Rally Wheel Seam
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 561
Likes: 1
From: No longer in Heaven
Rally Wheel Seam
I picked up some good used rallys (15X8) and using a wire brush and steel wool cleaned off the surface rust and they look very good, except for the seam where the welded insert meets the cylinder.
This area is kind of crusty and I tried using an ice pick and screw driver to scrape out the seam, but it's still crusty. Not really sure if it's rust or old paint or what.
Looking at my other rallys, as well as other cars, this seam is generally very clean and tidy.
I'd really like to clean out this seam before I paint them, any ideas out there?
This area is kind of crusty and I tried using an ice pick and screw driver to scrape out the seam, but it's still crusty. Not really sure if it's rust or old paint or what.
Looking at my other rallys, as well as other cars, this seam is generally very clean and tidy.
I'd really like to clean out this seam before I paint them, any ideas out there?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
Stiletto,
I agree with media blasting the rims, I've done this many times with rally's and it works well. Any good machine shop in your area will have one of these and likely do your wheels for a small fee.
If you have a compressor, you can also purchase one of these for relatively little from Eastwood...
Speed Blast Gravity Feed Blaster
Only $ 59.99
The Speed Blaster is perfect for spot rust removal when the part is too big to fit in a cabinet. Simple to use, too! Just put on appropriate safety gear pour media into the hopper, connect air line, and you can start! Use 60-80 grit for best results (Max particle size: 14 grit). Media flow valve is fully adjustable to give you precise control. The unit weighs only 14 oz. empty and features a one-piece ABS gun. Hopper holds 30oz. of abrasive. Operates on 100-125 psi and requires 12 cfm at 125 psi. Comes with a ceramic blasting nozzle. Be sure to wear appropriate respiratory protection.
Good luck... GUSTO
I agree with media blasting the rims, I've done this many times with rally's and it works well. Any good machine shop in your area will have one of these and likely do your wheels for a small fee.
If you have a compressor, you can also purchase one of these for relatively little from Eastwood...
Speed Blast Gravity Feed Blaster
Only $ 59.99
The Speed Blaster is perfect for spot rust removal when the part is too big to fit in a cabinet. Simple to use, too! Just put on appropriate safety gear pour media into the hopper, connect air line, and you can start! Use 60-80 grit for best results (Max particle size: 14 grit). Media flow valve is fully adjustable to give you precise control. The unit weighs only 14 oz. empty and features a one-piece ABS gun. Hopper holds 30oz. of abrasive. Operates on 100-125 psi and requires 12 cfm at 125 psi. Comes with a ceramic blasting nozzle. Be sure to wear appropriate respiratory protection.
Good luck... GUSTO
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 892
Likes: 166
From: Oswego IL
It is not the quickest process, but vinegar is a good way to remove rust. Get a large plastic container that will hold the rim, and allow you to fill so that wheel is covered past the seam line. Let soak for several days or until the rust is disolved. Very effective, safe and cheap. It just depends on how much time and patience you have. A lot of people use this method on rusty seat tracks as well.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 561
Likes: 1
From: No longer in Heaven
If that doesn't disolve the crusty stuff, I'll bring them out in the spring.
Take good care of my black beast!
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
I had my wheels sand blasted and then dropped them at the body shop for paint and when I mounted my tires I noticed this cracked crap in the seams like you did. It looks to me like its some kind of seam sealer or something that was put in the wheel seam that has shrunk and cracked. My bodyshop guy suggested putting another bead of paintable sealer down in there and respraying the wheels. I wish I would haved looked closer when I picked them up from the sand blaster. Do something about it because it will show.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 561
Likes: 1
From: No longer in Heaven
It looks to me like its some kind of seam sealer or something that was put in the wheel seam that has shrunk and cracked. My bodyshop guy suggested putting another bead of paintable sealer down in there and respraying the wheels. I wish I would haved looked closer when I picked them up from the sand blaster. Do something about it because it will show.
Like I wrote before, I'm going to try some paint remover injected in the seam first to see if that will dissolve it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,374
Likes: 224
From: Beecher Illinois
Looks about 1/4" wide and you can feel it with your finger.
Definitely not a perfect invisible seam.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 227
Likes: 6
From: Northern Ohio
I had a similar problom when I had mine powder coated earlier this year. When they were sandblasted, grains had gotten jammed in the seam, then when they were being baked at the powdercoater's the powder actually bubbled and cracked in the seam leaving it look like crap. The rest of the wheel looked fine though.
I used a Dremel with the smallest grinding attachment they had at the store to get down into the seam and clean it out. Then lightly sanded the entire wheel and primed and painted it Argent. It took about 5 hours but they came out perfect. So now I have powdercoat that's essentially acting as primer but whatever, it looks good.
I used a Dremel with the smallest grinding attachment they had at the store to get down into the seam and clean it out. Then lightly sanded the entire wheel and primed and painted it Argent. It took about 5 hours but they came out perfect. So now I have powdercoat that's essentially acting as primer but whatever, it looks good.
Last edited by 1975greenconvertible; Dec 11, 2009 at 11:03 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 561
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From: No longer in Heaven
Progress
You guys will think I am completely ****, but I got 4 dental tools from my dentist and scraped out the seam. It was incredible what came out! Powdered rust, sticky grease, black gunk, etc. The tools (those funny curved teeth-cleaning instruments) are great. Hardend steel and sharp as Hell, while also very tiny at the end to fit in to that seam. It's difficult to get all of it out once it is scraped, since it sticks to the seam, so I used a shop vac and sucked most of it out.
I finished scraping one, and will start on the next. I'll try to do some before and after photos.
Amazing what we do for these cars. My family thinks I'm nuts sitting at the kitchen table with dental tools, shop vac and 40-year-old rally wheels!
I finished scraping one, and will start on the next. I'll try to do some before and after photos.
Amazing what we do for these cars. My family thinks I'm nuts sitting at the kitchen table with dental tools, shop vac and 40-year-old rally wheels!
You really have to post photo's now!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
I had 5 OE ralley's sandblasted recently ... for paint. They had that black sealer in them & some of it stayed. I shot paint on em & they look pretty good but not perfect. If I ever do this again (unlikely) I might take em to the machine shop where they have a bake & blast oven. Blocks & heads come out absolutely naked.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,376
Likes: 1,593
From: Western NY
I had 5 OE ralley's sandblasted recently ... for paint. They had that black sealer in them & some of it stayed. I shot paint on em & they look pretty good but not perfect. If I ever do this again (unlikely) I might take em to the machine shop where they have a bake & blast oven. Blocks & heads come out absolutely naked.
I'm glad I'm not nuts. This may well be some sealant that squeezed out and now has cracked. I thought about a small bead of silicone as well, but then the seam wouldn't be "sharp" like it is supposed to be. As you say, I am sure this will show, because the trim ring doesn't cover the whole depth. I tried to scrape it out, but it really didn't scrape out, but that may be because the space is so small.
Like I wrote before, I'm going to try some paint remover injected in the seam first to see if that will dissolve it.
Like I wrote before, I'm going to try some paint remover injected in the seam first to see if that will dissolve it.
Gentlemen, there is no "seam" in a rally wheel...or any 2 pc. steel wheel, for that matter. The "center" of the wheel is welded into the shell, and voila, you have a wheel.
There is no "seam" that is sealed. Most of these kinds of wheels are not spray painted, because you can't effectively spray paint that little "valley" where the rim and center meet, so the wheel would quickly rust. Instead, the wheels are "dipped" in paint, and although it covers all the surfaces, it tends to cake unevenly in the area that you're talking about.