was welded IE bend on the road or being dropped etc may be more evident looking at the back side. It should have been welded on both sides. The leak is likely through the crack or weld pores and some epoxy on the back side will stop it from leaking. Alternately have the rim re welded on back side. The finish will always show those flaws unless its painted or re-welded and then you may have to have a few attempts to get all the pores filled. Anodizing will not match in the area of the weld if you are thinking of going that direction.
K

[javadog]

I would replace the wheel.

JR