Questions for head of Sendel Wheels?

[ddruker]

Hi CDONA,

Below is the answer to your question from Rick at Sendel. It sounds like he's not sure if Airstream is using real Sendel T03 wheels or one of the Chinese copies. You (or anyone else with factory Eddie Bauer wheels) should be able to tell for sure by removing one of the wheels and looking at the backside - it should have the manufacturer information stamped into the casting.

My Sendel T03’s have been copied by several factories and I can’t 100% tell you whether these are ours or not. My suggestion to the owner is to go back to Airstream for help. The big issue is that some makers are using aluminum wheels with steel center caps and lugs. These dissimilar metals cause corrosion even before delivery based on how long the unit sits and what it’s exposed to.

[Alphonse]

Originally Posted by ddruker

Hi CDONA,

Below is the answer to your question from Rick at Sendel. It sounds like he's not sure if Airstream is using real Sendel T03 wheels or one of the Chinese copies. You (or anyone else with factory Eddie Bauer wheels) should be able to tell for sure by removing one of the wheels and looking at the backside - it should have the manufacturer information stamped into the casting.

My Sendel T03’s have been copied by several factories and I can’t 100% tell you whether these are ours or not. My suggestion to the owner is to go back to Airstream for help. The big issue is that some makers are using aluminum wheels with steel center caps and lugs. These dissimilar metals cause corrosion even before delivery based on how long the unit sits and what it’s exposed to.

Don't the Sendel's use a steel insert for the lug nut penetration and seat? Does this cause the same problem relative to corrosion?

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by ddruker

Hi CDONA,

Below is the answer to your question from Rick at Sendel. It sounds like he's not sure if Airstream is using real Sendel T03 wheels or one of the Chinese copies. You (or anyone else with factory Eddie Bauer wheels) should be able to tell for sure by removing one of the wheels and looking at the backside - it should have the manufacturer information stamped into the casting.

My Sendel T03’s have been copied by several factories and I can’t 100% tell you whether these are ours or not. My suggestion to the owner is to go back to Airstream for help. The big issue is that some makers are using aluminum wheels with steel center caps and lugs. These dissimilar metals cause corrosion even before delivery based on how long the unit sits and what it’s exposed to.

I can't make sense of this reply. My new Sendels came shipped with the center caps in separate packaging than the wheels, they were not on the wheels. Lug nuts were not included, would he be suggesting stainless steel lug nuts, certainly not aluminum.

doug k

[CDONA]

I went back to the dealer & look at my rig yesterday (with camera), the corrosion mostly gone, but a small trace in the gap around the chrome center cap and lugs. A week ago it looked like there were rubber gaskets around the lug nuts, (gotta wear my readers). We were doing my final walk thru when I found the crud with the instructor/tech right there.
Do they balance the wheels?

[ddruker]

Here are rick's comments to doug and alphonse - the original questions are in italic font. I think I need to get Rick a login here...

Don't the Sendel's use a steel insert for the lug nut penetration and seat? Does this cause the same problem relative to corrosion? We do not use steel inserts in the pilot holes (lug holes) Both Honda and GM have gotten away from this for the same reason we did. Years ago the purists thought it be better for a steel lug nuts to retain torque if it fit into a metal lug insert. With 6 million wheels in the field without inserts and not a single failure we found it also not necessary. Besides, the steel insert, steel lug studs with steel lugs would cause greater corrosion issues as most of the corrosion comes from the back of the wheel thru the center bore or pilot holes. Accelerating the decay.

I can't make sense of this reply. My new Sendels came shipped with the center caps in separate packaging than the wheels, they were not on the wheels. Lug nuts were not included, would he be suggesting stainless steel lug nuts, certainly not aluminum. The only Sendel wheels that are shipped with caps are the T05’s. All other wheels are shipped without caps and supplied by the facilitator or end seller. Most are steel or stainless which still are dissimilar metals. Most stainless lugs are just metal lugs with a stainless cover. The base is still steel and will cause corrosion.


Dan comments - I did some quick research on galvanic reactions - it looks like that generally speaking Stainless Steel is going to react less with Aluminum than regular carbon steel is - so you would be better off with solid stainless lug nuts and a stainless cap as opposed to chromed steel lug nuts and cap. Or do what I did - get the T05 rims which come with a matching cap and hide the lug nuts so you don't have to worry about surface corrosion at all...

[Alphonse]

Originally Posted by ddruker

Dan comments - I did some quick research on galvanic reactions - it looks like that generally speaking Stainless Steel is going to react less with Aluminum than regular carbon steel is - so you would be better off with solid stainless lug nuts and a stainless cap as opposed to chromed steel lug nuts and cap. Or do what I did - get the T05 rims which come with a matching cap and hide the lug nuts so you don't have to worry about surface corrosion at all...

Dan
Wouldn't chrome be far less prone to cause galvanic corrosion than stainless?

[ddruker]

Note I said quick research...

[mefly2]

Dan - great look on two sets of nice wheels.
Sedona- ours have some surface corrosion, too; likely from the salt air in Seattle.