I took these pictures at my friend's shop the other day. He had a customer come in with a leaking tire that needed to be fixed. Bill couldn't find anything in the tire, so started looking at the rim and found this. I've never seen a wheel crack like this. It seems like I see something strange every time I stop in.
Cracked rim - tire wouldn't hold air
- Thread starter wwillson
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AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2026
Nice find Wayne. I always cheat and use a spray bottle lol. I haven’t come across a cracked rim before that is very interesting I would think it would bend before it cracked.
I have seen that a few times over the years but not very often
Many years ago I asked if you could have a leaking rim. I was told it couldn't happen. Seems it can.
I really can't tell from your picture, but is there an impact or rash mark related to the crack? Or was that just one big assed pot hole impact..
There was no visible impact on the wheel.
Hmmm... Interesting. Maybe a casting flaw. who knows.
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Have seen it often. Majority of the time on aftermarket rims.
When it comes to rims. Cheap, strong, light. Pick two.
When it comes to rims. Cheap, strong, light. Pick two.
Many years ago, I had a Spencer wheel not hold air. An area near the middle of the inside was porous but not cracked. I spread some epoxy steel over it, problem solved!
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2026
I have seen it once on a K5 Blazer, but he did it off roading with an aftermarket rim.
The looks to be a stock Lincoln rim. Weird.
The looks to be a stock Lincoln rim. Weird.
Kestas
Staff member
That's an interesting failure. I'd love to examine it in the lab.
One feature I find noteworthy is there is no necking in the crack area, suggesting this is not a single event failure.
One thing I'd look for is high cycle fatigue (or even low cycle fatigue).
At this point all I can think of is a casting defect (porosity or hot shortness).
One feature I find noteworthy is there is no necking in the crack area, suggesting this is not a single event failure.
One thing I'd look for is high cycle fatigue (or even low cycle fatigue).
At this point all I can think of is a casting defect (porosity or hot shortness).
Aluminum is softer than steel; see a lot of aluminum wheels cracked at work and in my area. Steel wheels will get bends in them, yet to see one crack
I had a Weld Racing Wheel Develop a crack and loose air. Had it welded and still leaked. Finally put a tube in it. Hit a bump on the interstate and the whole front half of the wheel flew off into the woods. I replaced any suspected wheels with American Racing wheels. It could have been bad. Fortunately was in the right lane.
I have seen quite a few alloy wheels crack like that, I've also seen people fix them by welding the crack together. It's aluminum or alloy so I think you'd need someone who is able to weld aluminum.
The load rating of a wheel is lower than that of a tyre. (Assuming correct factory specs are followed). So if you hit a pot hole the rim should fail before the tyre. This is because a slow leak that a driver can pull over with is better than a tyre blown out and possible total loss of control.
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