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Inner tubes!

zoros

Active Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
527
Location
N Wales
Car
SL55 AMG
Leaking alloy:

I have a set of very expensive SL65 AMG split rim alloys. One of them has had a repair done at some stage. The repair which is on the inside of the rim has a faint hairline crack on the lip of the rim and is about 1/2 inch long causing the tyre to leak air over a long period.
I am taking the rim to an alloy wheel specialist tomorrow for them to try to salvage the wheel (gulp). IF they say they can't do anything with it, I was thinking about fitting an inner tube inside my 285 x 19 x 30 tyre.

Is that (a) insane, (b) a sound idea (c) can't get inner tubes for tyre sizes like this.

Be gentle, it was only an idea.............................:eek:
 
Leaking alloy:

I have a set of very expensive SL65 AMG split rim alloys. One of them has had a repair done at some stage. The repair which is on the inside of the rim has a faint hairline crack on the lip of the rim and is about 1/2 inch long causing the tyre to leak air over a long period.
I am taking the rim to an alloy wheel specialist tomorrow for them to try to salvage the wheel (gulp). IF they say they can't do anything with it, I was thinking about fitting an inner tube inside my 285 x 19 x 30 tyre.

Is that (a) insane, (b) a sound idea (c) can't get inner tubes for tyre sizes like this.

Be gentle, it was only an idea.............................:eek:

I have used a can of Holts tyre weld with great effect on my wife's alloys on her Rav4..
 
(a) !

+1 on the aerosol puncture repair sealant.

Never failed to work for me on various cars over the years, but I'd be cautious on the rears of an SL65.
 
yep id go with A

+2 on option a. If the rim cant be repaired it will be a weak point that will only get worse until possible disaster happens. I would not risk driving on a cracked alloy.
 
Last time I enquired about an inner tube at a 'tyre specialist' they didn't know what I was talking about.
 
Tyre shops have a black sealant they use for leaky alloys. That said I would not drive on a cracked alloy, accident waiting to happen....
 
You need to address the problem, not the symptom. Inner tubes or tyre goop/sealants may keep air from escaping but the crack WILL grow bigger with time. Very unlikely but if an innertube didn't get cut by the crack as it grows (or the goop 'held') it could get big enough for properly bad things to happen- catastrophic failure of the wheel etc

That said i'm 99.999% sure you won't find inner tubes in the size you need, i doubt they exist for aspects ratios much below 55%

There's various threads about regarding welding wheels, here's a recent one... http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/wheels-tyres-brakes-suspension/186478-cracked-alloy.html#post2060681 Note the post by Johnsco a couple down from mine

If the place you're going to say they can't or won't weld it and/or you don't want to risk having to go through the entire process again in a few months or years time if/when their repair fails* then as the wheels are split rims can you not replace the inner rim section with a new one?

* I say that as split rims (3 piece at least) are far more likely to use spun/forged rim sections which would compound the localised softening that occurs when welding (or heating much over 200C for any length of time) as forging/spinning also imparts a grain structure into the metal which improves it's strength and fatigue resistance over a casting. Welding is, in effect, casting...
 
Modern tyres are too rough inside to permit the use of inner tubes. It is unlikely that any tyre fitter will oblige.
 
Many thanks guys - much as I thought.

Question is - where in the name of god am I going to find second half of a split rim? Who makes these?

Z
 
I understand the two parts (2 piece split rim??) are called the "barrel" and the "face" - is this correct?

Who makes replacement barrels? Who make the original AMG split rims?



Z
 
IIRC some of the 3 piece AMG wheels were made by O.Z. dunno if they made any 2 piece wheels for MB/AMG and it's not like they were the only wheel supplier, MB have wheels made by various different companies.

Probably not gonna get you anywhere but have a close look at the various different numbers/marks cast into the back of the back of the wheel as you might get lucky and find a manufacturer name etc. If not the part number will at least be a start. I was thinking 3 piece wheels with my comment about getting a replacement rim section/barrel/lip etc, probably be trickier to find spares for many designs of 2 piece wheels? In either case it'd depend on O.Z. (or whoever made them) keeping the basic design as their 'in house' wheels and mating it with a new centre/face
If you haven't already google split rim wheel replacement barrel
 
Modern tyres are too rough inside to permit the use of inner tubes. It is unlikely that any tyre fitter will oblige.
That's only part of it. You should never use an inner tube with a tubeless tyre.
 
Modern tyres are too rough inside to permit the use of inner tubes. It is unlikely that any tyre fitter will oblige.

That's only part of it. You should never use an inner tube with a tubeless tyre.

Yet Avon say otherwise, albeit with several caveats*, along with Pirelli. The Pirelli link is about motorcycles as it's proven difficult to find stuff specific to car tyres from other tyre manufacturers, presumably because the few needing to use tubes in tubless tyres would mostly be owners of classics whose wheels don't have safety beads (early Porsche Fuchs and Mahle gas burners for example) or are running spoked wheels etc

Tube fitment | Avon Motorsport
http://www.pirelli.co.uk/en_GB/browser/attachments/pdf/MotorcycleTyresandYourSafety.pdf

FWIW I know of several tyre fitters that'll happily fit tubes to tubeless tyres when necessary, i've watched one of them buff off any rough spots inside the tubless radials he was fitting to my early Fuchs wheels. Talking a small one man mobile operation rather than the more usual chain with different branches staffed by min wage school dropouts though

* their blanket statement about multipiece wheels is a bit odd though
 
What a mine of info - guys, very grateful for your advice and knowledge.
In my ignorance, I thought my wheels were/are 2 piece: the facing section (with all the tungsten bolts etc) and then the barrel which supports the frame of the tyre. Is there a "third" section?
I'll follow up your suggestions and get back. Z
 
Oooops - Jaymanek's link explains all. Thanks, 3 piece it is!
 
The company in Jaymanek's link have come back to me and asked if it is 2 or 3 pieces.
I've looked at the wheel and can't determine with certainty if it is one or the other.Can someone tell me if SL65 AMG wheels are 2 or 3 pieces please?
 

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