# 3 Cracked 18" Wheels



## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

I found 3 cracked wheels on the car Saturday after giving it a bath. These are the stock 18" wheels except that they are powder coated black - that shouldn't have any effect. 2 wheels have 1 spoke that has cracked all the way through on one spoke about 1/3 of the way from the hub. The crack is clean and there is no separation that I can see. The third wheel is strting to crack in the same location from the back side of the spoke and is 1/2 way through. This only is on one spoke on each wheel - the rest look perfect. These wheels have no damage otherwise and the car has about 41,000 miles in it.:confused

I'll try to get a picture up tomorrow. Has anyone ever heard of this before? I found no records online of this happening.


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## gtotogo (Sep 18, 2010)

Thats odd, I need to check mine. Are you the original owner of the wheels or did you buy them used?


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

As far as I know, they are the original wheels. They were on the car when I bought it in October of 2009.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Make sure the crack in the powder coating itself and _not the aluminum_.

Without physical damage/a collision occurring, I'm having a hard time believing that that gigantic piece of aluminum has a crack in it (or all the way through it), especially if it isn't causing drivability issues/noise.


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

Poncho Dan said:


> Make sure the crack in the powder coating itself and _not the aluminum_.
> 
> Without physical damage/a collision occurring, I'm having a hard time believing that that gigantic piece of aluminum has a crack in it (or all the way through it), especially if it isn't causing drivability issues/noise.


The cracks are in the aluminium. It's unlikely that the powder coat would crack in the same place on 3 wheels while the underlying structure is solid. On the one that is the worst, you can see where the powder coad has been slightly compressed.

I filed a complaint with NHTSA. I also have a set of Moda EB1 18x8s on order from Tirerack as replacements. They will be here Wednesday.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Something caused those cracks, they just happen on their own especially on 3 of 4.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

I find it rather odd also. I've heard of no other GTO wheels cracking without external damage in over 6 years of closely following the boards.


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

*picture of cracked wheel*

Here's the picture of the wheel. I finally figured out how to upload it.








Two are just like this. One other wheel has the cracks starting on the back of two spokes, but not through to the front. There is NO other damage on these wheels.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

It takes alot to break a wheel... it is virtually impossible to break 3 unless its user error somehow.


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## Northeast Rod Run (Oct 29, 2008)

WOW!

The only time I have seen cracks like that on GTO rims, are on some of the MC-2 dealer installed optional rims, but those rims had a lot less "beef" than the factory rims.

Good thing that you found them now rather than later


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Judging by that pic, the wheel appears to be powder coated. Wondering if something happened to those wheels as a result of the persons actions who worked on them.


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## Northeast Rod Run (Oct 29, 2008)

There is nothing done in the powdercoating process that will change any properties in the metal. A couple of hot laps on a track will throw more heat into certain areas of the wheel than that


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Northeast Rod Run said:


> There is nothing done in the powdercoating process that will change any properties in the metal. A couple of hot laps on a track will throw more heat into certain areas of the wheel than that


I realize that,............. my thought was something the person may have done to the wheels while in their possession. i.e. wheels in a vice clamped to tight or at a twisted angle or dropped from a collapsed shelf or something and as a result stress crack, then when using the wheels it got worse and worse to this point.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

Could have been from mounting tires, maybe. How they did it without other damage is beyond me...


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## heyman (Jan 15, 2010)

Poncho Dan said:


> Could have been from mounting tires, maybe. How they did it without other damage is beyond me...


MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING HERE, wheels just don't crack, who mounted the tires?


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Poncho Dan said:


> Could have been from mounting tires, maybe. How they did it without other damage is beyond me...


Many places hire dopes that show little respect to others property. Case in point, a couple I know have an '06 GTO took it to Sears to have new tires installed, they nicked up one wheel on different spots. They noticed it on their own.
Years ago I had '96 Ram took it to a shop within walking distance of my home for new tires. I left it there came back to get it when it was done, got it in the garage to detail it noticed the whole passenger side was scraped. Called the place, the manager denied they would do that on the phone, needless to say I was gonna enjoy dismantling him when I got there. Took the truck back walked in to get him he came out all cocky I pointed to the damage, the color of his building on the truck (freshly painted building I will add) I then proceeded in a heated agitated demeanor rip him 3 new a$$oles. Told him, now go ahead and deny it again. Get the monkey out here that did this. There is NO WAY he didn't hear the scraping, and crumpling of steel, the grit is still embedded in my truck's paint. The clown who drive the truck in just stood here like a mute, then said I didn't do it. I had to be restrained.

Their insurance then took care of it. To add insult to injury the painter that painted their building.. the over spray hit 30+ cars in a neighboring business, and 2 of my vehicles in my driveway and a few in my neighbors driveway. A week later I was back over there asking them to deny their paint on my vehicles. This time the painters insurance company had to anti-up. This was some 10 years ago, I will drive 50 miles out of my way to go to another place than visit this place again. Gotta love the deadheads working around you.


