buckled another rim

[shevek]

I have a WS Zetec, standard wheels, 195/45 R16
Hit a big pothole an hour ago. Fearing the worst.
Another wheel is quite badly scuffed so I'm thinking to get new wheels all round, same tyre size.

Any recommendations?

TIA

[GoesLikeAZetec]

If its not badly buckled, I think some people had them fixed, but most people have got a new set of wheels it seems.

The stock wheels are not fit for purpose that's for sure.

[shevek]

Rim is cactus. They are $1600 a set from Ford & likely to go again.
I'm getting a cheap set, CSA Swords for $800.

So I'll have 3 surviving rims to dispose of. 1 baldy scuffed (mea culpa) 1 slightly bent, 1 as new. Anyone interested? I'm in Sydney.

[cdafam]

Ouch, that sounds horrible man, hope your fez is going alright. You might want to check up on the suspension, shock absorbers and anything else. I had a whack with a concrete pillar reversing out a few years back which dented the entire panel just in front of the driver-side door. A year after that I noticed that everytime the driver-side window was opened or closed, there'd be a slight scraping sound. Now there are vertical scratches on the tint (and I suspect part of the window). A quick google from other forums informed me that it is possible that the internal power window mechanism (within the door panel) had the protective pads fall out to which the window is now exposed to. So just take care with that.

Which road did you catch the pothole on?

Would take you on the new one if mine were scuffed to the point of cracking or gouging , but don't think mine are scuffed badly enough to warrant purchasing a new one.

That said, was going to ask if you guys know where you can get lightly scuffed (kerbside scratch about 0.5-1mm deep) polished and resprayed? Also in the market for 2 new stock tyres (the Continental Premium Contact-2's).

[Spinner77]

Just curious, Shevek. But what tyres have you been running on?

[Big Daddy]

Can anyone recommend a cheap supplier of Fiesta accessories in Melbourne?

[mik]

Originally Posted by GoesLikeAZetec

If its not badly buckled, I think some people had them fixed, but most people have got a new set of wheels it seems.

The stock wheels are not fit for purpose that's for sure.

i think wheels are fit for purpose........... roads are not sadly, but i do think it is more of a common problem on front wheel drive vehicles particularly small ones, the whole mass of the engine gearbox and diff is directly over the front wheels.
Just my opinion of course , but if it was my car i would be running a fairly meaty tyre with a nice tall sidewall possibly without the sporty bigger diameter rims, but even that is no guarantee,
no doubt in my mind a wheel tyre combo with low profile tyre is going to have a big chance of being a problem the next time it meets with mr pot hole again.

[Spinner77]

Good points, Mik.

Frankly, I don't know. Damage to rims can happen on most cars with skinny tires. Somewhere on this site there was a report a long time ago of a badly buckled rim on a 911, a mid-engined vehicle you would expect to have decent wheels, but of course with a low profile tyre.

Am I correct in thinking that the default tires on the WT have a 55 profile rather than the 45 on the WS?

Someone has argued to me that rim damage is less likely with ultra high performance tyres, on the grounds that they have more and better belts, and don't deform as much as ordinary tyres. Again, I don't know. It's an interesting thought.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Spinner77

Good points, Mik.

Frankly, I don't know. Damage to rims can happen on most cars with skinny tires. Somewhere on this site there was a report a long time ago of a badly buckled rim on a 911, a mid-engined vehicle you would expect to have decent wheels, but of course with a low profile tyre.

Am I correct in thinking that the default tires on the WT have a 55 profile rather than the 45 on the WS?

Someone has argued to me that rim damage is less likely with ultra high performance tyres, on the grounds that they have more and better belts, and don't deform as much as ordinary tyres. Again, I don't know. It's an interesting thought.

i guess a stronger tyre might help, i wouldn't like to bet my house on it though , and if the tyre doesn't deform....... my guess is when that decent pot hole comes along the rim will.
once upon a time low profile tyres were pretty rare on passenger cars, back in those days the tyre side wall was part of the suspension to absorb some of the shock loads and give a better ride(better for suspension wear too), ride was first priority, quietness probably second, going around corners fast was pretty low on the list,
the average tyre pressure was far lower(talking the 1960's now), can you imagine running a modern car and tyre with 24 to 28 pounds pressure ?

[caprispecial]

Ive done my stint with 17s and 40 series tyres, never again. Just one lot of trouble after another on all sorts of cars. I specificaly bought the fiesta wt lx because it had 15s and 185/55 series tyres. Since then no more trouble and smoother, quieter running and corners as fast as you need to on a public road. The bigger wheels and lower profiles might be good on perfect roads but australia is not like that. So its a big penalty to pay for something that looks good only.

[mik]

I agree caprispecial, i think car companies may have lost their way a bit with form over function thing, looking cool is good and being able to go around corners really really fast can be fun, but in the daily grind on our crappy roads it is a bit impractical imo, unless you're lucky enough to drive the same good bit of road every day.

[Headovrheelz]

@shevek if you are selling any of the standard rims let me know, i just buckled one last week and am after a replacement.

[a pirate]

i dont want to start a new thread for a simple qtn...whats the wheel stud thread type... 1.50 pitch?