Best practice for sealing 3 piece wheels

[lateapex911]

I have a set of 3 piece wheels that are rather old, but straight, and very light.

But they leak like a fish net.

So, I will pop them apart, and clean and reseal them. Any hints?

What should the sealant be? I called Tire Rack and they suggested silicone. I agree that it might be a good choice, as it remains somewhat flexible. I'd think getting the highest temp stuff availble would be key.

Thoughts?

[Greg Gauper]

Good discussion over on the Formula car website:
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15102

[John Herman]

This is the procedure told to me by Jongblood wheels. Clean the mating surfaces and bolt together. Torque all nuts and bolts. Do not put any sealant between the halves! Using plain clear silicone, lay a SMALL bead completely around the wheel where the two halves join. I found it best to roll the wheel along the floor while operating the caulk gun. Use your finger tip to smooth the sealant and force it into the joint. If done properly, there is almost no sealant on your finger. I use more toothpaste in the morning on my tootbrush than I'll have sealant left on my finger. However, if you apply too much, you'll have a huge mess. The trick is to minimize the sealant to keep the tire changing machines and tire beads from hooking it and pealing it off. Never had a problem after sealing 30 wheels.

[lateapex911]

Excellent info! I saw mention of Dow 832 as a sealnat. Any thoughts on that or others that might be better?

[johnny yanez]

i had the same probem a while ago, (many years ago) i finally ended the the leak by welding the the units together, no more leaks,

[gran racing]

That's actually a good idea. Are there any downfalls of doing that?

[itmanta]

Excellent info! I saw mention of Dow 832 as a sealnat. Any thoughts on that or others that might be better?
[/b]

That is the same sealant that Kodiak Motorsports uses and recommends for their wheels. I am not sure where to get it, but they are sending me a tube with my new shells.

[johnny yanez]

the only downfall is that if you bend one side of the wheel you have to replace the whole thing,, other than that, it worked for about 5 years for me,, : johnny