Ugh...DHL lost 2 of my wheels...

[kpatz]

I ordered a set of 18" RS4 reps from VMR earlier in the month... Tuesday a package arrives with 2 wheels. I figure, other 2 will show up Wednesday... now it's Thursday and I still only have 2 wheels, so I jump on DHL's website and pull tracking info, and they left Rhode Island on 4/21 and no sign of them since. I called them and they are doing a trace to try and find them, but I guess that means I won't be putting them on this weekend! [=(] I get to enjoy another week on my 15" stockers and snow tires...

[Doss]

That sucks.

I ordered my 19s at the beginning of October. They left the FedEx shipping depot in Chicago that week. FedEx delivers 1 wheel and tire to my doorstep (they were unboxed). They didn't make me sign.

Apparently, the other three tags had fallen off the other wheels (they were still all together. Since there were no tags, the driver didn't leave them at my doorstep.

They got shipped back. They arrived back to the seller in JANUARY!

I got them in the middle of January.

For 2.5 months, FedEx had no clue where my wheels were. I guess somebody figured out that the stupid 5x112 bolt pattern won't work on his car and returned them.

[a4000]

Ups Ftw!!!!

[kpatz]

Good news... my missing wheels were delivered today! Don't know why it took 6 days to get from Rhode Island to NH, a distance of 117 miles, when it made the 3000 mile trip from CA to RI in 5 days. [rolleyes]

[Rawkus_A4]

Good to hear!

Now put them suckas on and post some pics

[kpatz]

I put them suckas on yesterday, they look and feel great, but I'll hold off on taking pics until it stops raining (again)...

The biggest challenge was getting the old wheels off the hubs, they were frozen on something fierce. One wouldn't budge until I drove 1/4 mile with loosened lug nuts. I put anti-sieze on the hubs when putting the reps on.

[dougyfresh]

That is strange. VMR sent mine via FEDEX and the packing slips were wrapped underneath many layers of plastic wrap (to prevent loss of the slips). Only catch was I had to go to FEDEX to pick them up for I'm never home to sign packages.

Good to hear you finally recieved the wheels though. You'll like them. I've got a couple thousand miles on mine so far and love 'em.

I've found that rotating my tires every oil change (or two) I no longer run into issues with the wheels being frozen on the hub (since they are removed frequently).

[initiala4]

suck!

[kpatz]

I've found that rotating my tires every oil change (or two) I no longer run into issues with the wheels being frozen on the hub (since they are removed frequently).My wheels come off twice a year for switching to summer and winter mode, and at my present rate of driving, I do maybe 3 oil changes a year, so that probably wouldn't help me much. The anti-sieze stuff should though.

[dougyfresh]

Yeah. mine come off 4 to 6 times a year depending on how much I drive and when I switch over from summer to winter and vise versa.

The anti-sieze should help.

I think the wheel-stuck-on-hub issue is some metallurgical bond between the aluminum wheels and steel hub. There probably is some aluminum oxide that builds up on the rim centerbore and causes the bore to be slightly smaller in diameter, which causes a press fit with the hub. Probably more exasperated with the winter road salt which NH is notorous for. I had the same problem when I used to live in NH (before I started rotating my tires as often as I do now).

[kpatz]

What's funny is my friend, who helped me swap the wheels, has a B5 S4 and he swapped his summer wheels on the same day and had no problem getting his wheels off. His were on as long as mine, so either it's a difference with the B5 hubs vs. B6, A4 vs. S4, or the fact that he has a garage the car stays in overnight and I don't.

[kpatz]

Ok, at last, I had an opportunity to snap some pics. This is the only one that turned out any good...

http://www.patzcatz.com/audi/rs4reps.jpg

[Das General]

Nice wheels, but your car needs a drop asap