Wheel Vibration & Rain

[Airvtec]

Yesterday I went snowboarding. On the way, there was a good amount of rain. After a short while I noticed my steering wheel started to vibrate pretty badly. This wasn't the first time I've experienced this in the rain. I pulled off to see what was causing this. Like before, I suspected the rain which collected on the wheel barrel. I removed the water, and proceeded back on the freeway. Sure enough, the vibration was gone. However, after a short while it came back because it collected more rain.

I did some search on the web, and found out that many of the reversed lip design wheels have this problem, including HRE & Iforged. The wheel barrel has a trough or u-shaped channel. This caused water to collect and throw the wheel off balance, which in turn created the vibration. From some of the reading I've done, Tire Rack states it isn't possible for water to cause this problem. They did a controlled experiment, but many argued the experiment was too controlled. It didn't reflect real world factors. For those who are interested in reading more details, follow this link http://my.is/forums/f95/18-3-piece-vibration-during-rain-216565/. I really don't care what Tire Rack came up with, because I experienced it first hand myself.

Luckily, Iforged received enough complaints about this and came out with a solution. Check this link http://www.iforged.com/press/august10/august10.php. I just ordered this for my Klass wheels. Hopefully it will do the trick. I thought I post this just in case someone has been experiencing the same problem and couldn't figure out what it was.

 

[StuLax18]

So that thing just directs the water outward from the wheel when it reaches it while the wheel is turning? Pretty cool.

 

[SexualChocolate]

Hahahahaha awesome! Think I could make that myself though. That would have solved all those problems with the IForged and HREs I have had prior.

Good thing to know what I said was true!!!

 

[tchuck]

That Tire Rack guy is/was wrong.

This statement from his professor sums up the problem perfectly:

"For the tire problem, the fluid would keep moving linearly if there weren't a wall in the way but it piles up against the wall because it's being accelerated relative to the stationary "outside world"."

IMO, that trough in the middle of the wheels is a massive design failure. IForged knows it, that's why they came up with the little paddles. They should however be sending them to everyone who has the flawed wheels for free... Along with an apology letter.