Three Wheels on my Wagon

[NightOwl]

Not a funny story this.

Driving along a straight road, in a line of slow moving cars, doing about 25mph and the steering started to shudder. A couple of seconds later it got worse so I pulled into the side and just before the car stopped, 'pop' and the car dropped at the front. I was going to drive up on the verge, but thought I'd better have a look first at what had happened. I couldn't believe what I saw. The wheel broken right off. I have never kerbed the wheels since I got the car in November. As far as I know, they are the original alloys for the car. I spent £200 getting them tidied up just before I got the car. I've never had any serious 'fun' with the car, i.e. hard cornering etc, for weeks. I didn't have a jack in the car, so called the RAC out and the chap said that in 19 years, he'd never seen that happen.

I have absolutely no idea how this happened, but I am very, very angry and have lost all confidence in the car. It is not worth thinking about what would have happened if I was doing 70 down the motorway. As it was my 4 year old daughter got a big fright and took some consoling. The car's now sitting in my drive with a rather unattractive spacesaver wheel on and I'm using my Father-in-law's car. I just don't want to drive the Scoob.

Needless to say, I'll be right onto the dealer on Monday morning. Obviously it's not their fault, but this has to be a problem with the wheel and I'll want the other three thoroughly checked.

I'd be interested in your thoughts.

 

[st3ph3n]

Damn, that's not good at all. What was that part of the car resting on? Looks like it might have been on the brake disc which wouldn't be good surely.

[NightOwl]

It is the brake disc, but thankfully I was almost stopped, so it's only turned a few times on the inside of the rim. Mr. RAC gave it a good check and said it looked ok.

[jcscoob]

OMG !!! 

I have a wheel to match with a good tyre on it that i can give you a loan of till you get it sorted out we ar going to edinburgh from dundee tomorow and could maybe meet you somewhere on the way . []

[NightOwl]

Very generous offer jc.

I touch goats.

[SergeantScooby]

jeez thats a shocking thing to happen to any wheel on a car, just as well you were doing the speed you were and nothing faster, could have been very messy, there was obviously a fault in the manufacture of the said wheel, i personally would want all of them changed if they are from same batch

 

 

[jcscoob]

  Quote

Very generous offer jc.

I touch goats.

 

PM'd back []

[gus the bus]

OMG[] Thank god you werent @ speed when that happened[]

[peter_reid]

Glad no-one was hurt mate.

 

Is it just me or can you see dark lines across the broken parts with lighter newly broken bits. If the pic is as I think then the darker bits look like the cracks were there for a little while. Old impact maybe?

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Pete

[FastScooby]

at least you were not doing any speed...glad you and kiddie were ok.......

was that your car at falkland the other day??

 

 

[jcscoob]

If you look at it you can see black water runs from the crack out and not in the center !! [^o)]

Brian can you post up a full size pik of the wheel ?

[NightOwl]

Wasn't me at Falkland..

Here's the wheel a bit bigger hopefully...

[fai17]

OMG that is shocking..........Glad yous are all ok...

Get it checked out m8..

[MY94]

I feel for u,I've just had a flat the other day which on closer inspection turned out to be cracked rims too!Althought I suspect spirited driving over potholes was the culprit in my case.

I'm glad I spotted it just before this happen to me.I'm also very glad you and yours are all in good health!

I've just bought at set of wheels from Gumball in the for sale section,there is of a set of wrx 17" wheels with tyres off a 2003 wrx still for sale for £280 that might interest u!

[Mako]

Jeez Brian!!! Just glad you're all ok. Come see me tomorrow and we'll get you back on the road. I will take this up with Subaru myself [:@]

Russ

[G.Mac]

I know this isnt the case for you, but I have seen alot of photos of this with RX8 wheels esp after the car has been involved in a bump there the wheek has has a knock.

All the best to you in getting it sorted out

Graeme

 

[oz *sti*]

Wow, now that is crazy mate, glad no one was hurt.

[zeolite]

Brian...that pic has freaked me out!

I have some spare 16"s you can borrow. I will pm you my mobile number.

[AlanG]

"I spent £200 getting them tidied up just before I got the car."

Frightening, absolutely frightening!

I've never heard of Subaru alloys having that kind of problem and i've been around the Subaru game for around 7 years.

I've quoted what you say above, cause i reckon this is where the problem originates from.

I'm not naming names or where i have came across this before due to liable, but i have seen this before where a wheel refurbishment company had issues with the equipment they were using. When it was highlighted to them that there were issues and the evidence was put forward to them, they rectified what was going wrong.

Basically a number of owners that had their wheels done experienced similar problems you have just had, though not to that extremity.

[dipsy]

Thats nasty .Your better off getting four new wheels to be on the safe side .Would this be done to the process of  oven they use to bake the powder coating or acid they use after shot blasting before they powder coat the wheels

[AlanG]

It was a few years ago but i think it was down to the oven.

[james_mowbray]

Ive came across this too, its the Powder coating process.

 

If the ovens arnt properly supervised/serviced to run at a certain tempreture, the acid /heat can cause these problems.

I must say ive not seen it on Subaru wheels, untill now. Its usually on the weaker alloys, ie replica wheels.

 

After saying that I do believe that having your wheels powder coated gives a stronger and longer lasting finish than re-painting, but you dont have the above safety issues to contend with.

 

Depending on how long ago they were done, you should have some sort of compensation.

 

James

[NightOwl]

Thanks for your input guys.

A few other people have mentioned the refurbishing process and that may be the problem.

After close inspection of the other three wheels I noticed a crack in the other front wheel.

Got a transporter there Russ!!

[andy_tregarthen]

OMG, thought the mild buckle on mine was bad. Dont let it put you off the Scoob thou, it aint her fault.

As others have said it could be down to the Acids or chemicals used in the recondition process. At work we wont use Tric on any Titanium parts due the the microscopic etching of the surface that leads to failures.

Another thought is, have you carried any heavy loads in the car and possible in the past clipped a pot hole or similar. If its a rear wheel you wont feel any vibrations as much as the front. A friend folded a TSW stealth on his 205GTi due to a pot hole, got the council to replace it. Have seen hubs snap off before in rally and race due to high loads but at 25mph is a shocker. Also remember a wheel rotates at a high rpm any small cracks will grow under any vibration that is present.

Flippin eye opener thou.

[zeolite]

Brian... If two have it you have to change all of them. No question.

The offer stands and I will be around from late morning if you need any help. The Trooper is getting MOT'd so no towing though.