In cleaning the insides of my lobster claw wheels (post Christmas TLC for my MY05 997.1 C2 - yes, I know I am mildly obsessive), I noticed what visually appeared to be fine cracks in the base of two spokes where they meet the rim. As these are adjacent to where wheel weights were previously removed, they appear consistent with scratches. However, one goes around the side of the spoke starting from a deeper scratch… after contemplating what could have been the cause (no whacks or hits in the 6 months I have had the car), I snapped some iPhone pics and downloaded so I could magnify the images...

I am relieved that they all appear to be only scratches, but would appreciate any opinions or if anyone has experience with hairline cracks in OEM wheels?

righto - back to the cleaning… all that gunk behind the ruler in the pic has to go.

 

i've cracked a few wheels, those look like scratches

 

I agree, looks like a scratch, not a crack.

BTW - if you're obsessive, you should know that they're lobster FORK, not not lobster claw wheels.

So called because where the spokes terminate at the rim resembles a lobster fork.

 

Agree with scratches. A crack would keep the paint more intact but here you can see there is clearly something that have pierced through the paint from the oputside. You even have the abrasive marks next to the scratch indicating it even more.

Take the opotyunity to put on some clear coat or something to prevent it from flaking. Protects from salt and water coming in underneath.

 

Looks like scratches; maybe the tire guy poked out the old balancing weight with a knife? (moron)

 

Agree with above, looks like someone used a handy sharp tool to pry off prior wheel weights.

Might also wipe on a little clear coat to protect the underlying metal.

all the best...

NV

 

Looks like a scratch. I hate tire shops that do crappy work like that. I would clean it up and put some touch up pant on it. The paint protects the aluminum from oxidizing. Especially if your driving on salted roads or the potassium chloride.

 

thanks all for your replies. Even though ice & salt is not a problem around here, I will get some clear coat on the affected areas.

PJorgen: Got it….Lobster fork - I am happy to be corrected

 

Yes,they might look like scratches... but if you really want to know Google Spotcheck. It's a non destructive three step chemical process that will let you know one way or the other, with absolute certainty. That's what I would want anyway...