New Rims or stock?

[lbdodge24v]

Well I don't want to but I am getting some new rims or going back to my stocks. I currently have a set of Dick Cepek DC-1's and i like how they look, but am tired of them cracking. Had one crack last year, and now another one. So they are coming off.

What I am looking at for now are my stock rims, a set of H2's, or 3rd gen rims, or a set of Gear Alloy 712 Injector either chrome or black and chrome. Was wondering what your opinions were on any of these or some aftermarket rims that will hold up and not crack.

Just trying to decide which way to go with this and any input would be great

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02 Dodge CTD, 6 spd. Drag comp/Smarty, HMR DD, aFe, MBRP 4in, 3 gauges reporting.
The Toy: 93 Jeep Wrangler, rolling on 44 in Boggers, powered by a Cummins with some smoke !!

[ban89]

Stock 3rd gen forged wheels are great. Light weight and pretty strong. If they do crack you can easily pick up another for cheap. I have 6 spares just in case.

All wheels can crack. Had another forged Weld wheel crack last time we were out.

I've had great luck with my Walker Evans so far but they'll get some good use this desert season. Hit a bad gotcha last time i was out. the impact was so violent I thought I bent my front axle or wheel but they were good. The only damage was a broken bolt on my rear bumpstop from the severe impact.

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2007.5 6.7l XRT/MHP Suspended by Carli Bilstein 2.65'' and some Carli extras
Ford Ranger Prerunner 408ci 520HP, full chromoly, equal length i-beams/3 link...KINGs off...BILSTEINs under development

[lbdodge24v]

My truck is mostly driven on the highway, never offroaded. It hauls from time to time, but the big loads are always on a gooseneck, and shouldn't have been over the rims weight limit. Called Dick Cepek about them, and they said they have a limited lifetime warranty, just take them back to where I bought them, but the place they were bought is no longer in business. Just my luck.

But like said, truck is never really offroad, so can't see why that two of them cracked, and got a buddy with them, and his are cracking.

Just got to figure out which way to go now.

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02 Dodge CTD, 6 spd. Drag comp/Smarty, HMR DD, aFe, MBRP 4in, 3 gauges reporting.
The Toy: 93 Jeep Wrangler, rolling on 44 in Boggers, powered by a Cummins with some smoke !!

[Mocho]

Yea that is weird, i've had tons of different sets and never an issue. I've had MB gunner 8's, demoda intimidator 2's, and about to buy USA forged 503 turbines. Never offroad here either, but the rims have been very close to their limit without any problems. I just hate the look of stock rims and can't buy a lot of tires in 17's anyway.

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2004.5 3500 Quad Cab 4x4 CTD Laramie 6 spd std A few mods

[ban89]

could be a bad batch of castings. KMC had a some bad Rockstars a little while back but seem to have fixed it. I would at least try and get some free replacments so you can sell them if need be.

__________________
2007.5 6.7l XRT/MHP Suspended by Carli Bilstein 2.65'' and some Carli extras
Ford Ranger Prerunner 408ci 520HP, full chromoly, equal length i-beams/3 link...KINGs off...BILSTEINs under development

[lbdodge24v]

I am going to talk to dick cepek again, but they didn't really seem interested in helping when I talked to them. Just have to see what they say this time.

And it very well could be a bad casting, I am not trying to put a bad name on Dick Cepek, just trying to figure out which way to go next and what rims might be good.

__________________
02 Dodge CTD, 6 spd. Drag comp/Smarty, HMR DD, aFe, MBRP 4in, 3 gauges reporting.
The Toy: 93 Jeep Wrangler, rolling on 44 in Boggers, powered by a Cummins with some smoke !!

[lbdodge24v]

What do you think about these rims?

18" X8.5 NEW ULTRA 243 B MAKO WHEELS RIMS BLACK MACHINE:eBay Motors (item 160301089994 end time Nov-20-09 15:15:29 PST)

Just trying to figure out what to get. Does any one have black and chrome wheels on a maroon colored truck? Thanks for any info

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02 Dodge CTD, 6 spd. Drag comp/Smarty, HMR DD, aFe, MBRP 4in, 3 gauges reporting.
The Toy: 93 Jeep Wrangler, rolling on 44 in Boggers, powered by a Cummins with some smoke !!

[gonzo321]

I hope y'all don't mind that I borrowed some verbiage from this thread. Enjoy.

Mr. Farmer,



PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE EMAIL THIS TIME !!!



Thank you for your response, but I don’t think you quite grasp the gravity of the situation.

Let’s reiterate the fact that I am an inspector and have been inspecting cast metals for around 13 years professionally, so “casting flaw” is not a new term to me. What may be a new term to you is “catastrophic failure”. This occurs when cast materials are impregnated with impurities that compromise the integrity of the load bearing component.

