Any Tips On Getting HMMWV Wheels To Seal Completely

[huskerfan]

Hey guys - anybody have any tips or tricks to get the 12-bolt HMMWV wheels to seal up completely? I have the newer style 12 bolts with the centering hole and am replacing the worn out 37" BFGoodrich Baja T/A's with a new set. Never had any slow leaks on them before, but now I can't get the new ones to seal up fully. I inspected and cleaned the o-ring, and greased it up well, but when i get the wheel back together, it still leaks in a few spots around the bead. I cleaned up the bead and the sealing surfaces on the rim - got all the rust and stuff off with a wire wheel, but it is still leaking slowly. It is not leaking inside the rim, so that would lead me to believe that the o-ring is good and holding, but the bead sealing surface is not sealing up 100% for some reason.

Any tips or tricks to get them to seal up completely?

 

[cucvrus]

How rusty in the bead. Get the wheels sand blasted, primed and painted. Wire brush is only so effective. After that you have to go big time on them.

 

[ehuppert]

In the civilian world bead sealing area gets cleaned them some bead sealer is applied to the rim before tire mounted. I had moved out of Mnt by the time we got HMMWV's, so never had the pleasure!

 

[huskerfan]

More so the tire had some rust dust on the bead that i was able to take off with the wire wheel, and then the bead on the rim was just a little gunked up with some rust, but was easily able to take it off with the wire wheel. I read about the bead sealing compound, wonder if i need to get some of that to use, but it looks similar in consistency to the bearing grease i used on the o-ring. Wonder if just a light coat of some o-ring grease would do the trick?

 

[ehuppert]

Bead sealer has a rubbery consistency and dries. Not the same as grease, and isn't expensive....