RE: {Chrysler 300} Safety Suggestion .....INSPECT Your Old Wheels

John,

I can tell you how they screwed up. When they made the wheels, they cut a center off of a wheel and then welded it into new hoops. The flange on the centers were cut off in a lathe.

They did NOT dress the flanges and just pressed the center in and welded them. The ninety-degree edges of those flanges were not rounded nor were the parting lines on the flanges radiused to remove sharp edges.

Since it required a 2-inch backspace, the weld took place right on the “bend” of the hoop drop. The stress of the center flexing caused the edges to ‘dig in” over time and cause cracks.

They basically did crappy work. No attention to detail for a wheelwright shop that had been there for over 100 years.

My welder tried to clean it up, but it is a loosing battle. That is why I am going to get some off the shelf wheels and just use some spacers. The lessor of two evils.

James

From: John Grady <jkg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 5:49 AM
To: James Douglas <jdd@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Charlie V <cv300g@xxxxxxxxx>; Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: {Chrysler 300} Safety Suggestion .....INSPECT Your Old Wheels

Really important stuff in all this; thank you for actually bringing up two things here — but I want to point out that, similar to discussions here about “ I know a guy who can weld cast iron” ( it can’t be welded out in the air — period), well meaning but uninformed people will weld on automotive steel , which can be welded , — but do not understand that unlike say a structural iron weld , many automotive steel parts are subject to fatigue loads back and forth ( “ reversing loads”) and —- unless stress relieved after welding — they are left highly stressed before before putting on the car —-

This is because as the weld cools as there is always a very hot place next to a cold place— inherent in welding . That residual stress ans they cool at different rates added to flex starts a crack .

Under the weld itself is a tiny space where that left behind stress is very high , and so ready to crack , but once you start wiggling it the tiny crack grows . No wiggle generally no problem ( building iron) Just like a notch on a paper clip if you bend back and forth it rather quickly snaps .

Guys at stockton wheels must be clueless to not stress relieve their fabrications .

Skill also plays a big role , certified welder is critical . Not some guy with opinions or pretty welds . But has to be stress relieved no matter how good the welder if facing fatigue , and a wheel is the one place with millions of cycles .

Obviously scratches or bent and then straightened edges can start this fatigue process too …

fyi , jg

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 4, 2024, at 8:27 AM, 'James Douglas' via Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I can second this thought.

On my 1947 Desoto Long Wheel Base car when I put front discs on it I had Stockton Wheel custom make some wheels for me with a 2 inch back space to clear the very large discs.

After a few years we have a when crack at the weld point, just a micro crack but it let air out. I have been chasing these cracks for years. We cleaned up their welds, but we could not clean up the sharp edges on the center flanges that they left which are digging in to the wheel hoop when it flexes. When I contacted them about it, they would not engage with me.

A year ago one of the now tubed tires went flat when I inspected it the wheel cracked in two place like yours.

I need to get a new set of wheels. Rather than try to do such a short offset I am going to use wheel spacers with “off the shelf” wheels.

New, custom, or old, wheels should be inspected every now and then.

James

From: 'Charlie V' via Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 2:03 AM
To: Chrysler 300 Club International <chrysler-300-club-international@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: {Chrysler 300} Safety Suggestion .....INSPECT Your Old Wheels

Yesterday I was going to take the G out for a ride. I sometimes have to drive through small puddles which get the tires dirty. I pulled the G out of the smaller garage and around the corner to the larger garage to clean the tires.

I was shocked to see a flat tire. I just drove it on Friday and all was well.

After I removed the wheel, I was turning it looking for a nail or something in the tire tread. Everything looked good until I looked at the backside.

The rim was cracked. It was about 8" long. I'm lucky that I wasn't driving at high speeds on the highway as things could have gone from bad to worse very quickly.

I didn't get the tire removed from the wheel yet. When I go to get it dismounted, I'll ask the guy " I'm wondering if you can fix and weld my wheel." I'm sure he'll get a chuckle out of that, if he's that kind of guy.

Safety Suggestion : Occasionally Inspect your wheels on these old cars looking for stress cracks.

Bye for now and be safe out there !!!

Charlie Valentine

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