OEM Rim Cracked

[River Rat]

On a recent trip to Gonarezhou while stopped at my overnight stop my TPMS indicated that my right rear tire was losing pressure albeit slowly. I checked for punctures and finding none I decided to pump it up to see what happens. It held pressure for a day but started losing pressure at a faster rate overnight. I decided to remove the wheel and do a more thorough check and found this crack in the rim. While driving the tire was always at 2.5 bar as monitored by the TPMS and there is no evidence of a rock strike or similar which is rather strange. These are the OEM rims on a LC79 and I now have a decision to make regarding replacement.

The cheapest option is to simply replace like with like but there's a nagging doubt about these rims being fit for purpose. I'm not sure if this is a once off or whether others have had any similar experiences? I had the wheels rotated just before the trip and this particular wheel was from front left and I would hope that the guys doing the rotation would have noticed the crack. So my assumption is that this happened during the first 1500km of our trip. I can't recall any serious bumps along the way and other than the causeway crossings there isn't too much rock to contend with in Gonarezhou.

The more expensive option is to replace all 5 rims with steelies and I found this option https://www.errolstyres.co.za/wheels...ck+%28Steel%29. I'm not too sure about the need for a beadlock for my type of travel which is overlanding and the only 4x4 complexity is what comes up en route. Any other suggestions for steelies?

[PsyPhin]

I would just repair. https://centurionmagrepairs.co.za/
It really wasn't expensive on my 320d 18"s. RUN the forum police are coming

But if you really want new rims, I doubt you need beadlocks. They do look cool though.

[River Rat]

I would just repair. https://centurionmagrepairs.co.za/
It really wasn't expensive on my 320d 18"s. RUN the forum police are coming

But if you really want new rims, I doubt you need beadlocks. They do look cool though.

The only reason for the steel replacement is because I can't work out what caused the crack and conventional wisdom is that steelies are better suited to overlanding than alloys. If I could link it to a specific incident I would be happier fortunately this manifested as a problem right at the end of our trip and I have kitted myself out to do a tire change if needed but that's a pain. I might just pop in and see if the repair guys have a view or not, specifically if they have seen others with similar cracks. Thanks for the link.

As for beadlocks it was interesting that when searched for suitable steel rims on Errols Tires that was the only option that came up for my vehicle. Seems like I will have to school myself on rim specifications to get more options.

[Francois Theron]

For steelies, I’d go for the OEM rims fitted to 105 Cruiser wagons. Expensive but the best.

[PierredW]

For steelies, I’d go for the OEM rims fitted to 105 Cruiser wagons. Expensive but the best.

I agree, I have them on my 79 for 17 years and no issues. Had them sandblasted and resprayed last year after some rust spots started to appear. Tyre size I use is 265/75R16.

Try N1 4x4, I got mine new from them many years ago.

[JK1]

Going off topic.

I like the back ground vehicle also.

[Henris]

To repair, weld with a laser welder.

But yes, those OEM 105 rims are the 5h1t.

[GH]

It's the first time I hear of a 79 series rim crack.

[River Rat]

It's the first time I hear of a 79 series rim crack.

I was hoping someone would say that and I cannot recall hearing anything similar either which makes this event rather perplexing.

[kenskind]

I've got a set of these Dynamic Sunrayasia Soft 8 steelies on my 79. Had them on my 76 as well. Very happy. Main reason for the change was the tyre turning on the OEM alloy at low pressures (SAND).

If I went down to below 0.8 the tire would 'slip' or rotate on the rim a few degrees. This occurred more than once when I did some sand driving. This made the drive back home a hassle due to out of balance wheels.

Since changing to the dynamic steelies that are a tad wider than the alloys I no longer have this issue.

BUT beware the PCD is a tiny bit larger than the alloys. This means that you cannot rely solely on the hub to centre the rim. A star pattern needs to be followed when doing up the nuts. The alloys also get tightened to 131Nm compared to steelies that need 209Nm according to the service manual.
The nut to rim surface area is less on a steelie in comparison to a alloy. So tighten those nuts properly.

[Gajac]

I was hoping someone would say that and I cannot recall hearing anything similar either which makes this event rather perplexing.

