Aluminum rim repair-5356 or 4043 tig wire?

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Hey guys i need some advice. I repaired a cracked aluminum rim on the inside lip and it cracked again at the 2 weld beads. it cracked right at the center of the weld. When i repaired it, i grooved it and welded it with 4043 wire. Now i regrooved it and welded it slowly with 5356 tig wire.     Did i do the wrong thing welding it with 4043 wire in the first place? Will 5356 hold longer? This is a low profile wheel that i believe takes a beating also.... I think a nice pot hole should recrack it right?
Reply:Yep.Time for a new one.You really have should refused the job in the first place....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:How did you groove it. I've fixed many with 4043, and none have come back. I don't groove them i cut right through the crack, and drill the end if I dont feel confident due to the contour of the wheel. I do a complete fill on both sides with a slow cool to keep some hardness to it, then grind, finish and polish all by hand.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Hello Cdavid82, this particular job isn't about what would be the proper filler wire, proper technique or anything else that could have made your repair last. It's more about how you could be setting yourself up for one of those unscrupulous lawyer types in the event that a failure, whether attributable or not to your repair, might give cause for you to be included in a lawsuit. There are any number of individuals who would say that they have done this many times over. I could say that I feel that I could make this sort of repair. I just don't want to paint that bullseye on my forehead for someone who would like to get through life the easy way for what a court perceives to be my responsibility due to the liability that I might assume if I make such a repair. You can make that call, just consider the consequences. Good luck and best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:Very true, I didn't mention that my first response is always, if it was mine, i would buy a new one. Use your best judgement!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:You can not stop a crack by grinding it out, to stop a crack drill a hole at each end of the the crack then grind to where the surface is no longer cracked. Be sure you use an aluminum grinding wheel such as B-Flex so you do not introduce contaminates.  If is a deep crack instead of jsut filling make several stringer bead passes then cap the top. Be careful of plate temp and let it cool between passes.  This distributes force along a circle not a line.  5356 is a rigid wire, if you want ductility as you do then use 4043
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbayYou can not stop a crack by grinding it out, to stop a crack drill a hole at each end of the the crack then grind to where the surface is no longer cracked. Be sure you use an aluminum grinding wheel such as B-Flex so you do not introduce contaminates.  If is a deep crack instead of jsut filling make several stringer bead passes then cap the top. Be careful of plate temp and let it cool between passes.  This distributes force along a circle not a line.  5356 is a rigid wire, if you want ductility as you do then use 4043
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbayYou can not stop a crack by grinding it out, to stop a crack drill a hole at each end of the the crack then grind to where the surface is no longer cracked. Be sure you use an aluminum grinding wheel such as B-Flex so you do not introduce contaminates.  If is a deep crack instead of jsut filling make several stringer bead passes then cap the top. Be careful of plate temp and let it cool between passes.  This distributes force along a circle not a line.  5356 is a rigid wire, if you want ductility as you do then use 4043
Reply:My son had a set of spare aluminum wheels for his Acura, I'd imagine they were $500+ wheels at least. He started cleaning them up ready to mount the winter treads on them and noticed a  crack in the bead so he brought it over to me to weld.My reply "nope, ain't gonna happen", he got sorta ugly but once he realized I wasn't being an a$$hole he saw the light. I won't touch wheels, of any description.....MIke
Reply:There are wheel refurbishing shops out there that guarantee their work. They weld, machine and balance wheels.My old F150  had a cracked aluminum wheel. I purchased a refurbished wheel from a shop in Michigan for a fraction of the cost of a new Ford wheel  and never had a problem with it again.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:5356 for cast aluminum wheels. In the end, it just works better on castings.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:Originally Posted by Rojodiablo5356 for cast aluminum wheels. In the end, it just works better on castings.
Reply:Good to knowShovelon.I really don't use much 4043 anymore.And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:There was an article in practical welding magazine this month that they said the reason tensile strength of aluminum filler is not regularly published is because the weld is always stronger than the HAZ.  I could see that making sense with the OP's crack not being drilled out/prepped correctly thus it was able to re emerge thru the new weld.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawThere was an article in practical welding magazine this month that they said the reason tensile strength of aluminum filler is not regularly published is because the weld is always stronger than the HAZ.  I could see that making sense with the OP's crack not being drilled out/prepped correctly thus it was able to re emerge thru the new weld.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonTrue, I believe the repair was not prepped correctly. Some repairs are only done to seal the air from coming out. The alloy being welded has a bearing on the strength of the filler metal in relation to the haz. Wheel material certainly is a medium to high strength precipitation hardening alum alloy. 4043 is just not going to work. If done correctly, 5356 can induce some strain hardening upon cooling, and in some cases over age the haz on thick sections. Beveling the crack out with a gap and filling with high strength filler like 5356 or better 5183 will certainly produce a weld nugget stronger than the haz. It won't stop the lip on the rim from fatiguing in other areas though. It's like playing "Whack-A-Mole".