Traxxas Method wheels rubbing on outer portals

[VanCityCrawler]

I recently bought new Method wheels and the matching aluminium rings from a local retailer. I just did a check on my truck, and it appears that the aluminium rings are rubbing heavily on the top of the outer portals.

Things I have checked:
-all bolts are tightened on the aluminium rings
-wheel hubs (hexes) are stock
-wheels are installed with 1.6nm to the stub axle (I use a torque wrench)
-the stub axles look to be spinning straight (low RPM, no wheel, using a close and stationary object for point of reference)

I have swapped all four wheels to different corners, and I experience a similar result. My usage has been crawling in first gear with being modest overall. Sure, I have rolled my rig on the grass in second gear... But I am not sending this thing off jumps or anything crazy like that. My mechanical aptitude is quite high with having been a bicycle technician for 18 years. So I understand when something is just not right. With how light my usage has been with my rig, experiencing this amount of rubbing seems more like a flaw in design.

Below are images of what I am seeing. The wear ranges on the wheels from almost the entire diametre, to just half of the diametre of the aluminium ring.

Left-rear outer portal
Left-rear wheel

[HumboldtEF]

Wheel fitment on the TRX4 is hit and miss, not all wheels will fit. I have no experience with these wheels but it looks like Traxxas missed the mark on making them fit.

looks like the beadlock ring ID (inside diameter) is too small. you could try to find some way of opening them up a bit.

Is it possible they have 2 different sized beadlock rings? One size for the outers and another size for the inners (with a larger ID)

[Double vision]

Are they 1.9 or 2.2 Methods?

I'm guessing they are 1.9

I have 2.2 methods and it's tight, I can imagine 1.9 would be suspect..I guess I got lucky without knowing it with the 2.2 purchase.


Sidenote:
Traxxas Canyon Trails in 1.9 are 4.6" diameter, some think if they get 2.2 they will inevitably end up with a larger radius tire...while this is mostly the case you can get a Traxxas 2.2 wheel and a Traxxas tire that still measures 4.6" outside diameter so there is no rubbing issues with a 2.2 setup...The tires that come standard on the Mercedes 6x6 are made for 2.2 rims but still only have an overall diameter of 4.6".


Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by HumboldtEF

Wheel fitment on the TRX4 is hit and miss, not all wheels will fit. I have no experience with these wheels but it looks like Traxxas missed the mark on making them fit.

looks like the beadlock ring ID (inside diameter) is too small. you could try to find some way of opening them up a bit.

Is it possible they have 2 different sized beadlock rings? One size for the outers and another size for the inners (with a larger ID)

I checked the ID of beadlock rings with my Vernier caliper and they measure to be the same. The bolt heads have a recessed area they tighten in to on the beadlock ring. I wonder if the bolt pattern on the wheel itself is off, which would have the beadlock ring off centre.

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by Double vision

Are they 1.9 or 2.2 Methods?

I'm guessing they are 1.9

I have 2.2 methods and it's tight, I can imagine 1.9 would be suspect..I guess I got lucky without knowing it with the 2.2 purchase.


Sidenote:
Traxxas Canyon Trails in 1.9 are 4.6" diameter, some think if they get 2.2 they will inevitably end up with a larger radius tire...while this is mostly the case you can get a Traxxas 2.2 wheel and a Traxxas tire that still measures 4.6" outside diameter so there is no rubbing issues with a 2.2 setup...The tires that come standard on the Mercedes 6x6 are made for 2.2 rims but still only have an overall diameter of 4.6".


Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Yes, they are 1.9. There is almost zero clearance with the outer portal and this 1.9 setup... All I have are 1.9 wheels, so trying a 2.2 is not an option.

I will need to reach out to Traxxas again and find a solution. The truck was bought new on December 26, the wheels bought new a week later, and maybe an entire 40 minutes run time on the truck... Mostly in first gear.

[VanCityCrawler]

Traxxas customer service suggested it may to do with how the bead of the tire may be resting in the channel of the wheel. A reasonable thought. They also suggested that the bead of the tire may be a bit too big. Another reasonable thought.

The margins are sooo tight between the outer portal and the ID of the beadlock ring with this 1.9" wheel. I cannot capture it properly in a picture, it is just that close. I guess any slight factor can play a significant role.

I will check my install, again. I am a bit unsure about trimming the bead of the tire. If I do, my first thought is using a craft knife on a sewing mat and slowly trim. Maybe a sharp, thin pair of scissors?

[Fallen]

Is the wear still occurring? Does it look like the wear is finished, and the wheels spin freely without causing more?

If so, I wouldn't even worry about chasing it down. If the wear isn't going to penetrate, or severely weaken the portal housing, I'd leave it be.

It appears some tolerances are off in the wheels. Do your wheels have removable hub adapters? If so, you can change the offset and push the wheels outboard, and away from the portal housing.

But as stated, if the wear doesn't look like it's still occurring, I'd probably just leave it how it is.

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by Fallen

Is the wear still occurring? Does it look like the wear is finished, and the wheels spin freely without causing more?

