Kelsey Hayes Recall Wheels

[bull]

$1575  HELL NO!

[moparstuart]

that sounds cheap to me ,

[rainbow4jd]

i,ve driven on my 5 sets for the last 25 yrs or so...sure anything COULD happen with any wheel on any car made by any manufacturer anytime but i can say mine are fine as i,m sure everyone else ,s who has original recall wheels is,... there,s probably only about 50 sets left in the usa   maybe less.. my car is a real W23 car so its gonna have em on forever   dan

Actually, "no".

You are saying yours are "fine" based on experience.  The government says yours are susceptible to failure based on "testing".    That makes your wheels far different from any other wheels out there on the market because you are driving around with a defined "potential" for a safety issue that could not only hurt you - but someone else.

The fact that you choose to continue to operate your vehicle in a "potentially" unsafe manner doesn't alleviate you from any legal responsibility should your 25 year old defective wheels fail.   And, IF that failure should hurt someone else besides you - then you are pretty much screwed cause you don't have enough money to cover your butt. 

Hide your kids, hide your wife, 'cause they attorneys be raping everyone up in your family to get the money.

My point is... they don't issue recalls because they are bored.   And even though the potential for defect is small - it exceeds the statistical probabilities to be considered safe.

Thus, you should protect yourself from the safety side (display only) and liability side (display only and disclosure when you sell them).

Otherwise, I hope you have a good attorney.

[Daytona R/T SE]

that sounds cheap to me ,

   That's what I paid. 

[hemigeno]

i,ve driven on my 5 sets for the last 25 yrs or so...sure anything COULD happen with any wheel on any car made by any manufacturer anytime but i can say mine are fine as i,m sure everyone else ,s who has original recall wheels is,... there,s probably only about 50 sets left in the usa   maybe less.. my car is a real W23 car so its gonna have em on forever   dan

Actually, "no".

You are saying yours are "fine" based on experience.  The government says yours are susceptible to failure based on "testing".    That makes your wheels far different from any other wheels out there on the market because you are driving around with a defined "potential" for a safety issue that could not only hurt you - but someone else.

The fact that you choose to continue to operate your vehicle in a "potentially" unsafe manner doesn't alleviate you from any legal responsibility should your 25 year old defective wheels fail.   And, IF that failure should hurt someone else besides you - then you are pretty much screwed cause you don't have enough money to cover your butt. 

Hide your kids, hide your wife, 'cause they attorneys be raping everyone up in your family to get the money.

My point is... they don't issue recalls because they are bored.   And even though the potential for defect is small - it exceeds the statistical probabilities to be considered safe.

Thus, you should protect yourself from the safety side (display only) and liability side (display only and disclosure when you sell them).

Otherwise, I hope you have a good attorney.

I don't ever recall (pun intended) seeing any documentation from the Feds, Chrysler or anyone else which states there was a defect in the wheel itself.  The only "problem" mentioned in the commonly-available wheel recall document was that the lug nuts could loosen.  If you look at any set of modern cast aluminum wheels purchased today, it'll have warning stickers about retorquing the lug nuts after "XXX" miles and periodically afterwards.  If there is such documentation of a defect in the wheel as you've mentioned, I'd like to see it... seriously.

Just about ANY trial lawyer will take a case they think they can make a buck on through a judgement - or more likely, a settlement - and driving a classic car on the road probably makes most of us more susceptible to such if we were ever in a chargeable (at fault) accident.  I personally haven't let fear of a lawsuit keep me from cruising around, and won't let it do so in the future either.  It's still very wise to carry adequate limits of liability and perhaps an umbrella policy for sleep insurance (which is what I've done).

From my perspective, the W23 wheels are as safe as any other cast aluminum wheel out there - as long as the lugs are periodically retorqued. 

[Aero426]

From my perspective, the W23 wheels are as safe as any other cast aluminum wheel out there - as long as the lugs are periodically retorqued. 

I agree completely.  The problem is not the wheels in and of themselves.  It's the loose nut behind the (steering) wheel that needs to check the torque.     

[rainbow4jd]

Well, just to clarify a few more things....

1) Recalls don't "expire".   They remain in place and must still be honored by the manufacturer.

2) You can look up any old recalls at this website.   
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm

3) Below is the actual recall notice and instructions (as they exist today).   At that time, there would have been a formal announcement by the NHTSA with a letter sent to Chrysler detailing the recall.   Thereafter, the instructional letters from Chrysler to its dealers would have went out (copies of those - I think - are posted in this thread). 

