My Rims Keep Cracking!!!

[Bleu]

I have a 2000 Mazda Millenium S edition with chrome rims. I just bought new tires and right away the air kept leaking till one of them busted. I went to replace it and found the rim was cracked. I had it repaired. Same thing for one one my rear tires. Just bought a new tire, had it mounted and damn if the air kept going out. I just put the car in the shop for some other minor (?) damages and found as the mechanic was going to put brand new tires on again because the insides were gone already, that the rim in the rear was crackedas well! Damn!! anyway, off to have the rim welded and well honestly, I'm sick of this. I was told that the rims crack easily on these cars that they corrode and pit and that makes the air leak. I was told they crack from driving on low air in the tires. I was told it comes from potholes - I was told it comes from the air constantly fluctuating (going up and down) WHO IS RIGHT? Or is everyone correct? I have one mechanic telling me one thing, swearing its my fault from driving around with the air low all the time but my problem was even though I bought new tires, the air would go out overnight and every morning I'd fill em up again for the day - I don't have deep pockets if you know what I mean! Then I have other people telling me something else! Help!!! HELP!!!!

[Grant@Tirerack]

How shall I put this without offending anyone... chrome wheels are not very user friendly The finish is very easily damaged when the tires are mounted on the wheels. The chrome finish is actually a multi layer plating process that consists of the base metal alloy the wheel is molded from, nickel and copper layers and then the chrome. All of these layers are electroplated onto the alloy wheel. That process weakens the alloy quite a bit which makes them more prone to damage than a painted or polished wheel. That may explain your cracking problem. If the finish is scratched when they mount the tires or it starts to peel in the bead area of the wheel's lip, it can cause slow leaks. Changes in outside temps can cause the layers to peel as the different layers expand and contract at different rates. That can cause the finish to start peeling even faster.

[Bleu]

Thank you for your response! I just bought four new Dunlop Sport 5000's. Hope things stabilize or else I'm getting rid if the Mazda!

[Raysoncrafter]

Don't blame the car- it's the wheels as Grant pointed out. Just order 4 replacement/aftermarket wheels from him!

When aluminum is chrome-plated, one of the side effects is hydrogen embrittlement, so I'm told by those that 'know'. As a result, as you've learned, chromed wheels are more prone to cracking. Welding is a 50/50 proposition at best, because the wheel can crack again at that same location or adjacent to it. Cracking comes from hitting something in the road, like potholes, and is especially likely when the tire is a low profile or is underinflated.

As Grant also pointed out, corrosion sets in on the bead seat of the wheel, lifting the chrome and causing air channels between the delaminated plating and the wheel. Take a high-speed wire brush and clean the bead seating area of all loose and flaking chrome, use a bead sealer (brushed on) and you'll likely have a good air seal from that point on.

Hope this helps!