My g35 coupe came with a set of TSW Estoril wheels (19 x 9.5 and 19 x 8). One of the 19 x 8 had a crack straight across 1 of the 10 spokes. I decided to keep them and get the one front wheel repaired at a local shop.

After I had the wheel fixed, I got a new tires for both front wheels (rear were fine) and mounted them on my G. The tire place balanced the wheels.

Between 65-75mph I have slight steering wheel shake that I attribute to the weld (I could very well be wrong here).

My questions:

1. What is the likelihood the shake is a result of imbalance and the imbalance is a result of the weld?

2. Assuming it is the weld, what are my options?

Search button didn't help much with my current circumstances.

 

That weld sounds dodgy to begin with, but as you're here.
You should try first to get the wheels re balanced. I had my tires fitted, balanced and when I drove home had shaking and thought it was bad tires or something. Took them back, had them rebalanced just to be sure and that sorted the shaking.
When they rebalance make sure the wheel is clean and the all the old weights are removed. Road force balance is the best but I have no trouble with the normal "Dynamic" balance. That is with balance along the circumference and balance from the inside and outside edges of the rim. I had the wheels balanced standard with just weights around the circumference of the wheel and there was still some shaking.

Also, have you considered just purchasing one new front wheel?

 

I was skeptical about getting it welded too, but my logic was 1/10 of the structural integrity is compromised so hey it's worth a shot (that could be flawed logic though) I'll take pics of the weld later, it's beefy to say the least.

Okay so step one, go back to that same shop and have the rebalance.

Are you saying the weld could be unrelated to the imbalance?

It may not even be the welded wheel that is not balanced for all I know. Too many variables come to think of it.

 

I'm guessing its a different tire on the wheel - after a hit which fractured a spoke - so it would have needed to be balanced back.
The weld would throw it out of balance too, especially if it's beefy, with all that extra mass.

 

I had a great set of lightweight 18" custom 5 spoke wheels on my last Z which had a broken spoke from my cutting corners to sharply. Took it to two high end wheel repair shops here in SoCal that I knew the did quality work, both refused to weld the spoke! Both shops told me it wouldn't be safe, I trashed the whole set. That hurt but being safe is too important to take a chance on destroying your ride or yourself!
Gary

 

Here is the chain of events:

1. Took tire off of broken wheel
2. Had wheel welded
3. Put on new tire
4. Had the wheel balanced

Would that require a rebalance?

 

Since these are 10 spokes I decided to take the risk on it. May just put the stock set back on though if I cant get this issue "balanced" out

 

It shouldn't need to be re balanced but like I said, it's good to rule out the chance that it wasn't done properly the first time. Also the 1/10 spokes thing is, like you said, flawed logic.
The weld could be just fine and I would totally do the same to get me out of a sticky situation. However, I wouldn't feel confident doing a long road trip, daily driving every day or doing some spirited driving knowing one of my wheels are compromised.

Edit: Was wondering, do you know how the wheel got damaged? I had a set of TSW Interlagos on my previous vw passat. Someone else was driving and hit a curb/edge of tarmac and bent both the inside and outside of the rim. I was surprised that neither rim edge cracked and none of the spokes fractured. These were Rotary forged though.

 

Just out of curiousity, why is my logic flawed? I'm not arguing that it isn't, I'm just genuinely interested as to why 1/10 cracked spokes would equally compromise a wheel as much as 1/5 cracked spokes would.

Thanks for the info!

No idea how it cracked.

 

I'm sure it's more complex than this, but anyway. Although you have 10 spokes on the wheel, as it rotates not all of them are taking up forces and stresses. If you think about a wheel stationary. The spoke at the top is taking force in tension, the one directly below is taking in compression, the ones directly left and right are taking shear forces (perpendicular to the axis of the spoke) and then the rest are taking a combination of the three. Basically the forces won't just distribute between all the spokes evenly. I imagine there's a slight difference in risk between 5/10 spoke wheel but not significant enough that it would make the 10 spoke totally safe.
Ultimately, it depends on the factor of safety involved with the wheel design. If the wheel was made to take 500kg and it is loaded 500kg then it would be fine. But if it's now compromised then it won't be able to take its rated weight. If it was made to take 1000kg then a compromised wheel might be able to still take its 500kg load. Like the spokes might be there for the wheel structure and loading or they might be there just for the wheel design and aesthetics.

 

Good enough for me. Thanks for the input.


I am looking to replace the wheel, but to find a TSW Estoril in Hyperblack, 5x114.3, +20mm offset, 8x19 is near impossible since the rim is discontinued.


May just buy a rim as similar as possible to it and hope the ladies don't notice.