Really odd wheel damage.....

[Screwdriver]

About 6 months ago I noticed I had this odd wheel damage shown below. When I first saw it I inspected every inch of all my wheel and found 3 total. One on the drivers side front and two on the passenger front. So I have been trying to figure out how this has been happening. Yesterday I saw a fresh one and reinspected all my wheel and now all four have this damage. There is now a total of 13 marks just like these. They are fairly deep grooves like someone used a file/rasp and it is right down into the bare aluminum. I live in an apartment and have an assigned spot with a wall on the drivers side and my wifes car to my right. At work I have an assigned spot. The car has not been to my indy for around 5 months and the car gets washed by a detailer that comes to our office. I have looked at the other cars he cleans and they have no damage. In public parking lots I always park on corner spots and generally as far away from other cars as possible. Car has zero door dings or damage and has never been towed etc.

I am at a complete loss as to how this is happening and don't want to get them repaired until I solve this.

Anyone have any ideas?

http://www.winnert.com/wheel1.jpg

http://www.winnert.com/wheel2.jpg

[M3ZT]

About 6 months ago I noticed I had this odd wheel damage shown below. When I first saw it I inspected every inch of all my wheel and found 3 total. One on the drivers side front and two on the passenger front. So I have been trying to figure out how this has been happening. Yesterday I saw a fresh one and reinspected all my wheel and now all four have this damage. There is now a total of 13 marks just like these. They are fairly deep grooves like someone used a file/rasp and it is right down into the bare aluminum. I live in an apartment and have an assigned spot with a wall on the drivers side and my wifes car to my right. At work I have an assigned spot. The car has not been to my indy for around 5 months and the car gets washed by a detailer that comes to our office. I have looked at the other cars he cleans and they have no damage. In public parking lots I always park on corner spots and generally as far away from other cars as possible. Car has zero door dings or damage and has never been towed etc.

I am at a complete loss as to how this is happening and don't want to get them repaired until I solve this.

Anyone have any ideas?


That really looks like vandalism to me. I can't think of anything you could scrape that would leave an isolated mark like that, especially on all four wheels.

[Bobby Autogeek]

Looks like damage from a Cheap Spoke Wheel Brush. I would try and look at the Wheel Brush that your detailer is using and see if the center of the brush has exposed metal? A good quality Wheel Brush should have a plastic coating over the metal stem. The Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush is a nice high quality Spoke Wheel Brush.
http://www.autogeek.net/ezdebrfca.html

[Screwdriver]

Looks like damage from a Cheap Spoke Wheel Brush. I would try and look at the Wheel Brush that your detailer is using and see if the center of the brush has exposed metal? A good quality Wheel Brush should have a plastic coating over the metal stem. The Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush is a nice high quality Spoke Wheel Brush.
http://www.autogeek.net/ezdebrfca.html

I was thinking that at first, but wouldn't the damage be all over the place and not just in small patches....Plus I looked at everyones car that uses the same detailer and no one has damage.

We have a guy that maintains the office plants and stuff. I showed him the pics and he said...I have see that happen to wheels a few times. He said squirrels, opossums, rats etc. He said they gnaw with their teeth trying to get metal or they like the powder coat. We have a ton of critters running around outside our office.

[Bobby Autogeek]

I was thinking that at first, but wouldn't the damage be all over the place and not just in small patches....Plus I looked at everyones car that uses the same detailer and no one has damage.

We have a guy that maintains the office plants and stuff. I showed him the pics and he said...I have see that happen to wheels a few times. He said squirrels, opossums, rats etc. He said they gnaw with their teeth trying to get metal or they like the powder coat. We have a ton of critters running around outside our office.


That could be possible? I've only seen squirrels and possums gnaw at garbage cans but never a wheel. It could also be that the detailer found chunks of tar on the wheels and he used something to scrape it off the wheels? At least its not too noticeable on the inside of the spokes and you can always repaint the wheels.

[Screwdriver]

Solved.....don't know how to stop it though...maybe a .22 with a scope.

Squirrels.....They have messed up about a dozen cars at my office. People on smoke breaks have seen them gnaw on wheels over the last few days since I alerted everyone to the issue.

So any suggestions on how I can stop it?

[mryakan]

Solved.....don't know how to stop it though...maybe a .22 with a scope.

Squirrels.....They have messed up about a dozen cars at my office. People on smoke breaks have seen them gnaw on wheels over the last few days since I alerted everyone to the issue.

So any suggestions on how I can stop it?
According to this (http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services/squirrel.htm):

Squirrels are afraid of owls. Try to make a model of an owl to use as a scarecrow.

[speedminded]

Solved.....don't know how to stop it though...maybe a .22 with a scope.

Squirrels.....They have messed up about a dozen cars at my office. People on smoke breaks have seen them gnaw on wheels over the last few days since I alerted everyone to the issue.

So any suggestions on how I can stop it?Wheel eating squirrels! Interesting.

Pick up a cheap broken wheel somewhere and leave it outside and throw some bird seeds and nuts around! I'm sure the property manager wouldn't have a problem with it lolol!

[pomps325i]

Coat them with some type of squirrel deterrent, like rat poison. Or you could spread moth balls around your car. I hate squirrels.

[2000mkoop]

wow that is bizarre!!

[janders211]

Please tell me someone has a picture of this occurring

[TechWrench]

Solved.....don't know how to stop it though...maybe a .22 with a scope.

