Cracked Wheels

[captcolour]

Have traveled about 3,500 miles so far with my Sailun S637 ST235/85R16 mounted to the HiSpec 16x6.5 wheels. Tows really great. My daughter was here today and noticed a crack on a wheel spoke. After further inspection, there are several pretty severe cracks on 2 wheels, and the other two have cracks starting at the edges. Didn't check the spare yet which is the same wheel/tire combo.

Wheels are rated for 110 psi and the weight rating required for the 2016 Alpine 3600RS. Reached out to Recstuff where the wheels were purchased back in May. Looking for a full refund plus the $100 it cost to mount and balance the tires. Don't want replacement wheels as I will worry about this happening again while towing.

Thought I was doing good replacing the China bombs with Sailuns and the proper size 16x6.5 wheels!

[Javi]

Think STEEL

[captcolour]

I had a hard time finding any wheels that were 6.5" wide.

[bsmith0404]

I know those are high spec wheels, but they're the same design and similar weight rating of the sendel T03. Sendel told me to replace the T03 with T11MB. They said the T03 was not strong enough for my Alpine. They compared it to an aluminum can. Enough flexing and eventually the spokes crack. I know you were looking for a 6.5" wheel, but Sailun says 6" is acceptable and Hartland is installing them on 6" wheels as well. I would look at the T11MB if I was you. I put them on mine and have no more worries.

[Tbos]

Glad you found it before there was an accident.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2016 F350 CC DRW

[gearhead]

Sendel told me not to put 110psi LR G my 6 lug T03, that they would crack. Assuming an Alpine has at least 7000# axles and 8 lug wheels, and stamped for LR G, that is surprising.
I will say that I found a lot of misleading info on eTrailer about what wheel was rated for 110. They seemed to have cleaned it up recently though.

[bsmith0404]

The T03 is only rated for 95 psi so LRF. I'm not sure how much different the HiSpec is.

[CWtheMan]

It's very important for you to send those pictures to NHTSA along with a description of the vehicle they were mounted on. You can protect all others using those wheels in similar conditions.

I'm surprised a Sailun spokesperson would recommend something that is contrary to a certified minimum standard. That's what the 6.5" rim width is once put on a tire with a DOT certification.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=29709

[jsmith948]

Thinking out loud (I know, I know), I ave read on here how much heavier/stiffer the Sailun tires are. Could it be, since the sidewalls are so much stiffer, that the stress of backing/jack-knifing is being transmitted to the wheels instead of being absorbed by the flex in the tire? Just a thought.

[Outback 325BH]

Thinking out loud (I know, I know), I ave read on here how much heavier/stiffer the Sailun tires are. Could it be, since the sidewalls are so much stiffer, that the stress of backing/jack-knifing is being transmitted to the wheels instead of being absorbed by the flex in the tire? Just a thought.



No.

The sidewall may flex initially, but at some point (inch or two) the flex stops and you are at the same side drag.
If one tire gripped the ground better that would be different, however if a wheel fails because of that the wheel should be taken off the market.

Those tight turns on multi-axle trailers do put a lot of stress on the wheels for sure.

Hi-spec wheels are copies of Sendel wheels. I don't know if that matters, however when you copy something you generally haven't had to go through the R&D pains that the original designer did. In doing so important things can be missed. Or, the wheels are simply being overloaded either by exceeding their rating or the rating being too high to begin with.

I have 16" Sendel T03 wheels on my TT. I replaced the factory Keystone wheels (15") that were the exact same design (don't know original manufacturer). (I chose the T03 so the wheels should look the same as factory.) If I remember correctly, the 16" 6-lug Sendel T03 wheels have a 3,580 lbs rating... however with an 80 psi rating (or 95, not sure) I don't know how you would get tires with that rating at that psi. Since my TT is only 11,000 lbs I am way under the rating. Haven't seen any issues with my wheels, however I will watch closely.


