Wheels Rusting from inside. Safety Check! And Replacements.

[Urrell]

Originally Posted by TK

I have just removed a tyre from a solid alluminium wheel that I purchased last year. It was filled with a puncture repair liquid.

This liquid had completely eaten into the alluminium of the wheel, making it unsafe to put back on my Harley.

So be warned!! this stuff is a ticking time bomb in your wheels. Get ride of it before it causes a major problem / accident...

Better a flat tyre than a wheel breaking up.

Before you put everyone off with scaremongering do you know what brand of sealant it was?

I think you NEED to find out what it was as it's a serious safety issue.

It may have been some cheap ebay crap and not from one of the bigger reputable firms.

Edit: Some of these sealants state "for inner tubes"

[Brigg]

I used the Holts stuff on a slow puncture and when the Foundry replaced my tyre with a new Venom, they handed me a box of what looked like rubber granuels.

I had had a slow puncture repaired but to stop it I used that Holts tyre repair stuff.

Apparently the foam attacked the sealer on the wheel, which degraded and solidified in the tyre.

Inside the wheel rim is ok but now use an inner tube...

[grbrown]

TK,

This thread is in danger of going into internet lore condemning all tyre sealants. To be blunt, it is useless to say what you have, without qualifying your words.

What is the brand of the sealant and what is the brand of wheel? Have you taken any action to contact either of those two suppliers?

[Brigg]

Originally Posted by grbrown

TK,

This thread is in danger of going into internet lore condemning all tyre sealants. To be blunt, it is useless to say what you have, without qualifying your words.

What is the brand of the sealant and what is the brand of wheel? Have you taken any action to contact either of those two suppliers?

HOLTS TYREWELD
RENEGADE PHOENIX WHEEL

And no... and dont intend to. No problem maybe if had read the wheel spec it 'may' had mentioned something about using chemical sealers. But I didnt..

[girlyglide]

It is not unknown for even the major tyre sealants to cause problems with alloy wheels - but normally only after a prolonged period of contact.

It has been reported as a problem after more two years without changing the tyre - something that most of use shouldn't worry about but should be checked.

TK, I read that you bought the wheel last year (with the tyre on it) but I assume you had no idea how long it had been on the rim?

We use Ultraseal tyre sealant on our own bikes and offer it as a service to customers but have yet to have any problems with the product. I'm not pooh-poohing your posting but would suggest that yours is the exception not the rule.

Tyre sealant has saved lives; I have not heard of anyone suffering harm due to the wheel corrosion caused by prolonged contact with it.

[Urrell]

Originally Posted by grbrown

TK,
This thread is in danger of going into internet lore condemning all tyre sealants. To be blunt, it is useless to say what you have, without qualifying your words.

What is the brand of the sealant and what is the brand of wheel? Have you taken any action to contact either of those two suppliers?

Originally Posted by Brigg

HOLTS TYREWELD
RENEGADE PHOENIX WHEEL

And no... and dont intend to. No problem maybe if had read the wheel spec it 'may' had mentioned something about using chemical sealers. But I didnt..

Think this is as far as we need to go if that info is true.

"Holts tyreweld has been designed as a temporary repair in order get you home/to the garage, and is only recommended as such by Holts."


Other products such as "Ultraseal" are meant to be used for the life of a tyre and prevent punctures and most blow-outs not as a get you home at reduced speed measure.

It's easy for the other products to have some mud stick if enough is thrown.

[grbrown]

Hi Brigg,

I was asking TK what his brands are!

I also use Ultraseal and have had no problems so far, with my genuine Harley cast wheels.

[banquo]

Well, I'd be interested to hear the full story from TK.
I fitted a Fatboy wheel to avoid the splitting rim issue on the stock laced wheels (covered elsewhere on here) and had Ultraseal injected as usual. If there is, or is likely to be, any issue with it leading to corrosion of the wheel, I'd be interested to hear about it.
The brand of wheel would also be very interesting, as some alloys, especially magnesium alloys, are more prone to corrosion than others. Equally, if a sealant has been used that's not designed to be in prolonged contact with the alloy, it could easily have resulted in the same outcome.

Let's hear the facts TK.....

[BigKev]

I had a similar issue on my FXDX a few months ago (standard alloy wheels) - I had new tyres fitted and the fitter spent ages scraping and cleaning the rim because the previous owner had repaired a puncture with some sealant goo. I had owned the bike for 2 years and not known about this.

Result was: I now have to use a tube as there is no chance of getting a decent seal due to corrosion around the bead at the edge of the rim.

I was told that there are products to stay in the tyre to prevent punctures but the stuff that re-inflates and seals in an emergency is just to get you home and should be cleaned out as soon as possible and the tyre repaired/replaced.

It would be nice if the seller told you, when you bought a bike, if there was something that needed cleaning out of the tyres

[TK]

The wheel is a standard Harley Fat Boy solid one... I am trying to find out from the previous owner what Make of sealant it was. It has only been in the wheel for the life of the tyre. Like most liquid sealants once you remove the tyre it needs cleaning out and fresh liquid put in.

Don't get confused with the type that you insert through the valve after you get a puncture, that is a get you home repair job. And is only in the wheel a sort period of time.

This is the sort that is injected into the wheel and left to run around inside untill you get a puncture. This can be 12 - 18 months depending on how many miles you do in a year, or before if you are unlucky enough to get a puncture befor the tyre wears out.

I will post more information as soon as I know more.