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Aluminum Wheels

Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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If anyone has any or knows anyone with a rig that's late 2018 and up or a trailer that vintage and up equipped with
light weight Alcoa aluminum wheels better take a good look and or keep an eye on them. The wheels are easy to
spot, thinner web/disc area where those bolt up.
We have had five crack from bolt holes to large vent hole opening. I have also heard of others that have cracked.
I found two on different tractors broken on the steer, one on a drive and two on trailers. Easy to spot, but you do
have to look.
Alcoa warranties wheels for five years, and the wheels have date of manufacture stamped on them. Warranties
can be handled by any truck tire shop or dealer.
 
Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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Very true, At this point I know of zero acknowledgements that there is a issue from anyone. But if this keeps up-a E-Mail to NTSB will probably be in order. Those wheels are all over the U.S.
and else where.
 
Coaldust

Coaldust

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Thanks for the safety reminder, Truck Shop.

I’ve been discovering what you described on a few newer Alcoa 22.5x8.25. I blamed it on overloaded 2800 gallon tank trucks, but a quick looksee on the popular trucker forums indicate a lot of chatter about the issue.
 
Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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In my years I haven't seen this many Aluminum wheels this new broke before. A wheel 10 to 15 years old yes. But these wheels are thinner in the disc area than any other wheels Alcoa produced.
It was obvious when they first came out, Compare a new wheel to a 8 year old wheel, you can see it with the naked eye.

I don't do truckers report--that is a total BS forum.
 
Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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Genuine Alco original equipment. Difference in thickness the old wheels are 1" at bottom of vent hole the late
wheels are 11/16". I will post some photos of early late wheels.

Nothing better than a class action law suit, makes me smile.
 
skyking1

skyking1

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Thanks for the heads-up. I am all steel all the time, but yesterday one of the plumbers texted me a picture of a lug nut he found in the bushes next to the shop drive. I had looked on the pre-trip and had all my nuts in place, but it was helpful. There is a 53' delivery truck for the business next door missing a lug nut, I am sure.
 
crane operator

crane operator

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You would have to have a pretty clean truck to spot a inside dual, with a crack between that vent hole and the stud. A lot of my stuff usually has a fine layer of dirt and grime on the inner wheels, it could go quite a while before I think I would spot that.

The new thin wheels are probably a cost savings + weight savings = it looked good on the engineer drawings - but not so great in the real world.
 
Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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There was a reason the early style wheels were made to those specifications. The weight removed was minimal, the savings was in the amount of material used to cast a wheel.
Inside wheels, can be checked but easier when clean. {everybody should be washing their equipment anyway}. But if the truck is equipped with inertia wheel balance hoops
sandwiched between outer and inner wheel, then it will be tough to spot. Plus some wheels will crack in the drop center area, but that will be found because of the loss in air psi.
Knoown as a----------flat tire.
 
JPV

JPV

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Not to change the subject but what's your opinion one those wheel balancing hoops? A couple of our trucks have them on the steers, I don't really notice a difference driving them.
 
P

Pony

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Any chance you can post a link TruckShop?
I had a look at the website but couldn't find anything.
I do like the idea of inertia balancing, but not if it's snake oil.
Thanks
 
funwithfuel

funwithfuel

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So which do we watch for, Budd wheels or hub pilots. The first pic shows Budd nuts and the thin wheels appear to have hub pilot flange nuts. I would assume the skinnies couldn't support Budd nuts in the first place. Thanks
 
Coaldust

Coaldust

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For sure. I see a few line-haul, owner-ops around here that like to true and balance their steer tires. Michelin tends to provide the best chance for a tire thats actually close to being round.
 
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