I was shining up my new-to-me 2000 convertible this weekend when I noticed a couple of cracks in the rear passenger side wheel. I have polished aluminum spoke wheels. I've never heard of wheels cracking only 40k miles into a cars life. I immediately checked the forums and it turns out it's a common problem.

I feel a little uncomfortable riding around on a cracked wheel. I could replace one at a time, but it's probably a matter of time until all of them have an issue. Besides, the other three have been pretty beat up and a new wheel would probably stand out.

I have a few questions:

1) Which factory wheels have this problem? I'm considering purchasing used wheels from Ebay, but I don't want to be stuck buying another set of bad wheels. Someone is selling the magnesium wheels on there now. Have their been any problems with those?

2) I assume that most manufacturers are selling steel wheels unless otherwise noted. Will I noticed much of a performance loss from steel wheels over the factory aluminum? How much do the aluminum factory wheels weigh?

3) Is the problem with these wheels related to do the design or simply manufacturing? That is, if I order a new aluminum replacement in the same style from Zip or some other vendor, then will I have the same problem years from now?

Thanks!

 

The factory forged thin spokes seem to have the problem. If you get a replacement from GM or an OEM wheel from Zip it probably will not match the other 3 wheels as the replacements seem to be using the blank for painted cast thin spoke which was released in late 2000 or 2001 because the wheel factory couldn't keep up with demand for forged wheels. The cast wheels don't seem to be cracking. You could also upgrade to a set of C5Z 10 spoke rims if you want to ditch the runflats and go with a wider rim and wider tires.

The aftermarket repro wheels may not quite match the spokes of the original thin spokes and will weigh more. They are also cast aluminum. As for steel wheels I can't remember when GM stopped putting them on the Corvette but it was sometime during the C3 production run and I don't know of any aftermarket producing steel wheels for C5s.

As for pricing I would stay away from Zip, Mid America, Ecklers, etc as their prices are high. You can get a better deal with a club discount at a dealer or by buying from Gene Culley at GM Parts House.

A friend with a 2001 purchased a wheel at Carlisle last year and hasn't had any problems with it or the other 3 wheels on his car. Check out the used parts section of the forum and see what you can get there before going with repro's or a new OEM.

Bill

 

I am NO Wheel Expert or any other kind,,,but if you have a cracked wheel you have a disaster waiting to happen,,,,,don't roll very fast on it and replace it,,,,,NOW!,,,,! So Help Me,,,,,Bowling Green!

 

I feel a little uncomfortable riding around on a cracked wheel.
You should be uncomfortable - not safe!

I have a few questions:

1) Which factory wheels have this problem?
The polished forged "thin spokes". You typically hear it said regarding the polished ones, but I suspect that may be primarily due to those most likely being the most popular wheel. I don't recall hearing about this problem with the painted forged thin spokes (but they were available for only part of one model year), nor do I recall hearing it about the painted cast thin spokes (maybe others have and they will chime in). The latter are a slightly different design and manufacture, so that may be the difference.

Someone is selling the magnesium wheels on [ebay] now. Have their been any problems with those?
Don't recall "cracked" spoke issues, but IMHO the mags are kind of brittle - easy to chip the lip, for example.

2) I assume that most manufacturers are selling steel wheels unless otherwise noted.
I doubt there is a steel wheel made for the C5 vette; vast majority are an aluminum alloy.

Will I notice much of a performance loss from steel wheels over the factory aluminum?
Simple physics says you'll always have a performance loss with heavier wheels; whether you notice or not is ?????

How much do the aluminum factory wheels weigh?
About 19 lbs fr and 20lbs xx ounces rr.

3) Is the problem with these wheels related to do the design or simply manufacturing?
I don't know that anyone outside the bowels of GM has a definite, correct answer.

That is, if I order a new aluminum replacement in the same style from Zip or some other vendor, then will I have the same problem years from now?
See above. However, it should be noted that the OEM polished thin spoke wheels that House of Wheels currently sells are not forged, and are coming from Speedline. Whether this solves the problem only time will tell, which unfortunately doesn't help you in your present situation.

HTH and good luck.

 

Thanks for the help so far. It seems like most of the wheels out there are cast aluminum instead of forged aluminum. That explains the additional weight of all the after market wheels I'm seeing.

What is a good price for knock off wheels? It seems like the price is right around $200. Is that high?

 

Take to a wheel repair facility. They can fix it and it will still be the same wheel to match the others. A lot cheaper than getting a new wheel.

 

If you like your wheels, I'd try this first.

 

Get new wheels, or a new wheel.

 

The wheels can be repaired (both the cracks and the curb rash), but not sure how much you would sink into them for that.

You could go with some wheels like Ruff or Cray, or for more money go with something like CCW.

I ran a set of the chrome reproduction C5 Z06 wheels for about 3.5 years and had very good luck with them. No chrome peeling issues and they balanced perfect. They were heavier than the stock wheels, but I didn't take my car to the track so it was really not a major concern for me.

If you want to stick with the stock wheels, check with GMPartsHouse or Fichtner Chevy for prices.

 

http://www.houseofwheelsonline.com/

This vendor sells enough stock/repro wheels that they may have a stock one on hand. Good luck.

 

As one who restores vintage race cars, serves as race official, and a retired SCCA racer I advise: Do NOT continue to drive with a cracked wheel. As noted above, there are many sources for a replacement. Don't forget craigslist.com. (Example: Someone is currently offering used front and rear polished thin spokes in great condition on the seattle-tacoma list for $145 each.)

 

Thanks for all the good advice. I ended up going the E-bay route. I paid about $175 each for 4 take off C5 wheels. They're magnesium and really in great shape (like new from the pictures!).

Hopefully, I'll notice the difference over my aluminum wheels! Although, I understand the magnesium wheels are only a pound or two lighter than the thin spoked aluminum.