Steel and aluminum wheels fail in different ways
Most commercial fleets run a mix of steel and aluminum wheels, and the two age differently. Knowing what each one tends to do tells you what to look for when the tire is off.
Steel wheels. Heavier, tougher against impact, and prone to rust. Rust on a steel wheel starts where the coating has been chipped or worn through, often at the bead seat where tires are mounted and removed, and around the stud holes. Left alone it roughens the surface the tire seals against and thins the metal. Steel also bends rather than cracks under a hard knock, so a steel wheel can be out of round without looking damaged.
Aluminum wheels. Lighter, and they do not rust the way steel does. They corrode differently: a white, powdery buildup, often underneath a coating or at the bead seat, which can undermine the seal just as rust does. Aluminum is also more likely to crack than bend after a severe impact, which makes inspecting it after a hard hit more important.
What that means at inspection
On steel, look for rust at the bead seat and stud holes, chipped coating, and any sign the wheel is out of round. On aluminum, look for powdery corrosion, especially at the bead, and inspect closely for cracks after any heavy impact.
On both, a position that keeps losing air is a reason to assess the wheel rather than replace the tire again.
What refurbishing restores
Cleaning back to sound metal, restoring the bead seat, and refinishing so the wheel is protected for another stretch of service. The inspection comes first, and it decides whether the wheel can be refurbished at all.
A crack ends the wheel and it is replaced.
Large equipment wheels are part of the same work, and a site on mining fleet services can ask to have them included. A vibration that survives a balance is often the wheel. The national wheel refurbishing page covers the process.
This is the Commercial & Consumer listing; the Phoenix city page explains the others.
Other stores nearby
Casa Grande and Tucson also refurbish wheels.
About this store
The Phoenix store runs eighteen services and is managed by Patrick Taylor.
See the national wheel refurbishing page for all 42 locations.