The formal letter would have addressed the cause and effect.  i.e. "potential that the lug nuts could work themselves loose and result in wheel separation from the hub during normal operations, leading to accident or injury"

The key message is that "re-torqueing" the lug nuts is NOT the fix.   Most likely they determined that the material structure of the wheel allowed too much vibration to occur at the points of mounting which cause the lugs to loosen spontaneously, and thus a different lug nut, or re-torqueing was an inadequate fix.  OR, the metal was too soft and it might actually crack or powder at the lug nut - creating space and thus loosening from vibration.  Obviously, I'm speculating - but its clear that the lug nuts don't stay torqued and there's nothing you can do  (or could be done at that time) to fix the wheel to alleviate this concern.

Make: DODGE  Model: DODGE
Model Year: 1969
Manufacturer: CHRYSLER CORPORATION Mfr's Report Date: SEP 16, 1968
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 68V089000  N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A 
Component: WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS
Potential Number of Units Affected: 595
Summary:
Consequence:
Remedy:
Notes:
POSSIBILITY THAT LUG NUTS MAY WORK LOOSE DURING OPERATION ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SALES CODE W-23 CAST CENTER ROAD WHEELS. (CORRECT BY REPLACING 15" WHEELS WITH 14" CHROME WHEELS.) ALL WHEELS TO BE CHANGED BEFORE DELIVERY TO CUSTOMERS.

[pettybird]

Loctite.  That is all. 

[rainbow4jd]

Loctite.  That is all. 

hahaha

[XXHEMI]

In a five year period and about 8ooo miles my original wheels never became loose! And I did check them often. But what I did find after I took the car apart for a resto was a hair line crack in the two front wheels from lug to lug.

How long they where like that I don't know? How many time high speeds where involved?? MORE THEN ONCE!

Ed

[tan top]

In a five year period and about 8ooo miles my original wheels never became loose! And I did check them often. But what I did find after I took the car apart for a resto was a hair line crack in the two front wheels from lug to lug.

How long they where like that I don't know? How many time high speeds where involved?? MORE THEN ONCE!

Ed

yikes Ed  scary stuff !!   ,  keep seeing these repop ones !! has the fault been rectified on these wheels now !! would of thought so but !!

[Ghoste]

A shortcut to serious injury thats for sure.

[elacruze]

DOT says my stock '68 pickup split-rims are unsafe too, but that doesn't make it illegal to drive on them. Nor am I eligible for a seat belt ticket just because my '96 Sunfire hasn't had the buckle recall serviced.

[Richard Cranium]

I agree completely.  The problem is not the wheels in and of themselves.  It's the loose nut behind the (steering) wheel that needs to check the torque.     

That's right; it's the nut that holds the wheel. 

[UFO]

Anybody have a set of the repo ones and put a lot of mileage on them?

[rainbow4jd]

DOT says my stock '68 pickup split-rims are unsafe too, but that doesn't make it illegal to drive on them. Nor am I eligible for a seat belt ticket just because my '96 Sunfire hasn't had the buckle recall serviced.

Yep, not illegal to own or drive a "recall" vehicle or part - but - it is illegal to sell one or install one for use. 

That's why I recommend selling the car with replacement wheels and throw in the W23's as "for collector purposes only - not for use".    At that point, you at least put the blame on the next owner if he goes out, puts them on and drives them, and they fail.   

Just sayin' -- use a little common sense and protect yourself from a big ass lawsuit that you would be sure to lose.

[ph23vo]

Anybody have a set of the repo ones and put a lot of mileage on them?

i have originals with tons of miles on them!!     dan

[rainbow4jd]

DOT says my stock '68 pickup split-rims are unsafe too, but that doesn't make it illegal to drive on them. Nor am I eligible for a seat belt ticket just because my '96 Sunfire hasn't had the buckle recall serviced.

Very true - its not illegal to NOT have the recall performed (unless you are a licensed automotive dealer - and at that point it IS illegal for you to sell a vehicle with an open recall).

My only point is.... in today's litigious society, where people sue each other for the littlest of things, do you really want to sitting in a court of law - being sued for 60 million dollars - because you "knowingly and with total disregard for the safety of others, operated a vehicle in an unsafe manner, leading to the death and dismemberment of little Kathy's stuffed kitty, causing her irrepairable mental anguish and emotional distress!"

Sounds silly, but you are almost certainly a guaranteed loser if you have any accident with the recall wheels.   A good attorney will rape you.