OEM Wheel Tire Bead Corrosion: Replace/Replacements?

SEMIJim

Original poster
Member
Apr 13, 2013
116
Had my truck into Discount Tire to have them diagnose & repair a slow & erratic leak in the right front. While they had the tire off, the tech. noted the portion of the rim where the tire's bead seals was getting pretty badly corroded, and suggested I might need new wheels before too much longer.

What to do? I'll need new tires very soon (I'm down to 4/32 tread depth) and, if the rims are not long for this world, best to replace them at the same time. Michigan is pot hole hell, so I want something that can take a beating. (Can't fault the OEM rims, there. They've stood up to it.)

All Discount Tire apparently has, at least for my truck, is MB Wheels TKO, which appears to be a store brand?

Ideally I'd like something that has a brushed aluminium and silver/metallic grey theme, similar to the existing wheels. I think that would match best with the truck's silverstone metallic paint.

Pointers?

Thanks,
Jim
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
You are correct MB wheels are made for Discount tire. They are pretty decent wheels. You can look around there are not many wheels made for the GMT 360. You can check on tirerack.com.
 
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Tiggerr

Member
Jun 6, 2013
1,324
Perrysburg, OH
Your bead can be cleaned up with a roloc disc on a die grinder. I've cleaned up many a bead that way on aluminum rims. Good old sandpaper on steel wheels. Don't let them buffalo you into new wheels. Unless your planning on them anyway. Belle tire has a better selection of wheels as well. Discount tire doesn't have much of anything that fits these trucks unless they order it. Tire rack has a better selection too.

Also using "bead sealer" will help after cleaning them up. It kinda like rubberized glue/sealant type of goop for the beads. Works wonders.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Would another set of OEM wheels work for you, or are you set on something brand new? I'm pretty sure you could find a set of take offs for cheap online somewhere. :twocents:
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
Blckshdw said:
Would another set of OEM wheels work for you, or are you set on something brand new? I'm pretty sure you could find a set of take offs for cheap online somewhere. :twocents:
Good luck! And it's even worse for steelies that they don't want a fortune for.
 

SEMIJim

Original poster
Member
Apr 13, 2013
116
Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Not something upon which I plan to act immediately. Just trying to get my ducks in a row for when (if?) I need to do so.

Jim
 
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C-ya

Member
Aug 24, 2012
1,098
Blckshdw said:
Would another set of OEM wheels work for you, or are you set on something brand new? I'm pretty sure you could find a set of take offs for cheap online somewhere. :twocents:

Matt said:
Good luck! And it's even worse for steelies that they don't want a fortune for.

Exactly. I'm trying to find some wheels to put my snow tires on. Prolly gonna end up with steels from Tire Rack for $84/ea. Nothing on CL, ebay, etc. that they don't want a fortune for.
 
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Tiggerr

Member
Jun 6, 2013
1,324
Perrysburg, OH
C-ya said:
Exactly. I'm trying to find some wheels to put my snow tires on. Prolly gonna end up with steels from Tire Rack for $84/ea. Nothing on CL, ebay, etc. that they don't want a fortune for.
I'd just clean up your oem wheels and use them for winter. That's what I plan on when I get new summer wheels/tires. Like I said they'll clean up just fine. Sounds to me like discount tire was trying to scare you into buying wheels there. Your in MI I'd check out Belle tire. Or tirerack.
 
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MAY03LT

Member
Nov 18, 2011
3,412
Delmarva
My OEMs were wire wheeled and bead sealed each time I swapped tires. Still holding up fine. :twocents:
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
C-ya said:
Exactly. I'm trying to find some wheels to put my snow tires on. Prolly gonna end up with steels from Tire Rack for $84/ea. Nothing on CL, ebay, etc. that they don't want a fortune for.
Too bad you are an EXT... I would sell you my OEM 16s at a reasonable rate, plus shipping...
 
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Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
Wheels and caps have OEM refinished for about $125 or so IIRC.
 

Blckshdw

Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
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C-ya

Member
Aug 24, 2012
1,098
Larry, that would be nice. Too bad they won't fit.


