Cracked wheel

[RUkered]

Not sure this technically belongs here because I don't know if I did it on a trail or not. I have no idea when it happened. I just picked my Jeep up from getting a tire plugged, and was checking the air pressure in all of them. My right rear wheel is in rough shape. I'm wondering how safe it is to ride on this thing.

Actually it just hit me when it probably happened. Long story short, on the last big snow, I got hit in the right rear side by a small snow plow my neighbor has. I got out and looked briefly for damage and didn't see any, so I went on. I'm pretty sure I would have noticed the wheel then, so I'm wondering if it just got cracked that day, and is now getting worse as I'm driving.

Nonetheless, I posted a thread in the Wanted section for another wheel, preferably another Moab if I can find somebody wanting to get rid of only one. If you guys know of anything, please let me know.



Here's the damage (crap cell phone pics)- do you guys think it's okay to ride around on this thing until I can find another wheel?

[cootees]

that looks kind of deep. Check it for leaks. It might be ok to drive around on for a short while but if you have a spare I would suggest putting it on until you find another wheel.

[RUkered]

Update on it - I took it back to the same shop that patched my tire this morning and got it mounted on the spare wheel. So now I'm just on the search for another 16" Moab. But until I find one, I think I'm just going to order a cheap steel wheel so I can mount it and have a spare again.

I've decided to just throw my spare in the back if I'm taking a long trip and when I go wheeling. So now that tire carrier I've been wanting has jumped up higher on the priority list.

[RUkered]

that looks kind of deep. Check it for leaks. It might be ok to drive around on for a short while but if you have a spare I would suggest putting it on until you find another wheel.

Yeah, leave it to me to shred cast aluminum. As my granddad used to tell me when I was a kid, "Boy, you'd tear up an anvil with a rubber hammer."

[bigmac]

awh just slather some JB weld on it and wait for it to dry paul is shaking his head at me right now...

[bajonesy77]

ouch! yea, no question i wouldnt drive on it.

[RUkered]

Sweet Lord I'm rough on tires and wheels. I've mentioned here before that I've torn valve stems out twice. To fix that, I changed them from metal to rubber. Then that mess earlier in this thread happened. Found a replacement and did pretty good for a while. Then a few months ago I developed a shimmy in the rear. Got it balanced and aligned before a trip to Uwharrie and it didn't make a difference. Got it balanced again before Crozet and the shimmy moved from the rear, feeling it through the seat, to the front, through the steering wheel. Went to Crozet and annihilated the finish on the two rears, plus left a few weights behind. Oddly, that helped the shimmy at highway speeds, but made it worse around town.

Before my Outer Banks vacation, I decided to try Road Force balancing because I'd heard good things about it. I had them do all four tires, plus a rotation and alignment. The guy called and said all 4 tires were out of round and all 4 wheels are bent. His quote was, "When they put the first tire on the machine, the whole shop shook." Despite that, it's still a little more tolerable than it was.

My point in this novel of a post is a couple of questions. Before I got it balanced the first time, I noticed my two rear tires looked a little wobbly. That continued despite the balancing. Now that I just got them rotated, it's still the back two that appear wobbly. Both pairs of tires, when on the front, don't do that. I realize with everything being out of round and bent that they're not going to ride like a Cadillac, but the fact that they only look odd on the rear axle makes me concerned that I should be looking for something else too.

The second question is - is the stock Moab wheel simply a softer aluminum? I have only run stuff like Potts and 5's / 6's at Big Dogs, and take it as easy on the throttle as possible. My wheels shouldn't wobble like I just landed on the other side of the river escaping Roscoe and Enos. Is it just a fact of life with a daily driver/trail rig with automatic lockers?

I will probably go back to steel wheels when the time comes to get new tires. I figure if I'm going to be cursed with wheel destruction, it's better to be able to replace them for $44.99. Until then, you can catch me shaking like a dog crapping thumbtacks on the way to a trail near you.

[evolution]

haha thats funny... the moab wheel shouldnt be softer alum..weld wheels and others are made from 6061 alloy, should be the same.. as far as your balance problem, im not sure.. my wheels are 10's with 35's and hand mounted without being balanced and they ride good and not a shake one. and the lockers shouldnt have anything to do with the wheels shaking..i know that didnt help the matters none but its all i got right now..

[VTCRAIG]

Wait....so you are saying that after you had them balanced this last time, they some how started wobbling again after repeated night runs, baja'ing through brackish water for 6 straight days in the sand at Corova Beach??? I don't buy it for a second and to think, all I have to show for it is a shot front pinion bearing, sand everywhere, and rusted everything...ahhhh

[RUkered]

No way man, I don't believe your lies. You're wrong - just like there's absolutely not 7 inches of sand in my floorboards. I never thought we'd have to do "sand repairs" to get ready for Big Dogs.

Then again, at least sand can't trash body mounts.

And Chris, I remember you telling me that. I'm still jealous of you for having such an easy time with the tires. Maybe the secret is they have to be 35's. Yeah, that's it - that's what I'll tell my wife. Then she'll happily let me upgrade my steering and brakes too. You know, for her safety.