Method Wheel Debacle.

I held off posting giving both the retailer and Method a chance to deal with the issue and they've both been pretty good so far but I think it's time to give everyone a heads up.

Details
Method Wheels MR70368060500
MR703 16x8 0 offset
Using lug nuts supplied by Method

Ordered these wheels online from 4WP. Had new 265/75/16 Nitto Ridge Grapplers mounted to them. Shop that supplied tires got them balanced but their Hunter roadforce machine had a hell of a time, adding 6oz of weight all over the place. Test drive had a nasty vibration at 60mph. Shop tried again, better but balance machine still struggled. Shop tried another set of Nitto's, no dice. Had same shop do it one last time, this time they used the adapter so the wheel mounted to studs and the lug nuts, not the cone adapter. No improvement. While the wheels were spinning on the balancer you could see them oscillating ever so slightly. As if they were off centre. Tire shop determines it's not the tires it's the wheels.

Off to local 4WP. Guys there are awesome. They have a go. Nope same issue. They throw the truck on the lift and stick it in gear. Sure enough wheels mounted on truck you can see the wheels are ever so slightly off centre and oscillating. 4wp takes videos sends them to Method. Method says we've never seen or heard of that replace the rims send us the faulty ones.

4WP puts 4 new Method Wheels on today. SAME PROBLEM. That's 8 wheels now!

I've had a close look myself. When the wheel is placed on the truck the inner centre bore is tight to one side of the axle hub but there's a gap on the opposite side. Even if you're extremely careful when installing the wheel nuts. Carefully tightening them as you go, all 4 wheels pull onto the hub the same way, tight on one side, gap on the other. Not centred. Also something just doesn't feel "right". I've installed lots of wheels in my time. When you mount the wheel to the hub and start a lug nut it's fine, threads on no issue with hand strength. If partially thread one nut on and then try to thread on the lug nut on the opposite side? It gets really tight before it bottoms out, almost feels like it's cross threaded, but it's not. I think it's binding on the wheel itself.

I find it hard to believe I managed to win the lottery and get the only 8 bad Method Wheels. I would suspect they've got an issue in manufacturing causing this.

I've asked 4wp for a refund. I'll throw the rubber on the stock rims while I come up with another solution. Hopefully 4wp pulls through with a no hassle refund.

Has anybody else had issues with their Method Wheels in the last little bit?

This post is mostly for anyone who's chasing a vibration issue with Method Wheels.

Pics for reference.

 

Are all 8 wheels from the same manufacturing lot? Should be stamped on the wheel or on the boxes somewhere.

 

I left 4wp and Method to sort that out. My guess is yes probably same lot, but that's speculation on my part. I just want wheels that don't womp lol. I'm sure Method will dive into the issue. If they reveal that to me I'll pass the info along.

 

If they were all from the same lot, it could be a manufacturing issue.

If they are from different lots, it could still be a manufacturing issue but less likely. Perhaps something during mounting?

also, I know you said you used the Method supplied lugs but perhaps they sent the wrong ones?

 

Valid points. The lug nuts have been confirmed correct. They have the correct shank and taper.

In terms of mounting. 3 independent shops and myself have all taken a shot at it repeatedly. There is definitely something not right. The theoretical centre of the lug nuts if you can imagine it, does not match the actual centre of the centre bore. If the wheels were machined to the same specs as factory wheels I suspect you wouldn't even be able to mount them. It's that few thousands of an inch extra on the centre bore of the wheel that's allowing the wheel to be mounted at all.

 

Well, shoot. This sounds very frustrating (especially trying 2 sets of wheels) and I hope Method can sort it out and you’re made whole.

 

Man, that sounds like a huge waste of time. Sorry to hear.

 

Oh it’s been a colossal waste of time lol. Not just for me, I’ve been lucky, the shops I’ve been working with have been great getting to the bottom of the issue. It’s been a waste of their time as well.

 

I was just about to buy a set of method 703’s. Maybe I’ll wait and see if others experience this. Maybe as you said you just got really lucky for 8 to be duds.

