My 2001 RT set me on fire!

[JDR]

This afternoon I knelt down to check the air pressure on the tires. I was suddenly jolted by a sharp pain in my knee. Being near 40, I know my body's going to heck, so I adjust, and my knee is fine... for a few seconds, then this pain came back...

My brain's saying "my knee feels hot"! Now mind you, my car's cold, and I'm about a foot away from it, so I'm thinking, yeah, right, it's just a cramp or something.

Then I see SMOKE! Argh, my pants are on fire! I jump back in disbelief, what the...? I move my hand up towards the car where my knee was, and son of a gun the concave shape of the rim is focusing the sun into a 1/4" ring of heat.

The 9 year old in me runs for a piece of paper, and I hold it about 12" from the wheel (where my knee was), and in about 15 seconds, it burns a whole right through it!

Well, I've NEVER heard of seen anything like this, and just had to post it!

Maybe I shouldn't keep my rims clean? Who knows...

 

[Steve-Indy]

Glad you weren't set ablaze!!! Actually, there were at least two reports of similar things happening as reported here from early in the history of the present stock wheel style. One fellow reported melting the top of his plastic tool box and another guy reported a smoking sock!!! I NEVER park THIS MODEL of Viper wheel in dry leaves or dry grass.

 

[DEVILDOG]

JDR,
Sorry, but first I have to laugh

The same thing happened to me last weekend! It was a nice day in Dallas so I decided to work on my car outside instead of in the garage for a change. Anyway, I was applying tire black to my new Pilot Sports as I had just upgraded to the stock 18" Viper wheels from the 17"s that came on my '98 GTS. Like you I'm past my prime and will get aches and pains that I just ignore and keep doing whatever it is I'm doing. Well my calf started to hurt like crazy and I wondered what the heck?

I looked down and saw the intense reflected light from the wheel on my leg! Son of a b_ _ _ _

Unfortunately, I was in shorts and didn't get the smoke or fire alarm like you did before toasting my calf

Anyway, this never happened with the 17"s. I think the smoother concave centers on the 18"s focus and reflect the sunlight as if it were passing through a magnifying glass! Be careful on those sunny days when working around your wheels it's hot as the

 

[Chuck 97 GTS]

This happens with stock 17's too. I was putting air in my tires with my air compressor that has a plastic housing. After a few minutes I see a bit of smoke coming from the compressor. My first thought was "Great, this cheap POS is burning out". But upon closer inspection the sunlight was melting the plasic housing on the compressor!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chuck 97 GTS:
This happens with stock 17's too. I was putting air in my tires with my air compressor that has a plastic housing. After a few minutes I see a bit of smoke coming from the compressor. My first thought was "Great, this cheap POS is burning out". But upon closer inspection the sunlight was melting the plasic housing on the compressor!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

C'mon Chuck, you've never had that queen out of the garage long enough for that to happen.

 

[Chuck 97 GTS]

You're right, I made it all up...