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Rebar is a b*tch.

10K views 70 replies 36 participants last post by  centxsrt8 
#1 ·
So I was cruising up to Austin the other day to go see my folks. Doing about 80 on the freeway and I feel a pop and flop flop flop. I immediately knew I had a blow out so I pull over and go back to inspect the tire. It is obviously flat but I cant find the hole and I dont have my little air compressor I ALWAYS keep in the jeep so I start creeping to the nearest gas station. Turns out when I get to the gas station (.5 miles up the road) their air pump is out of order. I can see an advanced autoparts and a brake place across the street so I creep there (10 MPH or lower).
When I arrive I really start examining the jeep and find that there is a perfectly circular hole in the WHEEL!
As the title states I think it was a piece of rebar in the road small enough that I couldnt see but big enough to do this. Either that or a gun shot.
I flagged a cop down during my wait in the parking lot and he said that he would bet his career as a policeman and his 10 years military service that it was a bullet hole. :eek:







Also I need some advice on where to go from here. Im not sure it is repairable but I am going to go cruise around on monday and get some opionons from wheel repair companies.

I called south point dodge, the closest dealer to me at the time and they quoted me $1900.00 for ONE new wheel. Apparently these Alcoa Forged wheels are something to be proud of.

If it isnt repairable then it looks like some satin black repros and I will be starting a for sale thread for the other three wheels.
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Ive seen stories of guys running over live bullets before.. usualy enters through the rubber first, then through the rim and finally ricosheys off the inner hub area.. oddly enough, its almost what your pictures depict :s aside form the fact that you said there were no signs of damage to the rubber ?
It just looks too perfect to be road debris...

heres an example - also explains how it was repaired http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...llet-hole-doa-wheel-brought-back-to-life.html
 
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#8 ·
Wow. That's really weird... Was it a rear tire? And if it was a bullet hole that means someone was taking pop shots at your Jeep?!? Holy smokes. Lets hope it was a stray bullet if it was a bullet...
 
#10 ·
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#15 ·
If that was gunshot, then you would find some additional damage or marking to the hub, rotor, or other side of the wheel where the bullet continued on.

Running over a live cartridge would not do that type of damage. The bullet would not have significant velocity if the cartridge ignited outside of a chamber/barrel. If you ignite a cartridge outside of a chamber, the case ruptures and the pressure is not contained to propel the bullet.
 
#38 ·
Yup, its amazing how people think a bullet outside of a weapon with the primer struck will fire like a bullet loaded into a weapon...:rolleyes:

If it was a bullet that caused this:
Measure the diameter of the hole. From the photos, it looks quite large,(.308 or larger) which means depending upon the velocity of the round fired it shows it had substantial penetration thus you would have secondary damage to whatever was in the path once it passed clean through the rim.

The ricochet theory while sounds cool you would have substantial case deformation and the hole wouldn't look so "clean"

FYI FMJ .308 can easily penetrate 1/2" of mild steel at less than 500 yards.


IMO it wasn't a bullet, rather something circular sticking out of the ground
 
#16 · (Edited)
#18 ·
If that was rebar, when it went in and you were going 80, to make it all the way through the tire and wheel it would have had to been long. It would have tore a bunch of shit up. That is 99.88749072% a bullet hole.

Being inside your jeep at 80, a high power rifle gunshot from off the road somewhere probably would t have been heard. Crawl under and see if you can find more of a bullet.


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#19 ·
That's weird for sure. A heck of a spot for a bullet to hit but who knows. Seems like steel or whatever it was would have lodged in there. It should be repairable.


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#20 ·
Glad you didn't fare worse. Looks like ordinance to me. Strange angle required, but funny shit happens when laws of physics and real life meet up. Robber plug? Or job weld for aluminum. Lol... Hope you get a good fix or a cheap replacement. Check eBay and around here. 1900 for one new one, yikes get four brand new of something aftermarket.
 
#25 ·
I also would think bullet... rebar is ALWAYS rusty and would have left something on there... not to mention it is usually ribbed (for her pleasure :D ), and would not leave that clean of a hole...

Anyone thought maybe an ice pick? lol... disposing of murder weapons by dropping off an overpass? :silly:

Might come out almost even selling your remaining 3 and getting some chrome repro's... or get a repair quote, something that uniform might be repairable ;)
 
#26 ·
Could also have been a short piece of metal tubing. On one of the pics you see three more impact marks close to the hole. One of them looks like it could be from a hollow object.

Judging from the angle of the hole I don't think it's from a bullet, you would have to have some holes somewhere in the wheel well for it to enter like that.

Any impact marks underneath the wheel where it went through, i.e. the break rotor?
 
#27 ·
From your description especially back tire looks like a bullet.
Hopefully a stray
Should be easy to fix .I've seen junks broken off rims and fixed andthey werent steel, they were alloys
 
#29 ·
I hate taking 35 to Austin. I went to middle school and high school in Buda, TX and always avoided 35. Where on 35 were you when it happened? I will be down from March-May for military training. Anything going on then?
 
#30 ·
I have a brand new oem rim for the jeep srt8 pm me..
 
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