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[captcolour]

The HiSpecs S5 are rated for 110 psi. I chose these as they were available in a 6.5" width which is recommended by Sailun for the tires. I had originally ordered Sendel TR8's which showed available on-line, but weren't. Contacted Sendel directly to find another source. Didn't hear back so had to settle for the HiSpec S5. Two weeks after ordering the HiSpec, I did hear back from Sendel. This is what they told me:

"Thanks for your note. We’re always glad to help the best ways we can. The model TR8 is one that we’ve been clearing out over the last 8 months we have only about 10pcs left. It is being replaced by the model T11. The T11 has some unique testing that we’ve never done before on one of our trailer wheels. Trailer wheels are mandated to pass certain testing. The one that sets air pressure and load is called SAE-J1204 all of our trailer wheels exceed the numbers listed tested against this test. The T11 passed 3,960lbs and 110psi in this testing.
For the first time we also had a trailer wheel tested to a light truck wheel standard called SAE-J2530. This test has many of the same criteria but is more stringent for side impact and side loads that would occur in turning. We are exploring how this can make our products even better in the field for long term durability and if the consumer will see the advantages in the slightly more costs to achieve these certifications. In this testing our T11 passed 3,750lbs and 110psi.
For our website we list the lessor of the 2 loads. It is mandated that a wheel list the test and capacity marked on it. The T11 lists both SAE-J1204 and SAE-J2530 with the numbers I’ve told you."


bsmith, good choice on the T11's. I think I will be getting those now.

[bsmith0404]

I'm happy with them, they are a nice wheel. My only complaint is my TST flow through sensors don't fit into the valve stem area so I had to use valve stem extensions, but that was a minor set back.

[gearhead]

I'm with CWtheMan, that needs to be reported. There's no telling how little was done when the wheel was copied. No Positive Material Identification and no Finite Element Analysis. They just pooped one out that looked like the others.
Someone is going to get hurt doing this.

[JRTJH]

Not to defend the HiSpec company, they are ultimately responsible, but this looks like a "business decision" (contract with a Chinese supplier) more than it does a "engineering decision" (design/build a product)...

I'd urge reporting this as well. No doubt there's at least one "cargo ship full" of these wheels floating around on trailers, in warehouses and distribution centers all over the USA.....

[gearhead]

Exactly John.
Any business is responsible for vetting their vendors. If you are buying products or services that can effect folks lives, you had better know all that can be known about what you are buying. Most of us have been there....show me your metallurgy reports (PMI), your welding procedures, your tolerances, etc. Then trot out their Quality Assurance folks to talk to your Quality process folks. Then shop audits, etc.
You can't just buy wheels from any Joe that knocks on the door trusting him to provide a quality product.
Well, maybe you can....

[CWtheMan]

Exactly John.
Any business is responsible for vetting their vendors. If you are buying products or services that can effect folks lives, you had better know all that can be known about what you are buying. Most of us have been there....show me your metallurgy reports (PMI), your welding procedures, your tolerances, etc. Then trot out their Quality Assurance folks to talk to your Quality process folks. Then shop audits, etc.
You can't just buy wheels from any Joe that knocks on the door trusting him to provide a quality product.
Well, maybe you can....

Wheels/rims are certified by SAE.

[gearhead]

I bet I could find a way around that.

[JRTJH]

Wheels/rims are certified by SAE.

EVERY truck, trailer, refrigerator, extension cord and you can name pretty much any other piece of equipment is "certified and built to XXX" standard...

That does not mean that they all "meet" that standard, rather than they are "supposed to meet" that standard. If they all "actually never failed" then there'd be no recalls, no reason for the pictures that show cracked wheels that started this post.

Yes, there are far too many companies finding "ways around things".....

All the more reason to stick with a "known reputable brand" and hold their feet to the fire when things fail.

[CWtheMan]

This picture is of a tire off my truck. When the bubble developed I put the spare on and took the bubbled tire to a Goodyear dealer for a new one. They wouldn’t even give me an adjustment because they said I hit a curb with it. Of course I said show me the damage. Once dismounted they could not find any external or internal damage to indicate a curb strike which I had already told them, “it had not happened” because I’m the only driver of that truck and I never hit a curb with any of it’s tires.

When they dissected the tire they found a smallish piece trash in between the innerliner and sidewall that cause the high pressure one way leak into the sidewall. It stayed inflated until it was opened for inspection. I got a new tire installed and balanced at no cost to me. Some time later they informed me that they went back and checked the X-ray and sure enough it had been missed by the X-ray examiner.

People make mistakes. Should we condemn all of those tires in that batch for a single tire mistake. GY would have done just that if they could not have found the cause to deem it a single tire problem.

