Fuchs are getting old- Check them for cracks.....

[silver_911]

I have a similar crack (~1 inch), starting at one spoke close to the outside of the wheel.
7x15 forged original Fuchs, fully polished. Have them since ~8 years and discovered it after a 600mls tour through the alps.
jens

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by hcoles

I like this thought on the root cause, something to the watch when getting tires changed, e.g. no reason to hammer the wing nut pushing the cone, a firm push by hand should hold it.

Those old tire changers broke the beads by applying a bunch of force from the side, while the wheel was retained by the cone through the center hole. The stress was all concentrated on the edge of the center, exactly where this wheel is cracked. Modern changers do not apply this force against the center.

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by KTL

cstreit had some crack like this a number of years ago.

Fuchs wheels cracking?

Now that I think about it, it makes sense to start at the center. The wheels are hub-centric and the center bore is what secures/supports the wheel to the axle. The lugs of course hold it tight. So the lugs are like secondary support?

Not all are hub-centric. And Harvey Weidmann said that the hub centric bit gets dinged up quickly anyways after a few removals and re-installations so they end up being lug-centric.

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by Jack Olsen

A Fuchs wheel has a finite lifespan, and that lifespan is measured in the amount it has been forced to flex more than chronology.

Every time the metal is stressed adds to the cumulative effect.

This. Aluminum fatigue fails after cyclical loading no matter how little stress it sees (unless it is zero). It just takes longer to fail with less stress.

[KTL]

I'd be willing to bet that the lug areas are more dinged up than the hub area. The studs dish out more abuse on the lug holes than the hub gets from the wheel carrier.

The tire changer theory is a very good one! I'm not saying the metal doesn't have a finite life. I'm just agreeing that those older tire machines are brutes and the leverage they can place on the wheel is an incredible amount of force.

[Flieger]

Yeah, but the ball seat area seems pretty good.