Catastrophic failures are often enjoyable in the lab during destructive testing under lab conditions and safety precautions have been taken. But having the wheels that support your 3-1/2 ton vehicle catastrophically fail at 70 miles per hour while you’re between two tanker trucks carrying acetone, is not enjoyable. And since I travel in those conditions daily, the thought of a catastrophe is constantly on my mind.

I’m also concerned with the fact that the six wheels I have purchased for my Ram have not seen any other loading that a normal ½ ton truck would see. Taking into consideration that the wheel has failed under these conditions, coupled with the fact I have purchased five more of your wheels for my Power Wagon, which is intended for serious 4 wheel off road abuse and the same daily highway miles between the tanker trucks,

I’M NOT WARM AND FUZZY WITH YOUR WHEELS OR YOUR RESPONSE !!



In your email, you said, “create what looks to be a crack”. Obviously you did not look at the pictures I sent or read my email. The pictures I sent contain a view of a fountain of soap bubbles spewing from the inflated components. It can be construed that:

IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A CRACK, IT IS A CRACK !!



Let’s just say that your response is not what I expected out of someone with integrity and in a position to rectify the situation in a way that may ensure the safety and satisfaction of your customers.

I would have expected you to ask for my contact numbers so that you may discuss how you might obtain the flawed wheel for a full battery of testing. I would also have expected you to send me a new wheel along with $30.00 to mount my “unflawed” tire to the new wheel. In addition to these “polite first response” actions, I would have expected you to promise to me in writing that you would:

Test the flawed wheel to determine the root cause of the failure
Provide to me the plan on how you plan to elevate the levels of on stream testing to determine that there is not a pattern of production flaws developing
Provide to me the original destructive and non-destructive testing data prior to production
Provide to me the on stream production random destructive and non destructive testing data
Provide to me your plan to communicate the discovery of a failure to all DC-1 customers
Provide to me the criteria that these wheels passed to be accepted by DOT and how the testing was accepted by ASNT.
Provide to me the plan of how you will replace all eleven of my “possibly flawed” wheels in the event that the test results are not acceptable by DOT or just good engineering practices in general


Why, you ask?

Because that would have been MY first response.



Let me show you something I have discovered which will be of interest to you. It’s from a forum I belong to.



New Rims or stock?


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Well I don't want to but I am getting some new rims or going back to my stocks. I currently have a set of Dick Cepek DC-1's and i like how they look, but am tired of them cracking. Had one crack last year, and now another one. So they are coming off.

What I am looking at for now are my stock rims, a set of H2's, or 3rd gen rims, or a set of Gear Alloy 712 Injector either chrome or black and chrome. Was wondering what your opinions were on any of these or some aftermarket rims that will hold up and not crack.

Just trying to decide which way to go with this and any input would be great



Later in the same thread:



I am going to talk to dick cepek again, but they didn't really seem interested in helping when I talked to them. Just have to see what they say this time.

And it very well could be a bad casting, I am not trying to put a bad name on Dick Cepek, just trying to figure out which way to go next and what rims might be good.



What this tells me is that you may have already known about the failures on these wheels and have decided not to communicate this knowledge to any of your customers who may be in harms way driving on flawed wheels which you have stated are capable of carrying loads of 3400 lbs.

By stating load capacities of this size, you’re giving the customer the impression that this is a wheel capable of heavy loading and withstanding abuse, so there are customers out there bringing these wheels to their stated load capacities.



I suggest you get on top of this problem quickly.

It would be wise for you to identify the “bad batch” if that’s the case, and recall them immediately.

Meanwhile, my expectations, listed above, are still un met.



Food for thought:

There ARE issues with these wheels
You have been formally contacted communicating this fact
There is documented proof of your “lack of interest” in the problem
Further failure to warn other customers could be construed as negligence in the event a “catastrophe” occurs
All issues can be avoided by doing what’s right. Would you give these wheels to your mother? Somebody’s mother is driving on them right now.





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From: Farmer, Jeremy R. [mailto:jfarmer@mickeythompsontires.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 2:42 PM
To: dfuller005@verizon.net
Subject: FW: Technical Question: DC-1 Failure from Cracking



Derek



Your email was forwarded to me from one of our technicians. Sorry for the delay in the response time.

After looking at the photos that you have supplied with the dye test, it is clearly evident that there is some issues with the wheel(s) in question. What this looks like is what is called a “casting flaw”. This can occur if there is any foreign matter that gets into the aluminum while it is being melted down and poured into a mold. Over time this area can become stressed and create what looks to be a crack. All of the Dick Cepek wheels come with a limited lifetime warranty for any structural defects. As long as there are no signs of abuse, we cover them. This is a very rare occasion that is not seen very often on a Dodge ram. You can get in contact with your dealer to begin the warranty process. If you have any further questions, please feel fee to contact me.





