Brand new Infiniti with out of round rim?

[DirtyApe]

After chasing a balance issue for 2 weeks, and then a roadforce gsp9700 balance by the dealer I'm told I have an out of round rim.

As in 'egg type' looking at the face, not an in-out wobble.

Not hit even one pothole or curb, just how easy is it to bend a wheel in that direction and shape?


They say it can't be warranteed and are willing however to pick up the tab for correcting it - just what can be done and am I going to be able to tell?

 

[dparm]

Infiniti doesn't make their own wheels. No manufacturing process is going to have a perfect 100% quality record. I suspect it was defective from the factory -- nice of them to good-will you a new one.

There are rim straightening places that specialize in this stuff. Should be fine.

 

[Astro14]

After 137,000 miles on my Volvo T5 (with 45-series tires and Volvo Amalthea 17" wheels) I had not one, but three, out of round wheels. I ended up replacing all 4, just so that they would match.

Dealer list price: $543 each.

Wheel Collision Center (in Bath PA www.wheelcollision.com )price: $195 each - indistinguishable from new...and they did a great job mounting and balancing them...the car looks great and the slight vibration on the highway is gone...

 

[JHZR2]

I've smacked some big bumps in my 135, and am surprised I've not gotten a bad wobble. My tires do take 40 psi per the OEM.

 

[DirtyApe]

Yea I think these are made by Enkei.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: DirtyApe
...They say it can't be warranteed and are willing however to pick up the tab for correcting it - just what can be done and am I going to be able to tell?


If the wheel is defective why are they unable to warranty it?

If it isn't under warranty, why are they willing to pay for a repair?

Is this by chance the same wheel the tire shop scratched/nicked/damaged?

 

[dparm]

I suspect that wheels aren't covered because someone could slam into a pothole and bend it, then claim it was "defective".

FYI my car has 255/35R19 tires and calls for 41psi, and even more if the car is loaded with people/things (there's actually a second rating on the sticker).

 

[yonyon]

It makes sense for them to take care of it for you even if it won't be covered under warranty. They don't know for sure that the wheel wasn't damaged before you took delivery. More importantly, as far as they can see, you are pretty sure the problem was there before you took delivery. Your complaint sounds entirely too valid to ignore. If they told you to "go fish" they could reasonably expect that they'd permanently lose you as a customer and have you steering all your friends and family away from that dealership.

 

[DirtyApe]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Originally Posted By: DirtyApe
...They say it can't be warranteed and are willing however to pick up the tab for correcting it - just what can be done and am I going to be able to tell?


If the wheel is defective why are they unable to warranty it?

If it isn't under warranty, why are they willing to pay for a repair?

Is this by chance the same wheel the tire shop scratched/nicked/damaged?


1. it has been driven off the lot. Therefore I could have hit something.
2. goodwill as this isnt the 1st or 2nd infiniti we've bought from them.
3. no, different one.

 

[DirtyApe]

Originally Posted By: yonyon
It makes sense for them to take care of it for you even if it won't be covered under warranty. They don't know for sure that the wheel wasn't damaged before you took delivery. More importantly, as far as they can see, you are pretty sure the problem was there before you took delivery. Your complaint sounds entirely too valid to ignore. If they told you to "go fish" they could reasonably expect that they'd permanently lose you as a customer and have you steering all your friends and family away from that dealership.


exactly. as I mentioned this is our 3rd from them.

 

[DirtyApe]

Originally Posted By: dparm
I suspect that wheels aren't covered because someone could slam into a pothole and bend it, then claim it was "defective".


yup.

 

[DuckRyder]

Fair enough, I had assumed as much.

Repairing wheels is commonplace nowdays, I would think an Infiniti dealer would use one who did very good work.

As to whether you will be able to tell, probably on close inspection. Depends on the finish and where the out of true is. It is like everything else, there are good ones and bad ones.

Frankly, if there is no evidence of an impact I don't don't understand why they won't warranty it. (We would have at the dealer I worked at [GM])

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: DirtyApe
After chasing a balance issue for 2 weeks, and then a roadforce gsp9700 balance by the dealer I'm told I have an out of round rim.

As in 'egg type' looking at the face, not an in-out wobble.

Not hit even one pothole or curb, just how easy is it to bend a wheel in that direction and shape?


They say it can't be warranteed and are willing however to pick up the tab for correcting it - just what can be done and am I going to be able to tell?


First, the Hunter GSP9700 has the capability of measuring bare rims. It can also match mount a tire to a wheel to minimize the "runout". They should do this. Bare rim - BEFORE they mount the tire on it. If they don't know how to do this - the procedure is in the manual that came with the machine.

 

[Astro14]

I should point out that my out of round wheels had no evidence of impact - they looked great after 10 years on the road, only minor degradation of the finish (previous owner had used a brush that left minute scratches in the finish).

You can't really tell if a wheel has taken an impact...in extreme cases you could...but it is possible for a wheel to take a hit that is hard enough to bend it without having any signs of impact.

Now, I know that I have hit some potholes and railroad tracks that made me wince...I am certain that one (or more) of those contributed to the wheels' degradation. I have always been careful, but it's not always possible to avoid a pothole (think rush hour on the GWB in NYC)...

 

[Volvohead]

. . . someone will shell out the $125 or so to have it straightened/refinished. It will be as good as new.

It's not that big a deal.

RF balance is good at catching these sorts of things. Worth the extra expense.

 

[DirtyApe]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
. . . someone will shell out the $125 or so to have it straightened/refinished. It will be as good as new.

It's not that big a deal.

RF balance is good at catching these sorts of things. Worth the extra expense.


Supposed to call me back this afternoon when they are done with the wheel.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I had an alloy wheel go out of round while not even on the car! Car rode fine in the fall, I took the tires off and stacked them in the garage. When I put them back on in the spring, one of the wheels was horribly out of round.

 

[DirtyApe]

Nice and straight, can't tell from the outside of the wheel (didn't look on the inside). All is well and it rides like velvet. Smoother than any car I've ever had.

Roadforce balancing rules.

 

[ARB1977]

We bought our CRV used. Went to discount to get new tires and one of the rims was slightly bent on the inner lip, let alone it was one of the rear rims. The tire didn't show abnormal wear but wasn't going to take any chances with new tires. So I took it to the dealer for an alignment and had them take the rim off so it could get repaired. 125 for the repair vs 380 for a new one.