TiG welding Al wheels. which grade filler rod?

[TLCbobber]

The wheels I have are wire spoked from a '77D, all stripped down waiting on rebuild, but before I do that I want to do some welding where the rim tape was to fill in some pitting, which gets fairly deep in parts, to restore the surface and overall balance of the wheel.

I'm not repairing cracks or structural damage per se, just refinishing the pitted surface. The problem is I'm unsure what grade of filler rod to use on these wheels or exactly what grade the wheels are made of. I assume they were made straight, bent into ring and welded closed and finished by the factory... so what should I use for filler?

 

[AG650]

4043. That is what is preferred for cast

 

[kopcicle]

The wheels I have are wire spoked from a '77D,

Use 5356 rod

~kop

 

[AG650]

Straight from Lincolns website:

"5356 wire has become the most commonly used of all aluminum filler alloys because of its good strength and its good feed-ability when used as a MIG electrode wire. It is designed to weld 5xxx series structural alloys and 6xxx series extrusions, basically anything other than castings, because castings are high in silicon."

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/Pages/choosing-aluminum-wire-detail.aspx

 

[FB71]

spoked wheels aren't cast. They're forged or rolled.

 

[kopcicle]

Extruded or roll formed as in gutters . Generally not specifically hardened but work hardened through forming beginning with a 6061 derivative I refer to as a 6061 T+ . Meaning it is a 6061 Alloy , harder than T-0 but how much harder is a mystery .

Whether a rim is annealed or hardened for motorcycle use has been an ongoing debate for decades . Both Akront and Borrani maintained for years that hardening was not necessary or recommended . However both used the roll form , weld grind and true method that imparted significant over all work hardening . Other manufacturers such as D.I.D. , Takasago and in house Yamaha would mangle a rim into shape , anneal , dimple , drill and then in a confusion of processes and terminology "normalize" "stress relieve and quench" " heat treat and artificially age" which all amounted to a 6061 derivative at or around T-3 .

The web may say different and I'll agree or toss up my hands and do my Alfred E Newman impression . This is just my objective observation over decades of experience .

As far as the process ....

Clean . I mean clean . I tried to cut corners on the same project and never have since . If you have access use plastic media blasting . If not , bead blast followed by stainless steel wire brush or wheel .Do not use ferrous or bronze . There are specific cleaning products for TIG and aluminum , find one that works for you . I use a dilute phosphoric acid product . Preheat . Just 300 deg F makes a big difference . 1/16" filler rod and small areas at a time . If your machine will adjust for post flow gas do so .

'bout all I got for ya short of doing it for ya ;-)

~kop

 

[TLCbobber]

Thanks, guys, for the input and pointing me in the right direction. 5356 it shall be. I'm sure there's a video somewhere of wheels like these being made. had a look on youtube earlier and only found one for bycycles though.

 

[chizler62]

Filet braze them so not to warp them. Use 56% silver if you don't have torches.

 

[kopcicle]

Filet braze them so not to warp them. Use 56% silver if you don't have torches.

??????

~kop

 

[AG650]

I always seen the word "cast" wheels and took it literally. ...I stand corrected....kop is spot on with the weld procedure, preheat!! If the metal is really dirty sometimes I'll melt the metal with just the torch to bring the impurities to the top, grind off, then lay your nice bead.

 

[angus67]

just so you know, Don't use brake cleaner to clean it!!!