Lots of people that post about trailer tires are not willing to take the problem to the next level to find a factual cause. The tire forensic people don’t need much of the tire to come to conclusions as to the cause of catastrophic failures. Dr. John Daws is an expert in tire forensics. You can find a lot of his publications on the WWW.

People like to post pictures of “blow outs”. Funny thing about a lot of those pictures is melted polyester cords. They didn’t melt when the tire blew. They have to get pretty darn hot to melt, hmmmm, are the bells ringing. Maybe they had already rung causing failed tires to be trashed without anything but anecdotal complaints to follow.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=18103

This is getting way off topic and way to technical. I'll not post in this thread again.

[15hideout27rbwe]

Hmmm. This has really got me thinkin now. Im in the market for some 15s for my Hideout (currently on the factory 14" steelies). Was looking at a few different style aluminum wheels from recstuff.

[bsmith0404]

Going back to what I said initially, according to Sendel, the T03 is to light of a wheel for a 15,000 lb trailer. These are T03 clones. Yes they are rated to carry the weight, but are at the upper edge and the strains placed on them work the aluminum like a can. Bend it back and forth enough and it eventually breaks at the weakest point. We all seem to put tires on our trailers with excess capability, but never think of a wheel needing the same safety margin. I'm not surprised it happened, just surprised it happened this soon.

[captcolour]

Going back to what I said initially, according to Sendel, the T03 is to light of a wheel for a 15,000 lb trailer. These are T03 clones. Yes they are rated to carry the weight, but are at the upper edge and the strains placed on them work the aluminum like a can. Bend it back and forth enough and it eventually breaks at the weakest point. We all seem to put tires on our trailers with excess capability, but never think of a wheel needing the same safety margin. I'm not surprised it happened, just surprised it happened this soon.
Unfortunately I did not have this information at the time of purchase and no help from Sendel even though I reached out to them prior to purchase. I purchased the correct weight limit and pressure capacity wheel, and the correct wheel width for the tires. Could not have done anything different at the time.
I'm pretty sure this happened when I backed down the driveway from the last trip. It is almost a 90-degree turn into the driveway, backing in. I'm sure that was the twisting that did this.

[bsmith0404]

Unfortunately I did not have this information at the time of purchase and no help from Sendel even though I reached out to them prior to purchase. I purchased the correct weight limit and pressure capacity wheel, and the correct wheel width for the tires. Could not have done anything different at the time.
I'm pretty sure this happened when I backed down the driveway from the last trip. It is almost a 90-degree turn into the driveway, backing in. I'm sure that was the twisting that did this.

I know. I wasn't saying you made a mistake, my statement was more for everyone saying there must have been a bad batch or manufacturer defect. Personally I don't think that was the case, just too much RV. Wheel within spec, but still being stressed

[captcolour]

New Sendel T11's installed and on the road again. Still working on getting my refund from the HiSpec wheels, plus the cost of unmounting and remounting ($150).

[Tbos]

Your new wheels look nice. Hope it goes well getting a refund from Hi-Spec.


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[captcolour]

Got the refund today including the $150. Now time to report this to NHTSA.

[notanlines]

Thanks for keeping us up on the progress. Glad it worked out for you, also.

[Racebug]

those new wheels look to be the same that came on my Fuzion. Looks nice!

[bsmith0404]

Looks familiar. Those are a great wheel, I’d be willing to bet you won’t have any problems. Glad you got the refund.

[captcolour]

Update 01/31/2018

So after I got the refund, I reported to NHTSA through their website using a link that seemed more like a reporting website problem versus reporting a safety problem. Never heard back.

On 1/31/18, went back to the NHTSA site and now found a link on the right to report a safety concern and reported my issue once again. Monday was a holiday. On Tuesday morning, get a call from a guy at the DOT in Washington. Turns out these HiSpec wheels were recalled back in February, 2012, for manufacturing problems occurring between 2010 to 2012. Issues were voids in the wheels causing cracks in the exact same position as my wheels. The pictures shown on the safecar.gov site with the recall details could have been my pictures! Furthermore, details show that they will change the logo from HWT to HiSpec on the wheels going forward so there is no problem knowing bad wheels from future wheels produced using a similar design. Guess what, my wheels have the HWT logo meaning they were made during the 2010-2012 time frame even though I purchased these new in April, 2017. I reported to NHTSA to alert others. Instead, I find out that I was knowingly but in harms way with these wheels. I'm pissed.

