Are the 18 inch wheels susceptible to buckling?

[RRTuscan]

I know this problem has been reported before, but lets see who else has had this problem. Ive got a W reg Red Rose Tuscan with the 18" wheels. It has just been in to dealer due to vibrations through steering wheel and general handling problems amongst many other things. 3 wheels are buckled or have flat spots. Hmmm, me thinks that there is a design fault with either wheels or wheel/tyre combination. Im not the only one to have this problem. Factory will not cough up replacement wheels as it is ''wear and tear'' The car is only driven at weekends and I do anything and everything to avoid pot holes. Im sure an independent test will show that the wheels are not up to the job. Lets hear from anyone else please. RR

[PetrolTed]

There's a chap (Bruce I think) on the Tuscan egroup trying to coordinate these experiences as he's had a similar problem.

[bertie]

What is / How do I get the Tuscan egroup?

[PetrolTed]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tuscan-owners

[andycohen]

These are the joys of combining our wonderfully maintained roads and low-profile tyres. I'd be very surprised if TVR actually honoured a warranty claim against this damage as it is not really a fault of the wheel design. I have a set of 17" wheels on my MX-5, and I originally ran 205/40-17 tyres on them. Tiny rubber-band jobbies. However the ride was a bit harsh, and with the number of potholes round my way, the car really crashed down them with the small amount of give in the profile. When I got the next set of tyres fitted, both the nearside wheels had flat-spots. I put a wider tyre on (215/40-17) to increase the profile a little and the ride has improved now. Your best bet would be to find some of the potholes that were likely to have damaged your wheels, get pictures of them, and then write to your local council highways department and make a claim for the wheels off them. But its not easy so make sure you get proof of the damage and offending holes (before they're miraculously filled in!) -andy-

[tuscanboy]

I don't think that TVR can shrug their responsibility that easily on this one. Remember, the 18" Wheel, low profile combination is a TVR option, not a user modification. Combined with the fact that these cars are sold for use on British roads, it is not acceptable for this sort of damage to occur so quickly on so many cars, and the wheels/tyres are clearly not suitable for the purpose intended. I cannot beleive any court could side with TVR on this one. I haven't yet experienced the problem, but if I do- I can assure you I will NOT be stumping X hundred quid to sort it.

[andycohen]

True.. I hadn't thought of it that way. In my case it was an aftermarket modification, but the fact is the wheel was still damaged by the poor roads around where I live, so the council should pay up for the damage as they have neglected to maintain the roads. Each highways agency does have a claims department to handle matters such as this, so I suppose it at least offers you an alternative if you don't get anywhere with TVR. It does raise my concern too though as I have specified the 18" wheels on my Tuscan order so am likely to face the same problems. I am tempted to have slightly thicker (but not by much) profile tyres fitted to the Tuscan (unless people have any good reasons not to?) as it worked wonders for the handling on the MX when I did the same. -andy-