Jeremy Farmer

Technical Support / Returns

Mickey Thompson Tires

800-222-9092 ext 3184

jfarmer@mickeythompsontires.com



P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail




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From: Corbett, Kevin A. On Behalf Of DC Tech
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 7:57 AM
To: Farmer, Jeremy R.
Subject: FW: Technical Question: DC-1 Failure from Cracking







Kevin Corbett

Mickey Thompson Tires

Technical Service Representative

1-800-222-9092 Ext.3169


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From: Derek Fuller [mailto:dfuller005@verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 4:31 PM
To: DC Tech
Cc: Marika Fuller
Subject: FW: Technical Question: DC-1 Failure from Cracking



OK, it’s been a week and I haven’t heard anything from you.



I would expect a quick response on this due to the nature of the problem and how it might affect future sales and any liabilities associated with injuries caused by a failure stemmed from possible negligence on your part.



What I am expecting is a response from your company acknowledging there may be a problem and a proposed solution of how you plan to eliminate any doubt that this is just a one-off “fluke” by providing test results along with frequencies of testing to back up your assessments.



If I do not have a response from you via email or certified letter within the next week, I will make MY data on your product known to as many entities as I possibly can. This may include the purchase of advertising in magazines and letters to DOT detailing my attempts to contact you and your lack of response on this issue.



I look forward to hearing from you,

Derek Fuller




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From: Derek Fuller [mailto:dfuller005@verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 9:07 AM
To: 'tech@dickcepek.com'
Cc: Fuller, Marika (Contractor); Marika Fuller
Subject: Technical Question: DC-1 Failure from Cracking



To whom it may concern,



In late 2006 I bought six DC-1 wheels for my 2007 Ram 2500. They are 17x9’s and I mounted 33” BF Goodrich Mud Terrains.



I now have one of the wheels that has developed a crack on the inner side which has compromised the pressure containing capacity of the wheel.



I have put 65,000 miles on them. Most of the miles have been highway miles back and forth to work. I have made only two hauls with my 16’ low boy carrying a ’72 Bronco to and from our hunting lodge that is 300 miles round trip.



I work as an inspector in the petroleum business and I am very familiar with corrosion and fatigue in metals. Cracking in metals is one of the most severe damage mechanisms that can occur due to the “all at once” nature of failures surrounding cracks.



I was very alarmed at this development considering I travel in high volume traffic at 70MPH every day in Houston. That, coupled with the fact that this was the front wheel, made me very nervous about continued driving on these wheels.



That being said, I also understand the processes surrounding manufacturing. I presume when the wheel was designed and the first units came off the line, proper testing was done to assure the integrity of the wheels at the stated load capacities.



I am also presuming that random testing of units during production should be taking place to insure maintained production quality ongoing. Since I have had no communication that there is a known problem with these wheels, the information I have provided should be of value to you.



I have attached and inserted pictures of the wheel during a soapy water test while inflated to 50 psig (tires are rated to 65 psig max pressure) and a Dye Penetrant Test performed while under 0.00 psig by my wife who is certified to perform those tests according to ASNT standards.



Please respond to this email with your plan to address this issue as well as any suggestions you may have on compensation for my losses.



Thank you,



Derek Fuller

Attached Images

10-25-09 PW Floor Ram Wheel Crack 031 (Large).jpg (78.1 KB, 53 views)

[gonzo321]

Sorry guys the dye test pics didn't load.
If you want them I'll try again.
Gonzo

[lbdodge24v]

I can make a pic just like that with mine. But this is my second one, the other one got welded, cause I couldn't find out any info on the warranty on them. I think if nothing else they will make great paper weights, no more Mickey Thompson or Dick Cepek rims for me, try another brand and see what happens. O yeah, mine are for sale!! Seriously, 2 haven't cracked, one has and has been welded and held for a year, and one is cracked and trying to get warranty on it.

__________________
02 Dodge CTD, 6 spd. Drag comp/Smarty, HMR DD, aFe, MBRP 4in, 3 gauges reporting.
The Toy: 93 Jeep Wrangler, rolling on 44 in Boggers, powered by a Cummins with some smoke !!

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Last edited by lbdodge24v : 11-10-2009 at 10:00 PM.

[gonzo321]

I also sent this email to Cooper Tires who owns Mickey Thompson and Dick Cepek. Maybe "you know what" will roll down hill.
It's a shame. The wheels look great, but if you can't trust them, what good are they other than paper weights.

[Danderson]

I think the manufacturers need to place more emphasis on quality and less on the pimp factor.

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'07 2500 SLT,5.9,reg.cab.,G-56, 4wd,8' Northstar popup 24/7. Carli,Defiant,Thuren,King.