 

Sorry your having issues. I can only imagine with all the back orders in every industry their is a lot of sub par products being pushed out the door to meet demand. I was hesitant to buy a 2021 thinking some temp may have built it but so far so good. Hope your able to get to the bottom of it.

 

I’m sure there’s an explanation but I’m not 100% what it is or that I’ll ever be told lol.

Method is apparently telling my local retailer that they’ve still never seen this or heard of it and that my truck is the first this has been reported. They mentioned that they wonder of Toyota changed something with the rear axle hub diameter. If they’d let me I’d take a wheel down to my local machine shop and machine out the hub opening. This should allow the wheel nuts to actually center the wheel to the lugs. Would prove what the issue is right away. My suspicion, and it’s total speculation, is that there’s more than one issue at play. The theoretical combined centre of the lug holes is not cut to the actual center of the rim, and the centre of the hub opening isn’t centred to either the lug holes or the wheel centre.

I’m not throwing Method under the bus, so far they’ve been working with my retailer to resolve the issue, but I doubt my luck is that bad. There’s an issue at play. I’m trying to get a refund, I’ll throw the tires back on the stock rims and wait. I’ve seen SO MANY manufacturing issues during Covid across multiple industries that I’m just gonna let things stabilize before I go ordering something to replace them.

 

Havw you tried it on another tacoma?

 

Sounds like the center of the bolt circle is not coincidental to the center of the hub circle. Additionaly, you are balancing lug-centric wheels using hub-centric methods.

If it doesn't have flat/washer lug nuts and a fitted hub, it is not hub-centric. What you have is a fitted bore and tapered lugs and is a problem when the previously mentioned centers do not coincide.

A lug-centric balance might do the trick. Otherwise, wait for Method to make them right.

 

Did your wheels come with plastic hub centric rings? Installing with those may solve the issue.

 

Hub bore on those is 106.25...

 

No.

First shop attempted to balance them lug centrically a few times. In fact the worst vibration was when they were balanced that way.

Yes they did. However these rims are supposed to have the same/close diameter hub bore as stock so the plastic adapter can't be used. I believe the hub bore in the wheel is almost identical to the axle hub diameter. But because it's not centred in relation to the stud holes it binds up against one side of the lip of the axle hub.

Axle hub is 106.1?

 

106.1 nominal...approximately.

Have you seen the lug seats on the wheels? Are they getting chewed up?
Runout test on the studs?

Like I said, I think the centers aren't coinciding...hub centric and lug centric are fighting each other when mounted on the vehicle.

 

I would see if anyone local and put it on their tacoma and see if it has the same issue. Then you can really rule it out that it's the wheel or not.

 

pretty sure OP doesn’t personally have the methods anymore.

this would’ve been great for the rest of us.

if method discovers a legitimate manufacturing issue what are the chances they tell OP, and greater yet, what are the chances they tell the public?

method is a pretty beloved company and I was just about to buy 5 wheels…

 

I haven’t had a look, but I suspect you’re description of hub and lug centric fighting each other due to miss machining is bang on.

Not worth the effort. Truck ran smooth as silk with 265/75/16 studded Hakkapelitta, plus the wheel an tire’s bizarre behavior on a road force balance machine is proof enough it’s the wheel and not the truck. The setup was literally causing the drum that applies the force to bounce.

0% chance I ever find out. The fact the wheel exhibited the “wobble” even when it was balanced using the lug centric adapter for the road force balancer is enough proof for me to give my opinion. And there’s no way I got the only 8 bad ones. There’s an issue, might just be this model of wheel, don’t know. Hopefully this week I’ll drop the Methods off and swap the Ridge Grapplers over to the stock wheels and put it behind me. Credit to Method, they didn’t hesitate to send 4 new wheels, ultimately those had issues as well but it sounds like a refund is on my way so, yes it’s been a hassle but that’s life sometimes, both 4WP and Method have tried to make it right, can’t fault that.