Tiggerr said:
I'd just clean up your oem wheels and use them for winter. That's what I plan on when I get new summer wheels/tires. Like I said they'll clean up just fine. Sounds to me like discount tire was trying to scare you into buying wheels there. Your in MI I'd check out Belle tire. Or tirerack.
I think you confused me and SEMIJim. He is the one that may need new wheels. I want new wheels to avoid spooning rubber on and off every six months, potentially damaging my wheels and/or tires, and lightening my wallet.


My goal is not some bling new wheels. I'm past that. If I found some good looking wheels for a good price, I'd take it. Not saying I don't like aftermarket wheels, just that I don't have the money for them. But, paying $80 every 6 months to get the tires swapped is not good for my wallet OR the tires.
 
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Tiggerr

Member
Jun 6, 2013
1,324
Perrysburg, OH
I see that. I'd just keep 2sets mounted and swap them myself. That's what I'm gonna do. Put blizzaks on oem rims and get a nice set to use from April till November.
 

Bluto4x

Member
Jun 2, 2013
21
When I busted up one of my Buick rims, I ordered the TKO's in black and think they add a sharpness to my truck. But I'm not a chrome fan and the only chrome accent is the side line on my running boards (which I plan to replace with black nerd bars anyway.) And DTD gave me a great price on attire/rim combo. 4 rims with Falken Rocky Mountain ATS and lug kit ran me $1050. It cost me about $850 for a set of Cooper Discoverer AT3s here in NE Pennsyltucky. So for 2 bills more got myself a new set of rims. And they've held up to Scranton's pothole problem. Will post a pic later when I can take a better one.
 

Chickenhawk

Member
Dec 6, 2011
779
Cleaning the rims and applying bead sealer is something that must be done every few years especially in northern locations. Corrosion seeps in because the salt on the roads seeps in past the tire seals. When it starts to affect your pressures, it is time to get them fixed. I have done about three now since I started putting winter tires on my truck about 7 years ago, and one more is due before I put them on next fall.
 
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C-ya

Member
Aug 24, 2012
1,098
I picked up a set of 17" OEM wheels for $280.80 from I-55 Auto Salvage. $65/ea for 4 wheels plus tax since I drove over and picked them up. SEMIJim, they have another set. $25/ea shipping, but that can still save you a bundle. They have them on ebay - Link here

I'll post some pics on mine later so you can see what I mean with these questions. It looks like there is some of that bead sealant that was mentioned earlier in the thread. Do I need to take it off? I've never seen my wheels with the tires off, so I don't know if mine have it as well. If I clean it off, would a Roloc work on that as well? I don't see why it wouldn't. Would I need to ask for it to be reapplied?
 

hockeyman

Member
Aug 26, 2012
726
I had the same issue a few years ago also with my right front tire. Tire shop removed the tire, cleaned up the bead and reinstalled everything. While doing so, he said that the rest of them looked like they're beginning to corrode and I should bring my truck back soon to do the rest. I didn't though.

If I ever have an issue like that again, I'm going to try this stuff along the inside bead of the rims: www.sharkhide.com
I bought a quart of it a few years ago and I haven't found anything to use it on yet. Now that I'm thinking of it though, the bead of the rims would be a perfect experiment...if/when I have corrosion again.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Sometimes it makes me wonder how some wheels get corroded so bad and others don't. My OEM wheels have a little bit where the weights get pounded on, but nothing terrible and all the beads have always been perfect. Then I'll see others who have totally torn up wheels that look like they were dipped in sea water and scrubbed with 20 grit.
 

C-ya

Member
Aug 24, 2012
1,098
Mine don't look buggered up, but I haven't inspected them too closely. I'll probably clean them up before I take them in with my snow tires to get mounted. If they look good to me, I'll ask the guy at the tire shop if he thinks they should be treated with anything. All four have the gooey stuff on both inside surfaces.

20150716_130051_zpsnapbzoyy.jpg




20150716_130154_zpsvumx17lr.jpg
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
That's cleanable it looks like.
 

rcam81

Member
Dec 3, 2011
209
Onsted, MI
I had to have all 4 of mine done 2 years ago. Michigan winters corroded them up bad. I am getting new tires before this winter and I am going to have the tire shop put bead sealer on the rims when the tires are mounted.
 

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