Stock Wheel Problem

[sidk]

My urgent need is for any information on Dodge stock wheels. I

have a 1999 Dodge diesel quad cab, short bed, 4-wheel drive, auto trans.



I have 68,000 hiway miles on it (no off road), and when I had the tires rotated, I was curious about how the wheel was made. When I looked inside the wheel (from the vehicle side), I noticed a 4" crack in the weld. I looked at the other wheels and they all had cracks from 2+" to 4". I have the Chrysler extended warranty and the service manager said it was not covered under warranty. He said the district manager for Chrysler has made herself unavailable to him and the public, and had to wait on her to contact him (it's been 2-weeks now). When I called the Chrysler number in Beaverton, Or. , I got a recording that I believe said

was a "non functioning 800 number". I haven't put any weight in the truck as of yet, but the purpose of buying the truck was to eventually buy a camper.



Thanks.



Sid

 

[LSMITH]

Man Sid, that sucks. Were you looking inside the wheel, with the tire off? What type of information are you looking to get about the wheel? I could see a wheel that was bent not being covered by the warranty, but a cracked wheel that shows no other damage would be a defective product to me and should be covered under the warranty.

 

[sidk]

The tire was on the wheel,as I said,I was having the tires rotated. The info that I was looking for was, is this a common problem with Dodge stock wheels and also a heads up like maybe you should check your wheels. If I got 4 random wheels during assembly, what about the trucks ahead of me and after me? At the place I had the tires rotated, they have never seen cracked welds on wheels before. Every one came over to look at them.

sid

 

[LSMITH]

OK Sid, thanks for the info. Since we have basically the same truck I will check my wheels tomorrow. FWIW I have never heard of anyone having cracked welds on the OEM wheels either. I have heard of a lot of bent or out of round wheels but not broken.

 

[carson6]

I had mine flipped on the rims and noticed one of the oem rims required alot of weight because it was out of round. the dealer said not their problem.

 

[RJOL]

Was towing my 5th wheel last September when I notice a low tire one morning. Took it to a tire dealer, and when they checked it, the wheel was cracked. It was one of the alloy wheels that came with my truck. It was also on the front axle, not on the rear where you could say the trailer had something to do with it. Took it back to a Dodge dealer, and their parts department replaced it on the spot, no questions asked. They said they hadn't seen this before, but it does make you think... .

 

[DennyDay]

Cracked Wheels

You need to force the dealer to look at the cracks, write up a service order, then put in writing nothing can be done. CYA!!! Next contact Chrysler with a fax copy of the work order, then contact Fed Highway safety -- Somebody here will have the 800 number.

Denny

 

[sidk]

I've done all that. Talked to Chrysler in Detroit and have a case #. I've talked to US D. O. T. , Washington state Attorney General, and Washington State consumer complaints. I would like info on other people with the same type of problem. It's definitely a defective product and not only that but also a safety problem. I can't even imagine going down the freeway with a camper and have a front wheel fail.

Sid

 

[Mundgyver]

Just out of curosity, how long is the extended warranty for and what is the exact wording with respect to the power train. Wheels are part of the power train are they not. I've got the 100,000 7 year bumper to bumper on mine. This duck an run bit with the dealer is bogus and the way to stop it is get you a nice friendly reporter from a local TV station who is looking for a good story to investigate. Dealers don't like when they look bad all over the air waves. They want to do the duck routine, just pull out a pot of hot water (press) and throw them in it. Find a way to ratchet up the heat on em. Thats my 2 cents

 

[Bill Lins]

Originally posted by Mundgyver

Wheels are part of the power train are they not.

No, they're not. The powertrain includes the basic engine, transmission, transfer case (if any), driveshaft(s), and axle(s) only. Sorry.

 

[Texas Diesel]

Do us all a favor and make them pay. This is a real safety issue and needs to be solved / recalled by Chrysler. Do they have hencho in Mexico on them Perhaps you cant get a good welder for $5 a week...

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I gather you have the chromed SLT steel wheels. Chroming a welded part can compromise the weld quality. also, the way Dodge made the wheels is not the best, imho, because they made the outer lip part of the center section, and welded it to the rest of the hoop.



That being said, I have 6 of them that are good and round, no runout problem. I have also seen and heard of some with those problems.



I am going to the Alcoa forged wheels soon because my Ram has been good to me all year They are another option for you to consider; their Classic is rated for 3415 lb and has an excellent reputation for durability.



We all arrive at the time when the stock stuff, warranty notwithstanding, does not suit us. It becomes more satisfactory to get what we want instead of putting up with something that is marginal for our use. The truck is built to a price; the Cummins engine is sort of an exception. Dodge has to watch price or most buyers would go to another brand. That leaves us with the choice to buy our own aftermarket shocks, tires, wheels, power enhancements, clutches, stereos, bedliners, or whatever.

 

[HeberRam]

Whatever???

Joe... In your statement Whatever... Does that mean "sickly" maybe a candiate for "DRUGS".