Tom,
This is one of those "please do as I say, not as I do/did"
Please don't waste money on another set of 16.5" tires as I doubt you'll
be able to wear them out and unless there are now other 16.5 aluminums
available you'll be stuck like I was. This goes back a few years, but
when I inquired about a replacement from Weld I got a terse "We don't
make/sell them anymore" and I received no help/suggestions as to where I
might find others.
Compare that to the excellent service the Alcoas give and the excellent
way they stand behind their product, it's an easy decision
Yes it's mega $'s for Alcoas, but if I had to go off Alcoas I'd go back
to Steel. At least they only went out of balance real easily and never
left me stranded.
In the meantime, keep those sharp turns to a minimum and always be sure
to 'jiggle' the rig straight before leaving it for any length of time,
I.e. unload the bogeys, wheels, tires.
Anybody else running 16.5" aluminums? Surely I wasn't the only one that
bought 'em... then again, maybe I was
Heinz
Sacramento, CA.
On Tue, 30 May 2000 07:24:25 -0600
>Heinz,
>
>Thanks for the input. One tire had bled down to 40 lbs over the
>winter; the others were okay.
>I'll keep my eye on that tire, as it may signal a leak in the wheel.
>I also wrote down every
>piece of info stamped into the wheels and have asked Weld for all info
>they can provide concerning
>the particular set of wheels I have. I'll be purchasing new tires
>before long, and would sure
>like to be certain I have the right wheel (my Weld 16.5's vs. Alcoa
>16's) before doing so! Thanks
>again.
>
>Tom
>
>> Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 08:22:13 -0700
>> From: "Heinz Wittenbecher"
>> Subject: Re: GMC: Weld Racing Aluminum Wheels
>>
>> Tom,
>>
>> This is strictly my 2 pennies worth, Canadian pennies at that.
>>
>> The short version: budget for Alcoas.
>>
>> I had Weld Racing on mine on advice of Buskirk a looooonnnngggggg
>time ago.
>> I may have been one of the first and then I didn't install right
>away so all
>> recourse re warranty etc was gone. Not anyones fault but my own.
>>
>> Anyways, long story short. Mine developed slow leaks. A few wheels
>were
>> good, but in particular the rears as there is a lot of sideways
>strain on
>> the wheel and the Weld, and I do mean the weld, as these are not one
>piece
>> wheels, stresses out and develops a leak, i.e. overnight. Have woken
>up to
>> flat tires more than once when I had the Welds on. I think nowadays
>you can
>> (maybe) put some goop into the wheels to seal them but that's
>wasn't/isn't
>> for me. Once I new how there were constructed, i.e. 2 pieces welded
>and
>> taken into account the tremedous sideway stress our wheels get in a
>sharp
>> turn I scrapped them and I do mean scrapped them.
>>
>> I developed the first leak on the road, of course and trying to get
>it fixed
>> was futile. Not very many folks can or want to weld aluminum and
>whats worse
>> is to find the pinhole. I did get it repaired twice after heading to
>the
>> airport first and a magnaflux to find the leak. I tell you, that was
>even
>> scarier, seeing the original welding job in that 'light'. [g].
>>
>> Unfortunately a switch means new wheels and tires, but the peace of
>mind is
>> well worth it.
>>
>> As I said. just my 2 pennies worth from long ago
>>
>> Heinz
>>
www.my-gmc.com
>
****************************************************************
* Heinz Wittenbecher, Byte Designs Ltd. Voice: (604) 534-0722 *
* heinz Langley, BC CANADA Fax: (604) 534-2601 *
*
http://www.bytedesigns.com *
