Hi Paul, new rims look good. What happened with the old "new" wheels ? (PM or e-mail mail me if you'd rather not say "on air"). If you need a Coombe "chauffeur" to get it into the 18's and Graham's too busy...
It is a long story so please bear with me. Bought the wheels off ebay hardly used with new tyres, matey who sold them seemed a genuine guy, said he worked for a motor factor and sourced them though work. All seemed good apart from I couldn't get some spigot bearings. Got them painted and stuck a set of part warn Eagle F1s on them for the photo shoot. The first proper drive on them was the 60 mile drive to Llandow for the photo shoot. Dub Nutta double checked the wheel bolts before we left. Got on the track did about 20 laps with Vans. I found theit very bumpy and driving though the bus stop was crashing out the suspension pretty hard. We started to get a slight knock on hard acceleration and decelaration so came of the track. Just so I could check things over. As we came into the pits Simon from Retro car wanted to come out for a slow lap of the track to get some pics so stupidly, i quickly shook the wheels, all seemed fine I got back in the car. Going fairly slow around the bus stop the knocking was getting worse so I got out had a look again all seemed fine, i thought it was a CV so got onto the straight up to about 40mph there was a big bang and the car dropped and stopped after about 10ft. The wheel made it all the way down the straight before stopping and I though oh dear ![:^(] We had a good look around found the studs that had worked loose all where in good nick apart from the last one which had bent to hell. We jacked the car up bent the wing out and stuck the wheels on checking all the bolts. First thoughs where Spigot bearings so I got Rob Baird from RB Developments to machine me up some and changed the rally design studs for the wheel bolts that came with the wheels. I drove from my house to pro tyre in bristol (about 6 miles) to get the allignment checked and the wheel re balanced. I must of checked the bolts on all the wheels 10 times before I left and as the tyre fitter jacked the car up the front left wheel nearly fell off !! I was a little concered this time. So very very concerend managed to get the car home doing about 20mph all the way and went back to the drawing board. Badger 5 had the same wheels so I phoned him and asked him if he had any problems with them, to which he said yes but it was down to the paint around the bolt holes, so I nitromorsed the paint off and lock tighted the wheels bolts in for good measure. We took the car out for a test drive got the brakes really hot after about 2 miles of 100 - 120 mph and hard braking got out and checked them to find i could turn the bolts about 2 turns into the wheel. I loosened them so as not to shear the bolts as the wheels cooled and waited for it all to cool and then re torqued them, drove home and got them warm again and got home to find them loose again, so I thought sod this and gave up, I had no confidence in them and decided to go back to some mo's, they are a very heavy duty and well built and with the spec of the car I just couldn't take anymore risks. Rob from RBD reckons the wheels are from a bad batch and when they get warm the struture is failing making them loose around the bolt holes meaning the bolts are able to work loose. He wants to prove this by having them Rock Wall tested. I have just decided not to ever by second had parts for any of my extreme cars unless I know the history as it way too much of a risk to take. 10 minutes before the wheel came off me and Vans where hitting some pretty hairy speeds around Llandow. Could of been a very very bad day if it had come off there. Hope I havent board you too much. Cheers Paul
Or alloy nails, to be forever holding up fencing wire and getting shat on by cows. Scary stuff mate, and an experience that will play on your mind for a long time.
That's proper scary... i was going to buy a set of those Pro race wheels... think i might steer clear and get another set of MOs.
I was also tempted to get some pro race rims, a friend has bought a set of his nissan and they look the part! think i stick with my comp TH1's!
Blimey Glad to hear the car survived, like others have said that car is my absoloute fave mk1 and even better is that your from the Bristol area! Good luck with it!
Just to clarify one point. When mine came loose (painted wheels by me) it was because I painted over the bolt seat face in the wheel... which when hot allowed the paint to go soft to the point of fluidising.. hence they come loose. When I sussed it, I abraded it off and ot did'nt happen again. You should "never" expect to see this from a wheel manufacturer. The wheels on Pauls (Grahams) were Rimstock Pro-Race-1's like I have a few sets of. Nice lightweight wheels, but of variable quality & delivery. 'some' of mine are drilled and inserted for M14 bolts! (should be M12) and some have no inserts at all. Why the variance? God knows, but its pretty inconsistent. If these wheels are faulty, and assuming the MO's remain tight, unlike theirs, you would have a very good case to speak directly to Team Dynamics/Rimstock for replacement or repair (inserting)
Bill, Paul had them painted after he bought them thats why he thought it may have been the same problem as you had. Just to add i never had any problems like this with the Comp mo's or the BBS splits it had on at the start of its life.
Hi Bill, We did speak to Team Dynamics who where happy to take them back, but unfortunately because I have no proof of purchase or receipt of where I got them. (good old ebay) They won't have them... Just to let everyone know there are many many motorsport users with Pro Race 1's including Bill who don't have a problem so don't be put off buying them. Just get them new with a receipt. I will be sticking to the MO's from now on though, everytime I hear a knock or feel a vibration in any car since that day my bowels explode[:^(] So its MO's for me from now on.
As a Rimstock stockist I spoke to the technical department and actually got througth to the guy who designed the Pro Race 1's, (not to be confused with Pro Race 1.2 crap that Halfords sell). He wasnt aware of any large scale problem and was willing to cover postage and testing of the wheels even tho they had been repainted. However without an origional purchace order number this wasnt possible. He also said that if you order the wheels for motorsport use they are machined as a direct bore (no seperate spigot ring) mabe there is a variation in specification between wheels supplied for road and motorsport use, after all Pro Race 1's are widely used in the BTCC. Atleast nobody go hurt and the car escaped relativly unscathed. Looks wicked on the new MO's can't wait to see (and HEAR) it in the flesh again soon.
i've searched high and low for this mag and can't find it anywhere! Will search some more newsagents tomorrow!
I cant see why when the paint was stripped it continued tho... (presume hub face had not paint on either)
The problem I had with Rimstock was in the batch of 12 I ordered, ignoring the 12 months it took for delivery! (I kid you not!!!) what arrived was'nt consistent between the batch. ALL of them were ordered as motorsport versions, but I know they slipped in road ones on 4 of em, and some had inserts, some did'nt, some had spigots (road ones) and some did'nt. Pitiful quality control & delivery from them back then. I have been told earlier this year that their motorsport range is much better supported now in their business, but I have not used them since... Lifes too short to be strung along and supplied 'iffy' product. Shame as Pro-Race 1 were both light, strong and very big brake friendly. Maybe its better service from them these days. My dealings were direct to factory and a terrible experience.
Blown NA 2.0 20V - :-( Last tuesday was a very bad day for me. Just got the Golf sorted after the last incident at Llandow, just had to get some fuel give it a final clean and all was ready for the VW Audi day.. Filled it up (Typical) took the car for quick test run up some quiet A roads near me, builing up the revs and checking everything over all seemed pretty sweet. Quick blat in third to the limiter (8650rpm) clutch in to change into 4th then Boom!! flames smoke and metal everywhere one dead VW. Take a look at the pics.. That will be another year B4 the cars back on the road[:^(] Only good news is the head the piston and 3 rods are reusable so could of been worse, still a right mofo though. Boff http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43051&l=86327&id=751745006