I recall a 79 owner up in the Barotse stating the OE Cruiser mags were rubbish and would require 2 spares for a trip to Lusaka.
He converted to steelies

[Andre Bos]

It's the first time I hear of a 79 series rim crack.

Me too

[Andre Bos]

It is the first time ever that I have seen this on an OE Cruiser rim*(7 cruisers over the last 22 years). I have changed back to the OE rims after the aftermarket ones did this, one crack on the inside on one wheel and 2 cracks also on the inside on another wheel. My cruiser also weights 4 tones. The OE rims is readily available and cheap, so I suggest get another set. I run 315x75x16 tyres.

[PierredW]

Going off topic.

I like the back ground vehicle also.

That is/was a 1984 Cortina p/u with a 350 Chevy V8, turbo 350 box, 2.92 diff ratio. Warm cam flowed heads, 4 barrell Holley, branches & freeflow exhaust.
Good for 110km/h in first gear.

[Mike N]

What is the load on the rear axle when doing trips? If this is within the vehicle limits I would take the rim failure up with Toyota especially in the light of the low kilometers. No evidence of physical damage or impact tends to point towards a manufacturing defect.

[River Rat]

What is the load on the rear axle when doing trips? If this is within the vehicle limits I would take the rim failure up with Toyota especially in the light of the low kilometers. No evidence of physical damage or impact tends to point towards a manufacturing defect.

I considered this but I suspect that Toyota would point to my non standard suspension upgrade which takes the GVM from 3200kg to 3900kg as the underlying problem and wash their hands of any warranty claim. My weighbridge test showed 1200kg front and 1700kg rear with another 100kg front and 120kg rear to come. All in we don't exceed the specified loads combined or on individual axles. I have subsequently moved my RTT from the canopy to the front cab which is a 90kg shift.

My take on this is not so much about the cost of the failed rim but more about understanding the underlying cause so that I can prevent it reoccurring. I just can't see Toyota engaging in a fault finding exercise for commercial reasons which is a pity.

[Christo Davids]

As the guys mentioned, get a set of Toyota Steel Rims used on the 105 series
you might be able to get a set at places like N1 4x4.

[Mike N]

I considered this but I suspect that Toyota would point to my non standard suspension upgrade which takes the GVM from 3200kg to 3900kg as the underlying problem and wash their hands of any warranty claim. My weighbridge test showed 1200kg front and 1700kg rear with another 100kg front and 120kg rear to come. All in we don't exceed the specified loads combined or on individual axles. I have subsequently moved my RTT from the canopy to the front cab which is a 90kg shift.

My take on this is not so much about the cost of the failed rim but more about understanding the underlying cause so that I can prevent it reoccurring. I just can't see Toyota engaging in a fault finding exercise for commercial reasons which is a pity.

Mmm, that makes it an easy warrenty refusal for Toyota.
For a constant heavily loaded vehicle an inherent manufacturing defect in a rim would cause an expedited crack relatively early and the fatigue is exponentially faster with an increase in loading. Aluminum alloys does not have as a forgiving nature wrt overloading as steel, it does not have a fatigue limit as in steel. So the best option is to go for heavy duty steel wheels with certified load ratings on your vehicle. Allow for at least a 25% reduction in the load rating if the vehicle is often used off-road near the maximum loads.

[Disco Smiley]

I considered this but I suspect that Toyota would point to my non standard suspension upgrade which takes the GVM from 3200kg to 3900kg as the underlying problem and wash their hands of any warranty claim. My weighbridge test showed 1200kg front and 1700kg rear with another 100kg front and 120kg rear to come. All in we don't exceed the specified loads combined or on individual axles. I have subsequently moved my RTT from the canopy to the front cab which is a 90kg shift.

My take on this is not so much about the cost of the failed rim but more about understanding the underlying cause so that I can prevent it reoccurring. I just can't see Toyota engaging in a fault finding exercise for commercial reasons which is a pity.

Toyota will not do fault finding. They will refer back to the manufacturer to do investigation. If you look on the inside the wheel must have the name of the manufacturer, cast and heat treatment date stamp and on the paint somewhere the time and date of paint. All off this is requirements.

[Sebastiaan]

Thanks for this thread.

Saved me a couple of bucks. Was thinking about changing from steelies to the alloy.