I'm not quite sure what happened?

[meterman1976]

Very interesting indeed... maybe for the attention they didn't get as a child. Who knows

 

[sport97]

The 1st thing i noticed was there were no mud tracks and i had thought the pictures didnt add up as well, but i gave him the benefit of the doubt here and didnt cry wolf. I still want to see more pictures of this before i totally write it off. I would hate that someone would just fabricate something like this, some peoples kids...

 

[KPSquared]

The OP needs to post up... if this really happened, they'll probably never come back here... and if it didn't, well, they'll probably never come back here anyway.

Anybody got a pic of that style of rim? She needs to post some of those up. Maybe we are missing something. Maybe it happened... maybe some one is creative and bored...

I think I'll start a similar post but with an empty engine bay, really rusty motor mounts, and a pic of the 4.0 on the ground 20 ft behind the Ex and see if you guys can tell me what happened... "It shook really hard, then lost power, then it felt like I hit something really big but there was nothing on the road ahead of me...then I got out and saw the motor lying behind the truck"

 

[Turdle]

OK
The "silver" part of the wheel you see in the pictures is not the wheel at all, look closely, it is a "hub cap" type wheel cover. See how it wraps the air valve stem?

The lug studs did go thru it, but just ripped out like a thin washer. The real "wheel" spokes are what remain on the hub, having cracked away from the inner rim

That is why I wanted to see pics of the inside of the wheel,

 

[sport97]

That is why I wanted to see pics of the inside of the wheel,

Yeah its definitely possible, you just would think it would have torn the hub cap up as the wheel tore off. Its just its such a bizarre failure it made people question it. Like i you said, and i said earlier, i would like to see more pictures before concluding on what really happened here.

 

[bp1506]

I have same wheels sitting in my garage right now. Maybe the black metal broke off a bigger piece then what came out of the chrome skin. But those wheels are pretty tick metal they would have to be really rusted to do that. Or maybe the rim was damaged in a previous incident and just broke now.

 

[mrboyle]

There is no trolling going on in these pics so put your pitchforks away.

 

[my pos mounty]

OK
The "silver" part of the wheel you see in the pictures is not the wheel at all, look closely, it is a "hub cap" type wheel cover. See how it wraps the air valve stem?

The lug studs did go thru it, but just ripped out like a thin washer. The real "wheel" spokes are what remain on the hub, having cracked away from the inner rim

That is why I wanted to see pics of the inside of the wheel,

So, your saying that the wheel is from the truck? If, as you say, the lugnuts went thru the hubcap, but was not held on by them, then the chrome must have been stronger than the rim. It resulted in less of a metal loss at the stress point as the rim seperated from the hub. It really looks like 2 different events to me.

 

[GoneExploring]

I had these same rims on my 98EB. yall are right about the covering its just a cover over the actual rim that is attached to the rim and they wont come off. However the metal as someone said already is pretty thick so I really dont know but is definately possible. As far as all the bends go and things not matching up im gonna guess and say that what was left of the rim definately rotated when it hit the ground and if who ever was driving turned the wheel to compensate for the pull it would cause it to bend in more. Not like it broke hit the ground and automatically stopped there. This is just my opinion and what I can gather by looking at what is here.

 

[GoneExploring]

So, your saying that the wheel is from the truck? If, as you say, the lugnuts went thru the hubcap, but was not held on by them, then the chrome must have been stronger than the rim. It resulted in less of a metal loss at the stress point as the rim seperated from the hub. It really looks like 2 different events to me.[/QUOTE

The lug nuts on these rims do not go through the "chrome" but the seam is hidden under a center cap that goes over the lugs

 

[storlied]

I think we're being kinda harsh.. it is an odd accident.. but who has ever seen someone make up a problem like this on a forum? This is just ridiculous..

 

[mrboyle]

Whether you agree with the claims of the original poster or not, name calling or personal attacks are uncalled for. What may seem like a joke or petty snub to you, most likely will come off as a major insult to the recipient. Remember, the Internet has no "tone or mood" behind the words you post, therefore everything you post will be received in a very cold, unhumorous manor. If the insulting posts continue I will lock this thread.

 

[5.0LTR.EDDIE]

Yes sir!! I was completley out of character I HOPE we all dont decide to exert time into future maters like this.Others Please feel free to PM for Hollander number for the wheel that faild and make sure this dont happen to you >>>

 

[gijoecam]

Let me preface this by saying I work for Ford Motor Co. in a test lab where we examine and test failures just like this one. We have seen wheels fail like this for several different reasons.... Impacts with solid objects (like curbs), corrosion, metal fatigue, poor materials, and poor welds just to name a few. The chrome clad rims are prone to failure in exactly the way this one did. It sounds like the initial vibration was likely the first weld failure or a second one beginning to move, and it fatigued, getting progressively worse. IMHO, the OP's claims fit the carnage to a tee. It's all completely plausible, so let's cease and desist from the name-calling, finger-pointing, and troll accusing.

Now, that being said, without a closer examination of the failed components, it's tough to guess what caused it. It could be as simple as corrosion finally getting to the affected rim, or it may have been a big pot-hole you (or a previous owner) hit 5 years ago. I don't know that there's anything you could have done that caused it, or anything you could have done that might have prevented it. The other three tires might suffer a similar failure tomorrow, it they may out-last the vehicle. At the very least, I'd do a close inspection of the other three and think about swapping them out if, for no other reason, peace of mind.

Oh, and replace the sway bar endlinks... They're about $14 for a set at AutoZone, but as several others mentioned, they did not contribute to the problem... they just need to be replaced.

 

[Turdle]

Let me preface this by saying I work for Ford Motor Co. in a test lab where we examine and test failures just like this one. We have seen wheels fail like this for several different reasons.... Impacts with solid objects (like curbs), corrosion, metal fatigue, poor materials, and poor welds just to name a few. The chrome clad rims are prone to failure in exactly the way this one did. It sounds like the initial vibration was likely the first weld failure or a second one beginning to move, and it fatigued, getting progressively worse. IMHO, the OP's claims fit the carnage to a tee. It's all completely plausible, so let's cease and desist from the name-calling, finger-pointing, and troll accusing.

Now, that being said, without a closer examination of the failed components, it's tough to guess what caused it. It could be as simple as corrosion finally getting to the affected rim, or it may have been a big pot-hole you (or a previous owner) hit 5 years ago. I don't know that there's anything you could have done that caused it, or anything you could have done that might have prevented it. The other three tires might suffer a similar failure tomorrow, it they may out-last the vehicle. At the very least, I'd do a close inspection of the other three and think about swapping them out if, for no other reason, peace of mind.

Oh, and replace the sway bar endlinks... They're about $14 for a set at AutoZone, but as several others mentioned, they did not contribute to the problem... they just need to be replaced.

Good point Joe. I was wanting to see the back of the wheels to look for an indication of a pre failed weld, ( I was going to look for rust or dirt indicating a prior fracture)

It might be good for the OP to get good pictures of all the wheels.

 

[sport97]

"If the insulting posts continue I will lock this thread. "

I didn't mean to come out and be insulting in anyway if thats how my post was taken, i was just questioning how this was possible and wanting to see more pictures as i have never heard of a wheel sheering off like this. I am just glad no one was hurt.

 

[williams.cory]

where's the OP?????

 

[storlied]

I hope he/she is not afraid to come back over a mis-understanding. This forum is full of information.

 

[jonlax]

This happens alot in the import car aftermarket rims. I had a set of Rota and Mugen rims crack. Luckly i cleaned my car alot and noticed hairline cracks in the powder coating.