GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: The Doc on 29 December 2007, 22:19
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One of the lads that works for me had the front of his genuine VW R32 wheel "fall off" after hitting a pothole last week :sick:
The front face of the wheel is unmarked (yet detached!) and the rear has a small dent in the outside - see first pic :angry:
(http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5082/dsc05456jf8.jpg)
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/3230/dsc05457ra4.jpg)
(http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8131/dsc05458sp8.jpg)
(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9083/dsc05462mm6.jpg)
(http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6587/dsc05475yr9.jpg)
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That looks more like a stress fracture that may have been there from being made. Then the incident with the pothole has caused the catastrophic failure.
At work we use alloy chucks which are put under high loads on a regular basis. They are stress tested on a regular basis due to the loads they have to carry. Sudden impacts of any nature can cause this kind of a fracture, but in my experience are only due to a fault that was already present within the structure.
If you think it worthwhile then you could have it inspected by a specialist who may be able to determine if the fault was a result of the impact or a result of an inherent fault in either the moulding process or microfractures that were already there from when it was made.
I for one have never known this happen before :sad:
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That looks quite bad...is your friend alright....could see a serious accident happening with that....good luck
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He is fine - thanks for asking - the car was able to be slowed and stopped with no problems and the tyre is still kind of attached.
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Thanks Hurdy
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def a stress fracture , glad everyones ok :shocked:
As the wheels are part of a batch I would hope the dealer would offer to replace all 4
doesnt bare thinking about if that happened on a high speed bend.
JohnO
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Could that be why they now fit the omanyt as the standard wheel?? Take it back to Vw thats what i would do!! :angry:
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For this to happen on a relatively new car it must be a casting flaw, in my mind a stress fracture implies that something has been subjected to a repeated force it cant cope with, which i suppose in this case is kind of true but only because the wheel was already flawed.
As has already been mentioned, i would ask the dealer to replace all 4 wheels, or rather demand they were replaced, the consequences of one failing at motorway speeds doesnt bare thinking about.
Last time i saw something like this was an Impreza, except the cause was slightly different. The wheels has been chemically stripped and re-coated, i think the conclusion was that the chemical they used combined with the temperature in the oven needed to cure the power-coat, attacked the alloy and it eventually failed several months later, this guy was very lucky too! http://forums.sidc.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=57937&hl=broken+wheel
Kenny
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Thanks for your input guys, I'll try and contact VW UK today. :wink:
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my mums bmw just did this, although she didnt even know and kept driving home!! :laugh: :laugh: women
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lol...ur lucky nothing serious happened to your mum....any news about VW and what they have said about the wheel?
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R32 wheels are subject to damage because of their design, the spokes being so far offset to the outer edge means there's very little support to the inner edge of the rim, another wheel that suffers in the same way is the Audi seven spoke design.
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R32 wheels are subject to damage because of their design, the spokes being so far offset to the outer edge means there's very little support to the inner edge of the rim, another wheel that suffers in the same way is the Audi seven spoke design.
Is that what your saying?? or what VW are saying?? :huh:
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No reply as yet :sad:
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R32 wheels are subject to damage because of their design, the spokes being so far offset to the outer edge means there's very little support to the inner edge of the rim, another wheel that suffers in the same way is the Audi seven spoke design.
Is that what your saying?? or what VW are saying?? :huh:
Not from VW Doc, but just a statement from a engineering point of view, wheel designed in such a way as the R32 and many model FWD car for that matter, where all their support is at maximum offset is always going to have inherent weaknesses compared to a wheel which has spokes (support) along or closer to the hub centre line.
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Look on the bright side Doc, your mate shouldn't have to fork out £400 for road tax this year as he's only driving a three wheeler! :smiley:
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Very good :wink:
VW just told me to PO :cry:
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Very good :wink:
VW just told me to PO :cry:
What was their reasoning?
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Very good :wink:
VW just told me to PO :cry:
I would have done it right over the sales persons leg that sold you the car!!! Tell him to sort it or he is going to become very unpopular, very quickly!
Its the least he can do since he's the one who made a packet when he sold it to you. :angry:
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why dont you get trading standards or some other help like that involved iam sure theres a motoring standards authority. i only had to mention these when the beam bender had not been changed on a new motorbike i had it failed the mot and the dealer craped himself and said please dont get them involved my bike was sorted out in no time.i know its a different problem you have but this might help you
kev :grin:
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Doc,
Shocking pics :shocked:
If it was a pothole have some photographs taken before it gets filled in again and sue the local authority. Well known fact that local authorities are not spending the money to keep local roads in a state of good repair and millions are now being paid out nationally every year (something like £50 million I believe). They should have a claims procedure for this and may well settle out of court. You will probably need to evidence the claim (witnesses etc) and make sure that any photos show the depth and width of the pothole.
I would keep the wheel for evidence in case of disputed liability - surprised that VW have dismissed this out of hand. If there was any manufacturing defect, it would be for them to cough up, but again, the onus would be on you to prove the defect.
Best of luck,
Cass
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No more VW's here ever again. :angry:
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So what happened at the end doc?? get it sorted??