Thread: Rust/pitting inside tubed rims

Hi Pfillery

As the price of second hand rims is quite low, I would think that to sand blast your rim in your case, would not be worth the expense.

For argument sakes, if you was restoring a vehicle that the wheels were hard to find, then, I'd go to the trouble of restoring those rims.

Use a flapper wheel on your electric drill to clean up any small patches of rust and spray the inside of the rim with some pressure pack, black acrylic paint (dries quick) , that will then seal the rim from any more trouble from rust.

It is important to clean any rust out, as the rust come off, the flakes have sharp edges to them and will cause punctures in the tube as the tyre flexes.

PSI = pounds per square inch, so what ever pressure your are running in your tyre that is the load pushing on the inside wall of that tyre in a square, one inch by one inch.

Cheers Arthur

Every steel tractor rim I've changed tyres on has rust through it. Sometimes bad enough that a digger is needed to punch the tyre off the bead.

I simply grind/brush it the rust off, use cold-galv paint to treat it and back together it goes.
Even the worst rim I've seen doing this hadn't lost enough metal to consider it scrap.

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Hi Pfillery

As the price of second hand rims is quite low, I would think that to sand blast your rim in your case, would not be worth the expense.

For argument sakes, if you was restoring a vehicle that the wheels were hard to find, then, I'd go to the trouble of restoring those rims.

Use a flapper wheel on your electric drill to clean up any small patches of rust and spray the inside of the rim with some pressure pack, black acrylic paint (dries quick) , that will then seal the rim from any more trouble from rust.

It is important to clean any rust out, as the rust come off, the flakes have sharp edges to them and will cause punctures in the tube as the tyre flexes.

PSI = pounds per square inch, so what ever pressure your are running in your tyre that is the load pushing on the inside wall of that tyre in a square, one inch by one inch.

Cheers Arthur

I've been trying to track down a couple of rims or a good set but haven't found it too easy. Even if I could find a couple of wheels with ok tyres to throw on the car temporarily while I strip 2 and fit new tyres. Haven't had a lot of luck so far. I take it that as long as the surface is reasonably smooth and has no chunks of rust that it should be ok?

Originally Posted by Dougal

Every steel tractor rim I've changed tyres on has rust through it. Sometimes bad enough that a digger is needed to punch the tyre off the bead.

I simply grind/brush it the rust off, use cold-galv paint to treat it and back together it goes.
Even the worst rim I've seen doing this hadn't lost enough metal to consider it scrap.

My worry would be that a tractor tyre and tube is much heavier than a series tyre and tube and is also not travelling at the same speed.

Just another product worth considering to seal the surface after cleaning off the rust is KBS coatings. I have used POR15 in the past on all sorts of rusted surfaces and had great results - tremendous adhesion and was only watching one of those channel 44 shows (cruizin i think) where the guy is hitting the paint with a hammer and not damaging it. KBS is an australian version of the POR15 and these guys were saying it was better. Not cheap at around $100 per litre, but one can goes a very long way and lasts well if you put plastic over the can before the lid goes back and hide it in the back of the fridge where it wont annoy the wife....... until she cleans it out and says "do you still need this horrible can!" I must have had my can well over 5 years. Let me know if that doesnt make sense but if you google KBS i am sure all will be revealed.

Originally Posted by pfillery

I've been trying to track down a couple of rims or a good set but haven't found it too easy. Even if I could find a couple of wheels with ok tyres to throw on the car temporarily while I strip 2 and fit new tyres. Haven't had a lot of luck so far. I take it that as long as the surface is reasonably smooth and has no chunks of rust that it should be ok?

Hi Pfillery

Couple of ways we can help on this forum, can you tell us some details of your bus ?
Include your Land Rovers, serial number, body type, year, and wheelbase.
The other thing is, the serial numbers that are on the rims.

You never know your luck, as I'm sure that someone, could have a couple to loan you, but they need to know what type or size of wheel they are dealing with.

Cheers Arthur

Originally Posted by pfillery

My worry would be that a tractor tyre and tube is much heavier than a series tyre and tube and is also not travelling at the same speed.

Neither really matter. If the rim is sound, it's sound. How much metal have you actually lost to rust?

Originally Posted by pfillery

I've been trying to track down a couple of rims or a good set but haven't found it too easy. Even if I could find a couple of wheels with ok tyres to throw on the car temporarily while I strip 2 and fit new tyres. Haven't had a lot of luck so far. I take it that as long as the surface is reasonably smooth and has no chunks of rust that it should be ok?

I'm a bit surprised by this comment as I didn't think that it could be much easier than receiving a pm the day after a wanted add was posted advising of a set of 5 series/defender rims in Brisbane. Our phone conversation confirmed that they appear to be the same as what is fitted to the car and I have walked up the street to check against a series landy - the rims look the same to me.

Thats got to be easier than driving to Jimboomba or the coast to collect them or even having to get them freighted.