I told the DOT guy that working through recstuff, I had asked twice whether HiSpec wanted these wheels back to investigate and got no answer. No wonder they didn't as they were fully aware of the issue. DOT guy must have contacted HiSpec regarding this issue immediately. That Tuesday afternoon, I get an e-mail from HiSpec asking me to return the wheels. Now I am not interested in sending these back as in my opinion, they are evidence.

Wheels are still available for sale at recstuff if anyone is interested in purchasing recalled wheels :mad:

[CWtheMan]

Got the refund today including the $150. Now time to report this to NHTSA.

I don't think you'll get anything good from NHTSA without a weight slip showing the trailer and it's axles were not overloaded. They will also be very interested in what your individual weights were on each axle end.

[Racebug]

That is just crazy!! In this day and age knowingly selling something defective that could put not just yours but others lives in danger. I would think that = jail time!

[JRTJH]

^^^ I agree. If the wheels were withdrawn from sale as defective, they should not be in the supply system being sold to customers who are not aware that they are defective and recalled. That's either fraud or worse. This is not a "NHTSA investigative issue" this is a violation of the findings of an active "NHTSA recall decision".....

[CWtheMan]

I don't think you'll get anything good from NHTSA without a weight slip showing the trailer and it's axles were not overloaded. They will also be very interested in what your individual weights were on each axle end.

If you have any of these wheels NHTSA will take action. Otherwise, to them, it's another situation.

Manufacturer: HISPEC WHEEL AND TIRE, INC.

SUMMARY:
HISPEC WHEEL AND TIRE, INC. (HISPEC) IS RECALLING CERTAIN 16" SPLIT SPOKE ALUMINUM TRAILER WHEELSHISPEC WHEEL AND TIRE, INC. (HISPEC) IS RECALLING CERTAIN 16" SPLIT SPOKE ALUMINUM TRAILER WHEELS WITH 6 OR 8 LUGS. A CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE SPOKE OF THE WHEEL WHICH CAN LEAD TO ADDITIONAL CRACKS AND POTENTIAL FAILURE IF THE WHEEL IS NOT REMOVED FROM SERVICE WITH 6 OR 8 LUGS. A CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE SPOKE OF THE WHEEL WHICH CAN LEAD TO ADDITIONAL CRACKS AND POTENTIAL FAILURE IF THE WHEEL IS NOT REMOVED FROM SERVICE.
CONSEQUENCE:
SHOULD THE CRACK PROGRESS TO COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE WHEEL, THE ENTIRE WHEEL AND TIRE CAN SEPARATE FROM THE TRAILER, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
REMEDY:
HISPEC IS WORKING WITH DISTRIBUTORS AND THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. ALL AFFECTED WHEELS WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN MARCH 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HISPEC AT 1-800-549-4012.
NOTES:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

(IMO the 2012 recall action would have been long completed by the time the wheels in question were sold. Should a retailer be stupid enough to sell them at this later date they should be hung out to dry).

[jwilli22]

Are those 6.5 wide?

[captcolour]

Yes, the ones that cracked were 6.5" wide. That is why I bought them. Hard to find.

[jwilli22]

Yes, the ones that cracked were 6.5" wide. That is why I bought them. Hard to find.

Sorry, I should have been clear with my question. Are your new wheel 6.5 wide? I am in the process of of replacing my wheels and came across this thread. As you have stated, trying to find 6.5 width wheel is difficult. I have 6 on 5-1/2 pattern which limits my choices even more.

I reached out to Sailun and received a response stating this:

Jim, thank you for your inquiry to Sailun tires. In regard to your question about wheel width, a 6.5" wide wheel is the recommended wheel width, 6.0" and 7.0" are acceptable.

"If you are looking for optimal performance, I would recommend the 6.5" wheel, especially, if you are purchasing them new. The 6.0" wheel will pull the beads together more than the 6.5" wheel. This results in the tire footprint on the road not being flat, but radiused slightly. It could cause irregular shoulder wear. The other factor when purchasing wheels is the maximum inflation capability of the wheel. Some are 80 psi and some are 110 psi. Although you may not need to inflate your tires to 110 psi, you may need to go higher than 80 psi, so I would recommend the higher rated wheel. There shouldn't be a significant difference in cost.

