Need help w/ repair work on Aluminum wheels |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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Posted: 14-August-2012 at 2:21PM |
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Anyone have any ideas on how to do some minor repair work on Aluminum wheels. I have an Aluminum slotted wheel that has the 5 small holes for the center cap( I am going with no center caps w/ these wheels) ...I would like to fill the holes with something that color wise would blend in with the Aluminum. There is a small amount of curb rash that I would like to take care of as well...some small gouges that I would like to fill with something that again would blend in and not be so noticeable.
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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TV 2M8O
Senior Member Joined: 20-September-2006 Location: Southern Ohio Status: Offline Points: 2045 |
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I have the same issues with my wheels... To get rid of the road rash around the perimeter of the wheel lip, I took them in to work and the machinist chucked them in the lathe and gently refaced (light cut) the rim until the divot was gone. I don't think there is anything that you could fill the nicks with that would stay... especially if you had to have tires installed. (Wonder if the Alumiweld they used to advertise on TV would work? They showed it being machined once it cooled/hardened?????)
As for the center cap tapped holes, I'm thinking of chasing the threads and installing aluminum screws from the BACK side then sanding them flush on the face as well as the back. Haven't tried one yet but it sounds like it might work? Not sure how invisible it will be..... Thoughts and comments??
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TV 2M8O OUT JOE 1976 Gran Torino S&H season 2-4 Clone Project Blog: http://tv2m8o.blogspot.com/ |
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Psquare75
Admin Group Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 26-November-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4591 |
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IMHO...
Run center caps. |
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Paul
77 XR7 460/C6/3.00:1 *SOLD* 78 XR7 523/C6/3.5:1 79 F100 460/TKO500/3.25:1 'I also have some left over potatoes-I understand you can generate electricity from them'- Foote500 |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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.......Only 1 wheel has holes ( or partial holes as I should say...the screws are broke off inside)....I don't want to deal with making 15 new holes and cleaning out 5 old ones........plus, the biggie, the Torino will be a Starsky and Hutch replica when done......No center caps on the wheels.
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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TV 2M8O
Senior Member Joined: 20-September-2006 Location: Southern Ohio Status: Offline Points: 2045 |
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LOL, depending on the scene you are watching dictated whether or not there were center caps on the Torino.... They seemed to come and go during each episode! They could be on when they left the station and would appear and disappear during the drive to their destination.... or even just sitting outside while the boys did their thing. Ahhh, the magic of television!! |
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TV 2M8O OUT JOE 1976 Gran Torino S&H season 2-4 Clone Project Blog: http://tv2m8o.blogspot.com/ |
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Robbdtme
Senior Member Joined: 06-June-2012 Location: Central WI Status: Offline Points: 765 |
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Hmm.Now I am going to have to watch the show closer. I was still stuck on the side mirrors sometimes chrome and sometimes the red sport ones.
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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I am going with the season 2, episode 4, about 12 minutes into the show look as far as the wheels go.
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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TV 2M8O
Senior Member Joined: 20-September-2006 Location: Southern Ohio Status: Offline Points: 2045 |
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LOL, Try throwing the "season" into the mix.... pilot, season 1 or season 2-4 cars. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE!!!!
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TV 2M8O OUT JOE 1976 Gran Torino S&H season 2-4 Clone Project Blog: http://tv2m8o.blogspot.com/ |
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Robbdtme
Senior Member Joined: 06-June-2012 Location: Central WI Status: Offline Points: 765 |
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Our local FOX channel is running the show on the digital 3 at 8PM every night.
As far as alum rims I worked my butt off in the old days sandblasting and restoring polishing. Why? They are so dirt cheap new why mess around. Rims I bought Outlaw 2's . Alum slots are about the same. 14" x 8" Brand new $63 15" x 10 " Brand new $68 Rims are the first I ever had that did not have a balance issue. I bought the exact fit the old days we had those uni crap rims with the washers we all paid too much for used. Anyway this place rocks good products good deals and you better duck down fast shipping is fast.bv http://www.buywheelstoday.com/ Edited by Robbdtme - 15-August-2012 at 5:55PM |
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Eliteman76
Admin Group Joined: 20-March-2006 Location: Nebraska, USA Status: Offline Points: 5044 |
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Ah...Dude, sorry, can't remember your name!! Sorry! OK, mental note...they don't have the 5x4.5 listed, but select 114.3 and there ya go {late model ford}I love these Konig wheels.. As far as the wheels...I used to sell Standard Abrasives and 3M for working and polishing aluminum. I've done some slots in my time grinding, deburring, and polishing by hand, air and electric tools. I think honestly, the approach of taking the screws from the back, grinding off and polishing out would work nice once all polished out. The aluminum is soft enough you can work it during the grinding and polishing. On the wheel lip, you can lightly dress with a grinder with the right dressing and polishing coated abrasives. I will not lie though. It's a freaking dirty, nasty deal, you need to wear a breathing mask for it, and you will just be sick of it by wheel #2. I also needed to run 2 compressors with 25-60 gallon tanks in tandem to keep up with my air tools while I did this. I did this stainless grill on my stepdad's F100 around 6 years ago...when he was alive and building this truck, I got this grill and polished it out for him. I had 54 hours in just the polishing and metal work.
