As the title states - I was losing air from my front right tire so took it to a local shop figuring I picked up a nail. Turns out I hit a pothole and the rim is cracked which is why it's losing air. So, now I need ONE front Kalimnos wheel and REALLY don't want to pay dealer retail. I know I can get one from Barratt for ~$900 but there has to be one out there someplace?!? Right??

 

Try Google and eBay, you'll find one.

 

Why not just have it repaired? There's a lot of very talented repair places that do that very reasonably. No need for a new wheel but then again if you can find one cheap on eBay that may not be a bad thing...

 

You can repair it but there are no paint codes for the wheels so the color will not match exactly. Better to buy new.

 

A wheel repair service can match the paint without a paint code.

It's just part of doing the job.

 

Ditto for Plum's comments. My wife cracked a 19" Jag rim. Dealer new was $1200. Local rim repair biz, welded, painted to match. Although, will not pass MD inspection criteria, the rim was in use for 4-5 years before car was sold. The cost was under $300, as I recall.

 

Byte,

A welded rim will NEVER be as strong as a new rim (or used one that has never been welded). Just ask a metallurgist (or Google it). Don't believe what rim repair shops may tell you to the contrary; they're in business to repair rims. I think it's foolhardy to put yourself and your friends and family in harm's way, particularly with a front wheel risking catastrophic failure and loss of steering control, just to save a few bucks.

If you can afford a 2010 XK, you can afford a used (or new) Kalimnos wheel. Don't bet your life on a welded rim. Byte the bullet; don't byte the dust. Better to be safe than sorry and enjoy the ride; don't shorten the road of life by making poor choices.

Stuart

 

I agree with Stuart , aluminium alloy is not like steel , it's very difficult to weld to give a strong joint, especially in fatigue. A rim (and tyre) have effectively one fatigue cycle for every full revolution of the wheel , so you will soon have a high number of fatigue cycles on the repair. Consequences of a failure are massive at high speed, look at Vettel's tyre failure at 180 mph+ in the Belgian F1 GP last weekend (that was tyre wall rather than the metal rim, but same effect). So better to buy a 2nd hand rim and have that re painted.... Ian

 

The only people I talked to who said that welding was a good idea where the places that offered welding. EVERYONE else recommended against it so I bought a new wheel. In the end it was about $500 +/- difference and fortunately a few days less driving on the blaze orange donut.

Appreciate all the feedback!

 

I had the same problem but my rim crack came because of a deer. Found a refurbished for $600 but got a bit Leary so I paid the $1200. Glad I did. A repaired rim is never the same especially on a high performance vehicle