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

*Latest Update*

Well, after closely inspecting the wheels when they were removed, there is no sign of any damage done by clamping or anything else. I bought the car from a Saturn dealer in October of 2009 and the wheels had already been powdercoated by then. In the time I've had it, two tires have been replaced. Both of those wheels are cracked and one of the wheels that still has the same tires is cracked.

I've also contacted GM and they were quick to respond. They want me to take it to a dealer to have the car and wheels inspected. I'll get that done this week and report what they have to say. Interestingly, the reply I got from GM didn't seem the least bit concerned about the potential safety implication of a wheel failure.

Here it is with the New Moda EB1s


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## Lukemo2 (Apr 13, 2010)

*Nice wheels *

You bought the same wheels I did! They look sweet, don't they?


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

Lukemo2 said:


> You bought the same wheels I did! They look sweet, don't they?


:agree I think they look better than all the stockers - and they are 5 lbs lighter than the factory 18s.


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

The GM rep called this morning to say they won't honor any claims because an independent shop removed the wheels and not a GM dealer. He said they didn't consider it an emergency. I explained that the car had 3 cracked wheels and the nearest dealer is 10 miles away. He reiterated that this is not an emergency.

He also said that it wouldn't be necessary for a dealer to inspect the car or the wheels since they were not liable for anything. 

I can understand that they don't want to pay - but they also don't care about the potential safety implications of a wheel failure. I'll be keeping the GTO - but I'll never buy a new car from a company that doesn't care in the least about a safety issue with their products.


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## gtotogo (Sep 18, 2010)

New wheels look nice!!


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## HP11 (Apr 11, 2009)

buffgunner said:


> I'll be keeping the GTO - but I'll never buy a new car from a company that doesn't care in the least about a safety issue with their products.


Not sure if I really understand your reasoning but I do understand GM's reasoning. Your rims had obviously handled by several independent shops including the one that powder coated them. Why should GM be liable? On the bright side, your new ones do look much better.:cheers


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

HP11 said:


> Not sure if I really understand your reasoning but I do understand GM's reasoning. Your rims had obviously handled by several independent shops including the one that powder coated them. Why should GM be liable? On the bright side, your new ones do look much better.:cheers


 I don't view it purely as a liability issue. I would think that a responsible manufacturer would want to ensure that there isn't a potential safety hazard out there. When GM sells a car, they know that it will likely pass through many independent shops during it's lifetime. Are we all expected to only let a stealership do any work we can't do ourselves?

...and I agree, the new wheels do look much better than the stockers.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

buffgunner said:


> I don't view it purely as a liability issue. I would think that a responsible manufacturer would want to ensure that there isn't a potential safety hazard out there. When GM sells a car, they know that it will likely pass through many independent shops during it's lifetime. Are we all expected to only let a stealership do any work we can't do ourselves?
> 
> ...and I agree, the new wheels do look much better than the stockers.


Understand... once a modification is preformed on the wheel it will likely release GM from any kind of liability. This is the only case like this that has been reported here, or of anyone hearing of it and if this was a common issue there would be recalls on this as this is a serious issue. You purchased the car used god knows what happened to those wheels before you got them. 3 out of 4 wheels are damaged. It stands to reason someone did something to them and I think you will find GM stating the same. Once a GM official sees they were modified they will look to another for the cause.

Does GM they expect you to patronize their facilities for service? YES. Do they think you will, no. If you do deal with them for service all work is documented and in your file. The history of the car along with techs performing the work is on file and is something does go wrong then the blame falls directly on them.

Once a warranty expires repairs fall on the owner and GM is NOT obligated to make any warranty repairs. Those wheels are modified and I think you will find GM will find it happened as a result of an outside entity and not a defect from the manufacturer. I'd not expect anything other than that. 

If they find the cause please post up I'd like to know their findings. :cheers


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## HP11 (Apr 11, 2009)

buffgunner said:


> I don't view it purely as a liability issue. I would think that a responsible manufacturer would want to ensure that there isn't a potential safety hazard out there. When GM sells a car, they know that it will likely pass through many independent shops during it's lifetime. Are we all expected to only let a stealership do any work we can't do ourselves?
> 
> ...and I agree, the new wheels do look much better than the stockers.


Now, mind you, I don't agree with GM's point of view. I'm like the mouse on the D-Con commercial: ("I understand it but it doesn't mean I respect it")


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

GTO JUDGE said:


> ...If they find the cause please post up I'd like to know their findings. :cheers


There won't be any findings. Government Motors told me they have no interest in inspecting the wheels. They said it wasn't a safety issue. I'll probably never find out why this happened - hopefully I'm not the first case with more to follow!


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

I'm actually now starting to wonder if this was caused by a dead-blow hammer used to get stuck wheels off during service...


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## buffgunner (Mar 23, 2010)

Poncho Dan said:


> I'm actually now starting to wonder if this was caused by a dead-blow hammer used to get stuck wheels off during service...


Tht doesn't make sense. The stresses involved in driving a 4000lb vehicle with the acceleration, braking, and cornering capabilities of a GTO - not to mention coping with expansion joins and other pavement flaws - are much higher than a dead blow hammer would cause.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

A dead blow could put shock force on a single spoke, unlike the aforementioned forces which are evenly loaded & distributed.


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