The S637 is a great tire for your application. I have attached a load and inflation chart for your reference so you can make sure your tires are inflated to the correct pressure based on the loaded weight of your trailer. If you have any questions about this chart, please do not hesitate to email me back."

So I am left with the choice of HiSpec 6.5 width or Sendal 6 width with irregular wear.
Any options?:lol:

[ChuckS]

I’m running a Sendel on my 14 ply 235/85x16 tires. 12K miles on these tires running at 110psi towing at 62mph. The tires look as good as the day installed and I have no wear issues


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[jwilli22]

I’m running a Sendel on my 14 ply 235/85x16 tires. 12K miles on these tires running at 110psi towing at 62mph. The tires look as good as the day installed and I have no wear issues


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Good to know, thanks ChuckS

[bg71361]

Does this recall affect the Hi Spec Series 06 wheel?

[captcolour]

Does this recall affect the Hi Spec Series 06 wheel?
This recall was specifically for the S5 wheel.

[captcolour]

Sorry, I should have been clear with my question. Are your new wheel 6.5 wide? I am in the process of of replacing my wheels and came across this thread. As you have stated, trying to find 6.5 width wheel is difficult. I have 6 on 5-1/2 pattern which limits my choices even more.

I reached out to Sailun and received a response stating this:

Jim, thank you for your inquiry to Sailun tires. In regard to your question about wheel width, a 6.5" wide wheel is the recommended wheel width, 6.0" and 7.0" are acceptable.

"If you are looking for optimal performance, I would recommend the 6.5" wheel, especially, if you are purchasing them new. The 6.0" wheel will pull the beads together more than the 6.5" wheel. This results in the tire footprint on the road not being flat, but radiused slightly. It could cause irregular shoulder wear. The other factor when purchasing wheels is the maximum inflation capability of the wheel. Some are 80 psi and some are 110 psi. Although you may not need to inflate your tires to 110 psi, you may need to go higher than 80 psi, so I would recommend the higher rated wheel. There shouldn't be a significant difference in cost.

The S637 is a great tire for your application. I have attached a load and inflation chart for your reference so you can make sure your tires are inflated to the correct pressure based on the loaded weight of your trailer. If you have any questions about this chart, please do not hesitate to email me back."

So I am left with the choice of HiSpec 6.5 width or Sendal 6 width with irregular wear.
Any options?:lol:
I have them mounted on 6" width. Again I could not find any 8 lug 16" 6.5" wide wheels. When I contacted Sailun, they told me the same thing: recommended 6.5", but 6" to 7" was acceptable. When I pushed them further, they recommended 7" over 6" if you couldn't find a 6.5". Well I couldn't find a 7" either, so went with the Sendel 6". I'm not worried about wear. Rather have piece of mind with wheels not failing/cracking. I can monitor tire wear. As others have said, they have the Sailuns on 6" without any issues.

[jwilli22]

I have them mounted on 6" width. Again I could not find any 8 lug 16" 6.5" wide wheels. When I contacted Sailun, they told me the same thing: recommended 6.5", but 6" to 7" was acceptable. When I pushed them further, they recommended 7" over 6" if you couldn't find a 6.5". Well I couldn't find a 7" either, so went with the Sendel 6". I'm not worried about wear. Rather have piece of mind with wheels not failing/cracking. I can monitor tire wear. As others have said, they have the Sailuns on 6" without any issues.

I am glad I found your thread or I would have gone with the S5s. I am going with the Sendal T03, I think it's my best option. I am sorry for all the trouble you went through but thanks for sharing, it really helped me.

[captcolour]

I am glad I found your thread or I would have gone with the S5s. I am going with the Sendal T03, I think it's my best option. I am sorry for all the trouble you went through but thanks for sharing, it really helped me.
I would avoid the T03 as it is the same design as the recalled HiSpec wheels. Perhaps better quality, but I would worry. Go with the Sendel T11. Much better wheel. They have the 6-5.5" pattern:
T11-66655BM**16X6 6/5.50Glad I could help you.

[bg71361]

This recall was specifically for the S5 wheel.

Thank you for clarifying.