hi all,
i have a 82 245 w/ the original aluminum wheels that won't hold air. i've taken them to the shop and had my tires remounted twice, had the valve stems replaced, they just keep leaking. is there any steel wheels out there that will work? everyone tells me these aluminum wheels just wear out? i guess i could use that stop-leak goo in a can, but i've been told tire guys really hate that stuff.

I'm sure these guys know what they are talking about when it comes to painting the allow wheels you have. But you can use pretty much any wheel style from any 240 or 740; 14 inch, 15 inch, even 16, so there is a big pool out there for you to draw from. If you don't want to do the work on your wheels, maybe you can work a trade with someone who has good steel wheels and wants a project. Otherwise, you could find a junkyard.
--
Andy in St. Paul. '89 244 153K mi, '91 745 Regina 206K, '88 244 184K

Prolly oxidation is the issue. Sanding down the bead and repainting it smooth is the key.

Otherwise I've got 3 14" steel wheels off an '88 240 ... $5 each plus shipping from SoCal.

-- Kane
--

While I would never deliberately mislead anyone, take into consideration that any info and advice was provided at no cost to you.

I agree with Kane, sand the bead and stem hole and repaint.

I would use POR-15. If you'r not familar with POR-15 it is an epoxy paint meant to stop rust and oxidation in it's tracks.

I've used it to seal some old steel wheels I got from the pic-n-pull for my winter tires. Great stuff, check it out www.POR15.com.
--
Bruce S. near D.C.