----- Original Message -----
From: Charles Christ <cfchrist@earthlink.net>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 6:26 AM
Subject: knock off wire wheels, importaint!!!!
> the 1962 morgan 4-4 we run in vintage racing 3 days ago experienced a
> component failure wich to date had not been seen and i believe should be
> shared with other enthusiasts reguardless of their vehicle's aplication
(be
> it track or street).
> the morgan is equiped with dunlop competition knock off wire wheels.
friday
> a left front wheel came off the car at speed at watkins glen in a rather
> fast right hand corner. the car was about a car width or less from the
> guard railing(armco) when this happened and the wheel shot off and hit the
> armco and bounced off back and badly smashed the rear fender of the car
> before continuing on it's merry way coming to a rest well off down track.
> the car skidded safely to a stop without further incident thanks to the
> owner/driver(peter dunn )being able to keep the car under controll on the
> remaining 3 wheels .
> absolute fear of having sent out the car with a loose (untightened knock
> off) wheel was beginning to set in as the car arrived behind the tow
truck.
> minutes later the course workers had found the missing knock off 2 winged
> knock off and had returned it to us in our location in the pitts.
> the knock off itself failed!
>
> the threaded center of the knock off had split down the side and approx.
one
> third around the threads and was displaying radiating cracks in the brass
> under cracked chrome plating in the center threaded portion. after
removing
> all remaining knock off's and examining them a second was found to be
> failing (brass stretching but not showing any visible cracks) by finding a
> few hair line cracks in the chrome plating around the outer edge of the
> threaded center portion.
> the failure was in the threads not the tapered interference fit against
the
> outer portion of the center hub of the wire wheel itself.
>
> my point here is remove, clean and carefully inspect your knock offs for
> signs of wear and fatigue. this failure could have happened just as
easily
> on a street car as on a competition car. yes a competition car is
subjected
> to higher side loads. but fatigue is a problem with our cars as they grow
> older and older. do not let this happen to you!
>
> we borrowed a spare knock off from a fellow competitor and i dressed off
the
> few(i was amazed how few) damaged splines on the hub and refitted a spare
> wheel and tire. and proceeded (with a broken finger....the middle one on
> left hand! spent entire weekend being socially challenged pointing at
> someone and flipping them am unintentional bird! whole other story!!)
to
> use 2 hammers to straighten out the fender and spray a bit of color on the
> damaged fender to make it presentable for the remaining track time for
> peter.
>
> this could have ended far worse than it did! peter was lucky the wheel
had
> not bounced in the side of the roll cage and hit him(had the wheel hit the
> car 4-6" farther forward and it might have broken his shoulder or arm!).
no
> one else was involved in this incident and the car was not too badly
damaged
> and we were able to repair the damage there in out pitts. on the street
> with a less skilled driver under less than perfect conditions this could
> have resulted in a serious accident!
>
> chuck.
> numerous thicko's were observed enjoying a rather nice event ...gary you
> looked great passing senica lodge on the re-enactment of the race on the
old
> course. (i was there spectating assisting in beer controll....lol!...
> ) ).
>
>
>
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