Ouch! Team dynamics spoke failure!

[re-rx7]

Buddy sent me this pic this morning. I believe these have been powder coated but yikes

 

[M-Sport fan]

Just how 'common' is this type of failure on the 1.2s??

 

[NJBooST]

What did he hit that spread that much force across 3 spokes?

 

[re-rx7]

Nothin. Just normal roads. Notice the tires aren't damaged.

 

[MS67]

Pretty surprising considering those look like 15s with pretty meaty tires. And people are so scared of Rotas cracking...

 

[M-Sport fan]

Do the OZeds that fit our cars have a lot of the same problems, even in the 17" sizes with lower profile side walls?

 

[BronxBomber]

I've run all types of wheels, cheap Drag wheels, Konig, Enkei, Rota, XXR, Tenzo. Never anything overly expensive or forged. I've hit every type of pothole in New York while running 225/40/18 for most of the time and I've only cracked one rim and that was because it was about 8" deep and 18" across plus I was going 65mph. I've never had a wheel crack on me under any other conditions. It's odd especially to crack like that instead of on the barrel.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^Which dampers (and on what settings) were you running on that Scooby(?) ??

 

[re-rx7]

Yes they are 15's.

 

[NJBooST]

I just did some reading and never knew that powder coating can weaken an alloy wheel by as much as 30%. And if I remember correctly these wheels were purchased off craigslist from an old Focus, so no idea what they had been run through in a previous life. Great thing he caught it before losing a wheel at speed.

 

[Adamleebmx]

Yeah, thats my wheel. I didn't hit any pot holes or hard bumps. Noticed it last night when I was pulling up to my house, was making a weird noise. The wheels were purchased brand new in February by my friend (also has a FiST) and powder coated. He hardly put any miles on them and I've only had them for 2 months.

 

[Chris G]

This kind of stuff happens from time to time. Glad you are ok.

 

[Adamleebmx]

Thanks, glad the wheels didn't shatter... If anyone has any input on common wheels that will fit, I'm looking for temporary wheels. So far I've got 2000-2007 focus and 2011-2013 fiesta written down. I'll be contacting salvage yards tomorrow.


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[Capri to ST]

Yeah, thats my wheel. I didn't hit any pot holes or hard bumps. Noticed it last night when I was pulling up to my house, was making a weird noise. The wheels were purchased brand new in February by my friend (also has a FiST) and powder coated. He hardly put any miles on them and I've only had them for 2 months.

Oh no, so sorry that happened to you. It's also cause for concern for me because I've been planning to get some 1.2's. NJBooST mentioned in an earlier post that powder-coating can weaken a wheel as much as 30%, I had no idea that could weaken a wheel that much. Since you bought from a friend, hopefully you would know about any big impacts to the wheels before you got them.

A few quotes from another site on powder-coating-
The amount of basic heat required to powder coat a wheel is enough to pre-maturely "age" and weaken the metal alloy to the point that it is more brittle.

This is exactly why wheel makers like Enkei say that powder coating voids their warranty.

It is not so much the powdercoating itself, it is the process... which involves stripping the paint by sandblasting and could lead to thousands of micro-cracks, which can only get bigger. chemical removal of the existing paint is preferred. additionally, many degrease the wheels by baking them in a high temp oven and that in itself can cause damage. the powdercoating occurs at a low enough temp as to not cause substantial aging, but it does in theory age it some.

This is from some pretty knowledgeable guys on NSX Prime.

 

[airjor13]

Wow just wow

 

[Adamleebmx]

He's a good friend of mine, he was just as surprised as I was. He only drove the car to work and MAYBE a meet every other week. The wheels and tires were practically new when I get them.


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[NJBooST]

Exactly what [MENTION=4050]st enthusiast[/MENTION] stated. Just google "powder coat wheel cracks" and you'll see a bunch of broken spokes on after-market and OEM wheels.

 

[meFiSTo]

Calling Chalon...
[MENTION=129]PCA-1[/MENTION]

 

[Adamleebmx]

Added him on FB and messaged him with no response


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[meFiSTo]

Added him on FB and messaged him with no response


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Given the purchase process (unless he sold them through a different forum), I doubt he can *do* anything in particular, but thought he might have an opinion. I'm personally interested to see if he has any input. The powder coating thing is a concern. Doing a search, that appears to be something discussed for few years among wheel buffs. Happy with my painted wheels.