Rear wheels- Is it practical to weld them?

I could see where one wheel had settled in an rusted badly, but the other rear was fine and the old tire held air, though it had a separation spot on the side wall.

I decied to buy a new tire to put on this wheel (to match the used wheel and new tire I bought for the other side). In the process of "breaking down tire from the wheel, the tire fellow punched thru the rim in a "bad spot".

I'm not anxious to buy another Rim.

What are the opinions about welding in a patch and covering it with a boot to protect the tube?

To SAFELY weld a rim, you need the knowledge and equipment to do it safely, and enough good metal left at the edges of the weld so the tire/rim assembly does not blow apart, with possibly disastrous results.

In my experience, a lot of professional welders will not touch a job like this, and if you find one that will, I'll bet the repair will cost you the better part of the price of a new rim.

That being said, I have done this myself a number of times with good results, IF you can find good original metal to weld to.

Not to mention wended in centers.. cut off spokes, etc.

Use a piece of an old tube or boot to line the rim with if it is rusty, or it may pinch/abraid the new tube. I had to de a good deal of grinding ( and beating ) on my naa rim before i put a new tube / tire on it from a bead seperation.. etc.

Might get fancy and paint it too.

I've even seen people just roll a thick layer of duct tape all aroun the inside of a rim to protect the tube... just gotta do what you gotta do sometimes i guess..

If it were a highway vehicle.. I would not want to.. but a 6mph pasture blaster.. go for it.

Soundguy