If so, I wouldn't even worry about chasing it down. If the wear isn't going to penetrate, or severely weaken the portal housing, I'd leave it be.

It appears some tolerances are off in the wheels. Do your wheels have removable hub adapters? If so, you can change the offset and push the wheels outboard, and away from the portal housing.

But as stated, if the wear doesn't look like it's still occurring, I'd probably just leave it how it is.

I do not know the wall thickness of the outer portal. But I'm pretty far into them. I'll need to take a portal off and assess it. I have brass outer portals on the way and I am wonder how the heck they will fit.

I am at a point where I don't want to use these wheels at all. I just want my money back so I can start over.

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by Fallen

Is the wear still occurring? Does it look like the wear is finished, and the wheels spin freely without causing more?

If so, I wouldn't even worry about chasing it down. If the wear isn't going to penetrate, or severely weaken the portal housing, I'd leave it be.

It appears some tolerances are off in the wheels. Do your wheels have removable hub adapters? If so, you can change the offset and push the wheels outboard, and away from the portal housing.

But as stated, if the wear doesn't look like it's still occurring, I'd probably just leave it how it is.

I do not know the wall thickness of the outer portal. But I'm pretty far into them. I'll need to take a portal off and assess it. I have brass outer portals on the way and I am wonder how the heck they will fit.

The Method wheels do not have removable hub adapters. I do have 8.5mm spacers coming in that I can try.

I am at a point where I don't want to use these wheels at all. I just want my money back so I can start over. Proline Impulse 1.9 wheels look like a good choice.

[ferp420]

have you tryed wider hexes a trick ive used was a washer between the hex and the wheel to space the wheel out a extra mm or 2 its a cheap easy test and alot of times it works you can run the washers if it works but new hexes would be better

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by ferp420

have you tryed wider hexes a trick ive used was a washer between the hex and the wheel to space the wheel out a extra mm or 2 its a cheap easy test and alot of times it works you can run the washers if it works but new hexes would be better

I have 8.5mm hexes coming in. I think that is +3.5mm on each wheel. Fingers crossed that things improve. I worry that it will align the rings to wear in a different spot on the outer portal.

I feel whatever I do the fact remains that these wheels are just not a good fit. Period. I assumed buying Traxxas brand wheels would help avoid problems like this.

It seems strange to have to modify things to just fit Traxxas brand parts to a stock Traxxas setup. Is this unique to my situation? It seems nearly incompatible.

[ferp420]

pictures of the issue would help nevermind i found them lol
but have you tryed shaving the inside of the wheels its the bead lock ring thats hitting right not the rim itself
clearance the beadlock ring or replace it with something slimer and call it a day

is it just the one wheel or are all of them doing it
i would take lots of pictures and send them i to traxx-ass it looks like a design flaw to me and one thats easly fixed

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by ferp420

pictures of the issue would help nevermind i found them lol
but have you tryed shaving the inside of the wheels its the bead lock ring thats hitting right not the rim itself
clearance the beadlock ring or replace it with something slimer and call it a day

is it just the one wheel or are all of them doing it
i would take lots of pictures and send them i to traxx-ass it looks like a design flaw to me and one thats easly fixed

**Here** is the folder of the pictures. I cannot post images through Google Drive, only links. It is on all four wheels. I cannot use any other beadlock ring on these, I have to use Traxxas ones due to the diameter and bolt pattern.

I am interested in Traxxas recognizing this and accepting this is a design flaw. All I want is new outer portals and four beadlock rings. I have spoken to Traxxas customer service twice about this. I have tried all their suggestions to help myself. Albeit they were good ideas, they have not resolved the problem. I would like 4 new outer portals and a pack of beadlock rings... But what I really want is all my money back so I can start over again with different wheels.

In my previous 18-year career in the bicycle industry I managed all incoming and outgoing warranty claims, and I worked as a technician. I know a design flaw when I see one, and this is certainly one of those. I feel I need to show them my resume first to set the tone of the conversation.... I could teach them a thing about how to handle a warranty like this.

[Inspector86]

Are you saying you have the Traxxas plastic Method wheels? The simple fix would be to install a wider hex adapter to move the wheels outboard.

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by Inspector86

Are you saying you have the Traxxas plastic Method wheels? The simple fix would be to install a wider hex adapter to move the wheels outboard.

Extending the axles that far would make the truck look ridiculous. Traxxas needs to design a better wheel. I am not interested in spending more when I already spent so much on these wheels. Traxxas parts, designed by Traxxas, should fit easily to Traxxas vehicles they are designed to fit on.

I should not be spending more to make up for what is a poor design.

[AK KRAWLER]

Originally Posted by VanCityCrawler

Extending the axles that far would make the truck look ridiculous. Traxxas needs to design a better wheel. I am not interested in spending more when I already spent so much on these wheels. Traxxas parts, designed by Traxxas, should fit easily to Traxxas vehicles they are designed to fit on.

I should not be spending more to make up for what is a poor design.

Agreed on all points!
Regardless, the manufacturer should recognize the issue and rectify. Whether it’s a one off, or an actual systematic manufacturing issue.