Squirrels.....They have messed up about a dozen cars at my office. People on smoke breaks have seen them gnaw on wheels over the last few days since I alerted everyone to the issue.

So any suggestions on how I can stop it?

Well, either use a pellet rifle, (quiet and quite effective if used properly) just watch out for ricochets. Or try some have-a-heart traps baited with peanuts, they work well for me. When you catch one, just be sure to take it for a ride at least 7 miles away from area so it doesn't make its way back again. And be prepared to catch quite a few before the population is thinned out. You would be surprised at how may can inhabit an area.

[Critter7r]

Solved.....don't know how to stop it though...maybe a .22 with a scope.

Squirrels.....They have messed up about a dozen cars at my office. People on smoke breaks have seen them gnaw on wheels over the last few days since I alerted everyone to the issue.

So any suggestions on how I can stop it?


I have to think that your office mates are messing with you.

I think it'd be difficult for a squirrel to scrape the surface of the wheel on only a single plane. Do they jack their jaw open 180 degrees and only use their upper teeth to make those marks? The marks should be on the face of the wheel as well as the inner face of each spoke. Think about the machanics of how a jaw works and (just as a mental excercise) whether you'd be able to go out there and scrape your teeth on those wheels in that way without also making marks on the face of the wheel.

[speedminded]

I have to think that your office mates are messing with you.

I think it'd be difficult for a squirrel to scrape the surface of the wheel on only a single plane. Do they jack their jaw open 180 degrees and only use their upper teeth to make those marks? The marks should be on the face of the wheel as well as the inner face of each spoke. Think about the machanics of how a jaw works and (just as a mental excercise) whether you'd be able to go out there and scrape your teeth on those wheels in that way without also making marks on the face of the wheel.Squirrels teeth grow several inches per year, their instincts tell them to continuously grind them down. Their top teeth are normally much longer than the bottom so the marks on the wheels can definitely be from squirrels...

[PFunk242]

lol

[Critter7r]

Squirrels teeth grow several inches per year, their instincts tell them to continuously grind them down. Their top teeth are normally much longer than the bottom so the marks on the wheels can definitely be from squirrels...

If you say so, Grizzley Adams.

Unless he's been using acorns to polish those wheels, I'm still having a hard time with that idea.

[Screwdriver]

If you say so, Grizzley Adams.

Unless he's been using acorns to polish those wheels, I'm still having a hard time with that idea.

One of the managers yesterday saw one of the squirrels going to town on a Ford Explorer here. So he looked at his car and two of his wheels are fubared. Now that it happened to a manager it's a big deal. There was a company wide meeting today telling everyone to inspect their wheels and that no one is allowed to feed the squirrels anymore. So far every car that has aluminum wheels has damage....last count. 42 cars. One of the worst is a new Porsche Panamera owned by one of our producers.

I know this is hard to believe...and honestly I didn't believe it until I saw it happening myself on Friday. I think the squirrels, or a single squirrel figured out that they can sharpen their teeth on our wheels....hopefully it or they get aluminum poisoning soon and the problem stops so I can get my wheels fixed.

[mryakan]

One of the managers yesterday saw one of the squirrels going to town on a Ford Explorer here. So he looked at his car and two of his wheels are fubared. Now that it happened to a manager it's a big deal. There was a company wide meeting today telling everyone to inspect their wheels and that no one is allowed to feed the squirrels anymore. So far every car that has aluminum wheels has damage....last count. 42 cars. One of the worst is a new Porsche Panamera owned by one of our producers.

I know this is hard to believe...and honestly I didn't believe it until I saw it happening myself on Friday. I think the squirrels, or a single squirrel figured out that they can sharpen their teeth on our wheels....hopefully it or they get aluminum poisoning soon and the problem stops so I can get my wheels fixed.
Just noticed you are in Hollywood. Are you sure those are squirrells not chipmunks? :shifty I am think disgruntled former Alvin buddies taking revenge on the studio that fire them :D.

[speedminded]

One of the managers yesterday saw one of the squirrels going to town on a Ford Explorer here. So he looked at his car and two of his wheels are fubared. Now that it happened to a manager it's a big deal. There was a company wide meeting today telling everyone to inspect their wheels and that no one is allowed to feed the squirrels anymore. So far every car that has aluminum wheels has damage....last count. 42 cars. One of the worst is a new Porsche Panamera owned by one of our producers.

I know this is hard to believe...and honestly I didn't believe it until I saw it happening myself on Friday. I think the squirrels, or a single squirrel figured out that they can sharpen their teeth on our wheels....hopefully it or they get aluminum poisoning soon and the problem stops so I can get my wheels fixed.It's not as much as the sharpening as is keeping them short -- otherwise their teeth continue to grow and they won't be able to close their mouth or eat. It depends on their food source, especially if they're being fed and not having to chew on acorns all day then their teeth will not be getting the wear needed forcing them find to find alternative ways to do it...plenty of wheels to go around for all lol!


Beaver teeth will also continuously grow the same way, if they don't keep gnawing on wood their teeth will continue to grow until they stab themselves, that's why you'll see trees in the middle of no where cut down to a point where it looks like a pencil balancing vertically on a stump...

http://www.ethansenglishcafe.com/wpblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/european-beaver-0959.jpg

[herpdong]

Seems to me that somebody is fvcking with your wheels. Get even with semen.