You may have noticed that I refitted the Bundts, or Fuchs Alloys, to Gleaming Beauty as shown in this picture....
Compare those Alloys with the ones that have been on GB for more than five years now......
Okay, let me say from the outset that, to get the best visual aspect for Gleaming Beauty, the Alloys as in the second picture are absolutely essential. When I first re-fitted the standards, I was disappointed - even the two tone paint seemed to lose any effectiveness it may have. Blackening the tyres did help considerably to the extent that I could almost live with them, but still the after market Alloys take my preference. BTW, as a matter of interest, I do not detect any significant difference in road behaviour between standard and after-market. You're comparing 14" to 18" low profile, and the comfort factor is about on a par. Surprising.
Now, why did I swap wheels and what caused me to do it it ? Simple, after the lay-off of almost twelve months, and about two weeks after GB was pressed into service (maybe three), the right rear hub really developed a very nasty sounding, metallic "Clack-Clack", the frequency being speed depending. I stopped the car to check tightness of wheel nuts etc., and when I got home, I lifted the rear and detected what I think are four badly worn U-joint yokes on the two drive shafts. I carried on for about ten days to a fortnight in the belief that it would be a matter of replacing those with rebuilt units I already had on hand. As a last check, I decided to re-fit the standard Alloys to see if perhaps the after-market rim(s) were causing the Clack Clack and guess what ? Over a thirty kilometer trip, there was not the slightest sign of any noise coming from any of the wheels, even the right rear. Well, that solved the problem, but I was somewhat disappointed, because I really like the after-markets. Just to be sure, I re-fitted just the one after market rim to the right rear and sure enough, the noise came back. So that had to be the problem.
So when Saturday dawned, I had to choose between refitting the standard Alloy to the right rear, or to change the other three and refit the Speedy Alloys. Well, on account of time, I went for the first option, i.e. re-fit the standard item. Just to make things look pretty, some tyre shine/black completed the picture and improved the appearance to an acceptable degree and off I went to the BBQ venue at Michel's. I went out the driveway, put her into 'Drive' and fifty meters down the road, I heard this, guess what ? Clack-Clack, clack-clack....back to the drawing board. Regards Styria
Compare those Alloys with the ones that have been on GB for more than five years now......
Okay, let me say from the outset that, to get the best visual aspect for Gleaming Beauty, the Alloys as in the second picture are absolutely essential. When I first re-fitted the standards, I was disappointed - even the two tone paint seemed to lose any effectiveness it may have. Blackening the tyres did help considerably to the extent that I could almost live with them, but still the after market Alloys take my preference. BTW, as a matter of interest, I do not detect any significant difference in road behaviour between standard and after-market. You're comparing 14" to 18" low profile, and the comfort factor is about on a par. Surprising.
Now, why did I swap wheels and what caused me to do it it ? Simple, after the lay-off of almost twelve months, and about two weeks after GB was pressed into service (maybe three), the right rear hub really developed a very nasty sounding, metallic "Clack-Clack", the frequency being speed depending. I stopped the car to check tightness of wheel nuts etc., and when I got home, I lifted the rear and detected what I think are four badly worn U-joint yokes on the two drive shafts. I carried on for about ten days to a fortnight in the belief that it would be a matter of replacing those with rebuilt units I already had on hand. As a last check, I decided to re-fit the standard Alloys to see if perhaps the after-market rim(s) were causing the Clack Clack and guess what ? Over a thirty kilometer trip, there was not the slightest sign of any noise coming from any of the wheels, even the right rear. Well, that solved the problem, but I was somewhat disappointed, because I really like the after-markets. Just to be sure, I re-fitted just the one after market rim to the right rear and sure enough, the noise came back. So that had to be the problem.
So when Saturday dawned, I had to choose between refitting the standard Alloy to the right rear, or to change the other three and refit the Speedy Alloys. Well, on account of time, I went for the first option, i.e. re-fit the standard item. Just to make things look pretty, some tyre shine/black completed the picture and improved the appearance to an acceptable degree and off I went to the BBQ venue at Michel's. I went out the driveway, put her into 'Drive' and fifty meters down the road, I heard this, guess what ? Clack-Clack, clack-clack....back to the drawing board. Regards Styria
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