Edited by Eliteman76 - 16-August-2012 at 6:04AM |
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Andrew:GTS.ORG admin, '72 Q code 5 speed Restomod
Pondering: #99Problems |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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After doing some research and asking questions, I have decided to go with Alumiweld (Thanks Joe for putting that idea in my head)...it's available at the Harbor Freight here in town. I have an Aluminum slotted uni-lug wheel that I will be using as my test Mule....keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out....been about 27 years since I welded any Aluminum.
....It's O.K ...In case you forget, it's in my signature line right below Henry Ford's |
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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TV 2M8O
Senior Member Joined: 20-September-2006 Location: Southern Ohio Status: Offline Points: 2045 |
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Brian,
Glad I was able to spark a solution. Be sure and document the process of the Alumiweld repair... I may try it on my center cap hole should I decide to fill 'em in. Look forward to watching your progress!
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TV 2M8O OUT JOE 1976 Gran Torino S&H season 2-4 Clone Project Blog: http://tv2m8o.blogspot.com/ |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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.......I tried Aluminum rod and a MAPP gas torch today....No luck...laid down a decent bead BUT zero penetration(not enough heat/heat dissipated into the rest of the wheel)...next step will be TIG welding |
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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unlovedford
Senior Member Joined: 17-December-2010 Location: Tennessee Status: Offline Points: 10142 |
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We have a guy here locally that repairs wheels - can't remember his name, but he TIG's the wheels, then machines them down. No issues with the repairs I've seen.
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Joe
1972 Mom's Squire Wagon 1972 Torino Wagon 1976 Torino 1968 Cougar XR7-First batch 1972 Torino 460 1989 BroncoII/Jeeps/Titanimous Popeye and Brutus (Rams) |
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JoeKarasinski
Member Joined: 18-March-2013 Location: Redford, MI. US Status: Offline Points: 120 |
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These are the guys that did my wheels. http://restockwheels.com/ They recut the surface, and refinished them with a powder coat clear. they can also weld or what ever you need. Cost me 85 dollars a wheel.
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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......not to be a "Guest"(in side joke on the forum)...but I have 30 plus years under my ever expanding belt welding, access to a tig welder and everything else mentioned tool and machine wise.....all I was doing was seeing if it could be done with MAPP gas and Aluminum rod...which as I found out it can't...the wheel turns into a giant heat sink resulting in a poor, at best, weld.
Hopefully someone, who was thinking of doing the same thing, will read the results and decide to do otherwise verses investing $$ on something that simply won't work. I can take that $ 85.00 x 4 (or in my case 3) and apply it else where on the project on something that I can't do...like upholstery. I'll post the results of TIG welding
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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Regul8r
Admin Group Moderator Joined: 26-December-2007 Location: Sarasota FL Status: Offline Points: 6624 |
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WAIT! WHAT!? There is a Harbor Freight in Topeka!!!??? OH SNAP! I am sooooo gonna go broke now buying stuff!!! PLEASE give me an address for the mother of all grown men's toy store!! |
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Carl Corey (Moderator/Event Coordinator) Contact ANYTIME!
1976 Ford Elite "Lola Mae" 97 Suzuki Intruder 1400 US Army Retired |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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The address , here in Topeka, is 230 S.E 29 th. .....East of 29 th. and Topeka just past the rail road over pass....North side of the street ...acrosss the street from Church's Chicken....stop in and see Chicken Man
Edited by Zebra 3 - 09-April-2013 at 12:59AM |
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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Got the wheels TIG welded today by someone who does it a heck of a lot better than I ever could( last time that I TIG welded was back in the mid 80's as I recall) ...I cleaned up the welded area though( at least I was able to do something)....should polish up real nice
Edited by Zebra 3 - 13-April-2013 at 11:20AM |
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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stldesign
New Member Joined: 25-April-2013 Location: st louis Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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(Hey B.C. Sorry for the off topic reply but just a
quick hello from M.S. sad that its been 26 years since we have seen each other.
Funny we both have torino/fairlanes. I also have a 79 continental.)
Anyway in the past when I need work done on aluminum I had a guy
that worked on aluminum boat props. Those guys can do just about anything with
aluminum. Also the kid across the street has a wheel repair business but he deals strictly with car dealerships. You might see who your local body shop or car dealer works with for wheel repair. |
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Zebra 3
Senior Member Joined: 11-February-2012 Location: Topeka, Ks. Status: Offline Points: 392 |
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Hey Mike...sorry for the delay
I was able to get the 3 wheels TIG welded...(1 front, 1 rear, 1 back up for the front) was able to get a smooth, bright reflective finish by sanding and buffing.....looks great A '79 Continental in St.Louis ...imagine that |
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"I deeply admire the men who founded this country, and I think we ought to know more about them and how they lived and the force and courage they had.
Henry Ford. 1926 Brian Conn '76 Torino |
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TV 2M8O
Senior Member Joined: 20-September-2006 Location: Southern Ohio Status: Offline Points: 2045 |
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Brian, About time for me to start addressing my wheel issues.... Can you post a few pics of your repaired wheels??? THANKS
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TV 2M8O OUT JOE 1976 Gran Torino S&H season 2-4 Clone Project Blog: http://tv2m8o.blogspot.com/ |
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