Hairline crack on wheels

Attention wheel experts. Should i be worried? I just got new tires installed last Friday (35/12.5r20 ridge grappler). Saturday i decided to polish my wheels (moto metal MO961 20×9) when i noticed hairline crack on one of the spokes. The crack is only at the front and nothing at the back. I'm not loosing air at all. I wash my truck and wheels almost every 2 or 3 weeks and never noticed this. Do you guys think its just paint? Is it possible for the tire dealer to have done this when they installed the new tires?

 

That is not good. I wouldn't drive it.

 

I know. I'm taking it back to the installer tomorrow and see what they have to say. I was hoping I can get some opinion from wheel experts here before taking it back.

 

Could be just a crack in the paint/ outer coating.

If you wanted to be 100% sure, I’d sand it to metal and check. Then re finish.

 

I'm no expert by any means and it's hard to tell from a photo but if that were mine I'd replace it. Risks VS rewards. ~$200 for peace of mind and to be certain. BTW, I'd contact Moto Metal to see if they'll replace it.

 

If it is indeed the aluminum that is cracked, and that is what it looks like. 3rd pic down appears to show the crack in the aluminum and not just the paint. Replace it soon! It will spread!

 

doubt the tire install did that. not much sidewall on 20"s so they take more beating than 18"s. I would get a replacement one. at least it's just the rim, you already got new tires

 

If you are the original purchaser of the wheels, looks like it should have a lifetime structural warranty.

 

I have had MM 961 (in chrome) for last 6 years without an issue. The roads around here are horrendous, so the wheels are put through some severe beating.

I could not tell if these are scratches or cracks from the pictures. If they are indeed cracks, I would definitely check with the manufacturer.

MM 961 are not cheap wheels. 6 years ago, the cheapest ones I found were in $200's for 18s and in $300s for 20s. I found plenty of wheels for little more than $100 back then. I've read plenty of reviews on them and I do not remember coming across any failure.

 

If you have a good welding shop in your town you could have them do a spot check on the crack.

https://youtu.be/UtJTkrgvt2c

 

Those are obvious signs of microporosity my friend. Complete structural issue based on the casting of the wheel. Im willing to bet those things missed a cooling cycle during manufacturing or the recipe was wrong. Either way. I’d be getting rid of them things ASAP.

 

Some of these reviews I read before. I knew about their skull wheels. That's why I stayed away from them.

I looked at the overall review of the wheel (961) before going this route. I don't know of any product that doesn't have negative review somewhere (google Tundra problems). When I looked at overall reviews, they seemed to be more positive than negative. But then again, this was several years ago. Product quality seems to change quite a bit from year to year.

OP, Moto Metal has lifetime warranty on their wheels as far as I know. If you think these are cracks, definitely contact the company. I would not drive on them.

 

Update:
So I called manufacturer about the warranty and they told me to go to one of their dealers to check on the wheel. After visually inspecting the crack, dealer told me that it's only the paint and just advised me to keep on eye on it. It has not gotten worse since I noticed it last Saturday thou.

Guess I have to start saving money for a new wheel now.

 

Sure looks like a crack to me. Paint just chipping off does not follow a line without a crack... common sense tells me that.

 

I'd ask the dealer to put that in writing if he's so sure it's just the paint. I bet he won't since it will make him liable if/when things go bad.

 

yep

 

I see cracked wheel the pictures. Not just paint.

 

Word! I'm looking at this on a phone and I can still see a crack in the 3rd pic. I'd go to another shop that sells their wheels and get a second person to look at it.

 

True. My Dad thought he got a good deal on a used Mercedes. He later discovered an OE rim cost over $500 to replace a cracked one. While looking for better pricing, we discovered a slew of complaints about Mercedes OEM wheel cracks. I believe those are Mercedes-Benz AMG branded wheels manufactured in Europe. I guess that just goes to show even high-end wheels can develop cracks.

 

THIS, ^^^ I would go to another dealer until I found one that agrees with you.

 

Yeah, I heard about those, too.

 

All of this. The "scratch" coming off both sides of that spoke looks like a crack to me. If something "scratched" from one side toward the spoke, it would be knocked aside by the spoke and so would not be in contact with the wheel to continue scratching from the base on the other side. Just doesn't happen like that.