[ferp420]

the problem with getting the money back now is you ruined the wheel and the portal covers already if you put them on and they were hitting that should have been the end of it you should have stoped before doing any damage
in my opinion once you tryed to make them work you voided any warrenty that may have been aplicable

heres my question with all your exsperiance you should be able to fix it in less than a minute and you should have been able to tell there was a problem instantly so why not just fix it its such a easy fix anyone with 18 minutes of.exsperiance in a bike shop should be able.to.fix a simmple clearance issue
something just isent adding up
i agree they should have fit out of the box but this story from that point on kinda goes sidways

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by ferp420

the problem with getting the money back now is you ruined the wheel and the portal covers already if you put them on and they were hitting that should have been the end of it you should have stoped before doing any damage
in my opinion once you tryed to make them work you voided any warrenty that may have been aplicable

heres my question with all your exsperiance you should be able to fix it in less than a minute and you should have been able to tell there was a problem instantly so why not just fix it its such a easy fix anyone with 18 minutes of.exsperiance in a bike shop should be able.to.fix a simmple clearance issue
something just isent adding up
i agree they should have fit out of the box but this story from that point on kinda goes sidways

You contradicted yourself in your reply. You first accuse me of modifying parts, but then ask me why I did not modify the parts. That does not add up.
What is also not adding up is how Traxxas 1.9" Method 105 wheels do not fit well on a stock Traxxas setup.

I did not modify any part at all. Why would I do that? I know to not modify parts because it would void a warranty. That experience of mine comes in handy. ;) I bought Traxxas wheels assuming they would fit properly. There was nothing in the instructions that said fitment could be an issue. The striations in the beadlock rings are long and perfectly straight. No hand is steady enough for such striations with any hand tool. Please, indulge me on how you assume I did this intentionally.

What you see is from ~40 minutes use on three different occasions, mostly crawling in first gear. I stopped using the truck as soon as I saw the damage. Why do you assume I kept using the truck? The truck has remained unused since. I reached out to Traxxas for help, and I did all the things they suggested. They have been helpful with their insight... But nothing I do is resolving this issue. How was I to know to be soooo mindful of fitment?

I bought this truck brand new and installed the wheels almost right away. How it operated afterwards is how I thought it should operate. I have no other measure for comparison.

[Fallen]

Unfortunately, I tried a similar issue with Traxxas and also got a big "nope," from them.

The Ultimate Desert Racer has a known problem, that the rear axle housing allows dirt into it. It flexes too much at the pumpkin and basically scoops up the dirt thrown back by the front tires. Sounded like a Traxxas problem to me.

Their answer: "driving offroad is dirty." Getting Traxxas to admit error is literally like pulling teeth, when someone won't open their mouth and vigorously denies the existence of said teeth.

My intent isn't to discourage your warranty hopes. My hope is to show you that several of us have been down that road with Traxxas, and it doesn't end favorably.

Traxxas does make some pretty stellar products. But their willingness to stand behind said products leaves a lot to be desired. That's one of the "give and take" considerations with Traxxas. Killer products, poor service.

That's one thing I think Horizon does much better. If you mention something possibly, maybe going wrong on a new product, Horizon is sending free stuff your way. They might not admit that they put too weak of a servo in, but they will send you a new one for sure!

[VanCityCrawler]

Originally Posted by Fallen

Unfortunately, I tried a similar issue with Traxxas and also got a big "nope," from them.

The Ultimate Desert Racer has a known problem, that the rear axle housing allows dirt into it. It flexes too much at the pumpkin and basically scoops up the dirt thrown back by the front tires. Sounded like a Traxxas problem to me.

Their answer: "driving offroad is dirty." Getting Traxxas to admit error is literally like pulling teeth, when someone won't open their mouth and vigorously denies the existence of said teeth.

My intent isn't to discourage your warranty hopes. My hope is to show you that several of us have been down that road with Traxxas, and it doesn't end favorably.

Traxxas does make some pretty stellar products. But their willingness to stand behind said products leaves a lot to be desired. That's one of the "give and take" considerations with Traxxas. Killer products, poor service.

That's one thing I think Horizon does much better. If you mention something possibly, maybe going wrong on a new product, Horizon is sending free stuff your way. They might not admit that they put too weak of a servo in, but they will send you a new one for sure!

I appreciate your reply. I am less than a month in to this hobby and this is my first experience with customer service in this industry.

I think the products are great. The quality of the materials seem really good. The selection of parts is shocking. There is so much to like... I have more Traxxas parts in the mail! Underdrive diff pinion, phone holder, diff covers, BEC. All bought at local businesses.

The reply from Traxxas is disappointing at the very least. The push back shows a lack of desire to develop. Admitting to, and correcting a design flaw shows strength and a desire to grow. Learn from the experience and change. It almost sounds like a good personal practice that applies perfectly to professional practice.

Your reply is kind and thoughtful, and I appreciate it a lot. I will remain optimistic as I wait to hear back from the retailer where I bought the wheels. I am hoping they can also help with new outer portals as well.