Rim repair

I am restoring a 5000 Ford trike with 38" power adjust rims. I need to patch one---is there a patch available or is there another solution short of cutting patch out of another rim?

If it's just rusted out around the valve stem, I have repaired several by forming 16ga. sheet metal into a mating shape and brazing it in place on the inside of the rim. Basically did the forming with a vise, hammer, pliers etc. Smooth off the braze job with a grinder if needed, paint it, and put the tire back on. Good luck,
Paul

Ok. I asume it is rusted out around the valve stem. so you have to include the drop center rib as part of the patch. Take and cut the hole out square. Make sure you cut it out large enough to get to good material all around. Next cut a patch out of 14 ga. steel the width of your square hole and about 1 inch longer then you need. Weld your patch starting on the edge by the bead. Now weld down each side till you come to the first bend. Holding an anvil on the back side take hammer and form around the first bend. Now weld along each side as far as you have it bent in place. Then hold anvil against front side and with hammer form your next bend. continue same process untill you have it welded shut. Now you can cut the extra lenght off and weld it flush for the perfect patch or just leave the access over lap and weld around it. Next turn rimm over and weld the back side of your patch. When finished take the grinder and grind it smooth on front and back. Now turn the rim 180 degrees and drill a new 5/8 valve stem hole. I patch all rims for a local tire co. (about 50 per year) and that is the way I do it. Been doing it for about 10 years and no complaints yet.

Ok. I asume it is rusted out around the valve stem. so you have to include the drop center rib as part of the patch. Take and cut the hole out square. Make sure you cut it out large enough to get to good material all around. Next cut a patch out of 14 ga. steel the width of your square hole and about 1 inch longer then you need. Weld your patch starting on the edge by the bead. Now weld down each side till you come to the first bend. Holding an anvil on the back side take hammer and form around the first bend. Now weld along each side as far as you have it bent in place. Then hold anvil against front side and with hammer form your next bend. continue same process untill you have it welded shut. Now you can cut the extra lenght off and weld it flush for the perfect patch or just leave the access over lap and weld around it. Next turn rimm over and weld the back side of your patch. When finished take the grinder and grind it smooth on front and back. Now turn the rim 180 degrees and drill a new 5/8 valve stem hole. I patch all rims for a local tire co. (about 50 per year) and that is the way I do it. Been doing it for about 10 years and no complaints yet.

The pictures at the link is of a Dorf spin out rim. The hole around the valve stem didn't look all that big when I remover the rim from the tractor. Poking around the area caused the hole to open up to what you see in the first picture. If you click on the pictures you will see that to get good steel to weld to the hole was much much larger. I traded a batch of cowboy cookies that my wife made for a section or rim from a junk rim.
Rim Patch Pix

some nice torch work

cool pictures, when i did mine i used a sawszall, cut like butter. i aint no welder but borrowed a welder and finished the job..even putting tire on and off aint that hard

Joe,

I just sent this reply to Ron-MO in the Ford forum.

I got a blank rim and cut the plates from the rusty one and welded them to the new one. Depends on how good the rest of the rim is. Mine was pretty well shot.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jreif2/FordPowerAdjustRimRepair#

Jeff