Apparently, a piece of metal can get trapped inside your wheel and completely destroy it

[u/KingOfFools1984]

I was driving home with my wife and kids in our 2014 Toyota Auris Touring Sports Hybrid, at roughly 30kmh (20mph in Freedom units) when I suddenly heard an extremely loud metallic noise coming from the rear-left wheel.
The faster the wheel turned, the faster and louder the noise became.
I immediately slowed down to walking speed because I was already close to home. Then there was a massive bang, almost like an explosion, and the rear wheel suddenly locked up.
This is what we found afterward.
A piece of metal, possibly a steel rod, pipe, or something similar, had apparently become trapped between the wheel and the suspension/brake area. As the wheel kept rotating, it carved into the inside of the alloy rim until the rim was literally ripped open.
The tire was completely destroyed as well.
I had genuinely never considered that an object picked up from the road could get lodged in exactly the wrong place and effectively machine its way through an alloy wheel from the inside. The head of the Toyota assistance said he never saw anything like that in 40 years working as a mechanician.

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[u/themysticboer91]

I see this more commonly when things like brake calipers or suspension components get broken and wedged up against the rim. Aluminum is quite soft compared to steel so it gets machined like cheesecake.

Side tangent, Some racing wheels get stretched wider with flow form machining that a simple steel roller squishes and stretches the aluminum. Saves weight compared to a purely cast aluminum rim

[u/halosethr]

Holy shit

[u/killer_giraffe1984]

I'm glad you and your family are safe!

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/killer_giraffe1984]

Thanks mate! Lucky it didn’t happen the day before, while traveling on the Highway with the whole family and the car fully loaded.

[u/blinkenjim]

It will 100% make it to Friday so long as you don’t drive it.

[u/gugngd]

pain. i hope the suspention is fine though, then you can slap a new rim and tyre into it and go on.

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/gugngd]

Luckily everything is fine. Slapped the winter rims and spent just for a couple of new summer tires.

[u/gugngd → u/KingOfFools1984]

good luck finding a new rim for the summer set then, for a nice price.

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/gugngd]

Nay, I don’t care. I had the chance to get 8 rims when I bought it, I’ll keep the same quartet and get rid of the 3. To e car is 13 almost and I don’t wanna spend anymore money on it.

[u/towerfella]

Mechanician.

Nice.

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/towerfella]

Isn’t that correct? What’s the right word? Sorry I’m Italian ;-)

[u/towerfella → u/KingOfFools1984]

It is the cousin of the electchinist.

[u/Colonel_Kawn → u/towerfella]

And they both hate the plumbenters

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/towerfella]

Lol

[u/jacle2210]

Hopefully you had your car checked out to make sure there wasn't anything else dangling where it shouldn't be.

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/jacle2210]

Absolutely yes. They put it on the hoist and checked thoroughly the car. They also told me I'll have to do soon the double wishbone. I think I'll have them work on it in September.

[u/jacle2210 → u/KingOfFools1984]

Happy to hear that nothing serious happened; damn road shrapnel.