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Old 10-22-2008, 03:07 PM   #1
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Aluminum wheel problem

Can anyone tell me what has caused this to happen to my friends Aluminum Wheels? They are just over one year old.
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Old 10-22-2008, 03:23 PM   #2
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Mine are a year and a 1/2 old and doing the same thing just not as bad as yours. That the Good Old Chinese stuff. The clear coat is coming off.
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Old 10-22-2008, 03:36 PM   #3
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Thumbs down Filiform..

Welcome to the Forums....

You've hit on a very contentious subject... read on.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f142...ams-31743.html
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Old 10-22-2008, 03:44 PM   #4
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Karm

You did not post if your wheels came on a newer Airstream or if you had replaced them from after market.

Mine that are failing are after market I purchased when I went to 16 in. tires.
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:07 PM   #5
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Solution? If still covered by a new warantee.. there's your answer. If not, have a polish shop strip the clearcoat, and polish them. It'll cost a bit, but cheaper than new wheels.
Marc
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:08 PM   #6
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Got our trailer in May 2007 and by July the clearcoat had peeled off most parts of all 4 wheels. Great quality from across the Pacific. While at JC this past May the wheels were replaced after much hemming and hawing by the service department. The new ones look ok now.
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:22 PM   #7
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3Ms75Argosy is K-rect. In my opinion you are just wasting money to strip & re-clear coat. When out of warrity, expect to pay a good wheel polish shop $125 to $150 per wheel but with regular application of mag wheel polish, the wheels will look better than original. I've done this already to the AMG wheels on our MB & the Safari's wheels are next.
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:47 PM   #8
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Surprise. If those wheels are on a Airstream they AIN'T covered by the warranty even if you just drove it off the lot. Airstream covers no corrosion. See the corrosion thread for more info.
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:58 PM   #9
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Is there a polish / cleaner that would keep the clearcoat from peeling off? Thanks.
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Old 10-22-2008, 06:41 PM   #10
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In addition to the Airstream toys we also have a Harley. The wheels on my year Harley are prone to the same corrosion that the Airstream bodies and wheels are experiencing. The Harley dealer recommended a product called S100 Corrosion Protectant. So far it has saved my Harley and Airstream wheels from this plague. I spray some on a shop rag and wipe a coat of it on after every washing. Now if I could only spray the entire Airstream.
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Old 10-22-2008, 07:49 PM   #11
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Go figure. My wheels have it as well. My boat trailer wheels do too. Both of my units were exposed to road salt prior to me buying them. The trailer was built in 12/06 and hauled to South Carolina soon thereafter. My boat did a few winter boat shows prior to a spring purchase.

The Ranger rep let me swap out two of my worst wheels on the boat trailer under warranty. I have not pursued it with Airstream. As mentioned before, they make no warranty against corrosion. What I find odd though, and it's the argument I made with Ranger and my boat trailer, is look at my Chevy truck's wheels. They travel down the freeway daily, through the heat, snow, ice, salt, brake dust etc. and don't have any corrosion. What's wrong with your wheels? I don't get it!

I wonder if they source these wheels from the same manufacturer with the same substandard metal/clear coat on them. They wouldn't stay in business if we were buying these wheels at NTB and putting them on our ride. I guess they can hide under the label "OEM junk wheels?"

As Airstreamers, we are not alone.

yakman
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Old 10-22-2008, 09:27 PM   #12
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Clearcoat problem

I purchased my Airstream last month and noticed that wheel problem at the dealer but I agreed to buy it "as is" since the dealer had damaged it in his yard. After seeing that forum on corrosion "scary"......I went outside to take a look at the aluminum body which to me looks very good. But walking back inside I noticed the same corrosion problem on my Chevy Trailblazer SS. Same exact reaction under the clearcoat. So I guess its not just an Airstream problem. I dont want to complain about my Airstream because it took me so long to get and I dont want to kill my dream, I guess corrosion is part of life......Look at us all!
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Old 10-22-2008, 11:32 PM   #13
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Fighting Filiform

We do not intend to sit by and wait for filiform corosion to set in on our 2006 Bambi Safari SE or wheels. We are taking evasive action! Happily, we live in a very dry climate, which is to our advantage, and we have seen no real probelms... But in an effort of combat this nasty stuff before it begins, I turned to SilverGate's regimen...and follow the steps and products they are taking to protect their 2007 23' Safari SE... Check out Silvergate's thread, post #427: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f396...t-29471-5.html It's an excellent reference for treating this problem.

We have only seen just a slight bit of filiform on one of the rear tail light fixtures where water gathers when it rains... We immediatley treated the area with the products recommended in SilverGate's thread and it seems to have arrested it. I check it regularly and it seems to be stopped cold. I routinely check the exterior skin, paying particular attention to edges of panels and around rivets...any "sharp" edge where the coating may be disturbed for any reason.

Though it's a disgusting thing to see happen, there are things we can do to fight it...regular washing and waxing/sealing is the best way to protect the aluminum.
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Old 10-23-2008, 09:04 AM   #14
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Regular washing and waxing will stop it? I was at a rally last year and was talking to a guy who had a 2006 Safari who had never washed or waxed it and he said he never would. Not one trace of filiform corrosion anywhere. While regular washing/waxing might help it is no guarantee.
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Old 10-23-2008, 01:38 PM   #15
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ALUMINUM WHEEL PROBLEMS

KARM, yes same problem here with our 07 Classic. Ran some thin oil in that area between chrome cap & wheel after wash and wax polish - no more corrosion.

DEITZ645, it's generaly accepted that brake dust reacts with aluminum used in Harley solid and polished wheels. Our 2008 Fatboy wheels tarnish if not washed off regularly, polished with metal polish and then waxed. As far as I know Harley Davidson wheels are not clear coated. If they are, I have polished it off, they look a lot better for it and its easier to retain that shine.
I thinks this is what TKNELLE is saying.

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Old 10-23-2008, 11:38 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al - K4GLU View Post
Regular washing and waxing will stop it? I was at a rally last year and was talking to a guy who had a 2006 Safari who had never washed or waxed it and he said he never would. Not one trace of filiform corrosion anywhere. While regular washing/waxing might help it is no guarantee.
I agree that regular washing and waxing will not guarantee avoiding filiform, but it's better than doing nothing in my estimation. It's just preventative maintenance...particularly if you are in a climate where corrosion factors are higher.

It's just prudent to keep an eye out for it and act immediately if you see any signs of it... Not sure I get why someone would flat out say they will never wash or wax their AS, particulalry the later model ones....they don't oxidize the same as older models...besides, they look much better if they are kept reasonably clean.
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Old 10-24-2008, 05:17 PM   #17
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Thumbs down

Quote:
Originally Posted by willyd View Post
Is there a polish / cleaner that would keep the clearcoat from peeling off? Thanks.
Nope.
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Old 10-25-2008, 07:39 AM   #18
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Lets get real here. This is a material failure on the surface of the wheel under the clearcoat. No polishing, no oiling, or no amount of cleaning will stop or slow this.

If you feel the surface you will note that there is no tactile evidence of a surface failure thus it has to be under the clearcoat where surface applications will not counter.
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Old 10-26-2008, 06:40 AM   #19
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Post #15 - it's been a few weeks since I looked at wheels on trailer and they now have corrosion under coating - damn it! After this winter, I will remove coating, clean up with metal polish and then wax. I do this on our Harley wheels about 4 or 5 times a year and they look great.

John Stephenson
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Old 10-26-2008, 02:46 PM   #20
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Check out these products to help fight filiform corrosion:

CorrosionX Aviation CorrosionX Aviation

Boeshield T-9 Boeshield T-9®
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