WASHINGTON — Arconic Wheel and Transportation Products has petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for a decision of inconsequential noncompliance in the case of 1,975 mismarked Alcoa heavy-duty truck wheels.
The wheels, 22.5x8.25 inches, were manufactured between Aug. 1 and Nov. 7, 2016, Arconic told NHTSA. The wheels were incorrectly marked 24.5x8.25, the company said.
If a technician tries to mount a 24.5-inch rim diameter tire on one of the mismarked rims, the tire will not inflate, Arconic said. It would then be obvious to the technician that the tire and rim were mismatched, it said.
Furthermore, all the product literature on the rims identifies them as being 22.5 inches, Arconic said.
Arconic said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries associated with this roll stamp rim marking issue.
July 5 is the deadline for interested parties to comment on Arconic's petition. The notice of the petition, which appeared in the June 5 Federal Register, may be found online.
Arconic Wheel is a business unit of Arconic Inc., formerly known as Alcoa Inc.