Mike Barnby R500 Mag wheel failures

[Chris Perry]

Dear All,

I am about to place the order for some new 13" wheels and cannot decide which ones to go for.

Have there been any other failures of the MB R500 mag wheels. What are other member views on whether these wheels are worth the aggravation of dealing with Mike Barnby?!

Thanks in advance,

Chris Perry

[Richard Price]

The design of MB Mag8's was changed a few years ago.

The earlier wheels have spokes that are parallel, but the later ones are broader on the back face than the front. I believe this change was made to prevent earlier centre failures. I have both styles, and there is negligible difference in weight between the two designs.

It's also possible to get MB to cast the centres from Aluminium rather than Magnesium.  

'can't comment on "worth the aggravation of dealing with Mike Barnby?!"

[Englishmaninwales]

I may have been lucky, but the two occasions I've had dealings with him, he has supplied me prompty

Malcolm

[Titanium7]

I have a set of parallel spoke MB's on my car that are possibly 14 years old. The centres were crack tested last year and were fine.

Martyn

 

[2GBR]

Mike is a great guy and most of his time is spent machining magnesium centres for far more valuable cars than our Caterhams. He calls a spade a spade and his wheels are still possible the best lookers out there.

[Slipper man]

Mike Barnby is a very nice guy, but his wheels (at least the ones he made for the original R500's) are not worth the risk. I had them on my car and suffered a wheel failure at Rockingham that caused a lot of damage to the car and could easily have resulted in a very serious accident. A number of other people (in addition to many racers) suffered similar failures (and yes, I did have them crack tested) and I personally don't like playing Russian roulette, which is what you are doing if you take those things onto a circuit. For road use, they are fine, and they seem not to suffer the same issues on other cars, but I wouldn't risk them on a circuit. I replaced all mine with the later spec aluminium wheels that Caterham racers moved to in 2003 or thereabouts. He was talking then about doing aluminium centres - I suspect they are safe.

[Paul Gibb]

Caterham specified magnesium centres for the R500 and Mike supplied them, but like all racing wheels they need careful looking after and crack testing at intervals.  I have had several sets for at least ten years (including a couple of years of sprinting and 4 years of racing) with no issues.  Believe me there is nothing that Mike does not know about racing wheels but as 2GBR says he cares little for PR or for BS. .    

[Mark Durrant]

This is a good alternative with ally centres http://www.meteormotorsport.com/shop/caterham/force-racing-wheels-slt13/

[david nelson]

I sold my MB rims and changed to the ones sold by Meteor. I have 2 sets and are just as light as the MB rims.

I have had dealings with MB and all I can say its easier to deal with Meteor. Blatmail me if you want.

 

David

[Lotus Boy]

I agree with 2GBR.

I had no problems when dealing with Mike when sorting out my MBs.  Very friendly on the phone, happy to give his time and chat and his turn around time was most reasonable.

It would be advisable, if you do wish to chat/chase him up, to just to pick up the phone.

When I first spoke to him and talked about the failures he believes it was a particular bad batch but yes, as noted above, changed the design slightly, maybe just to appease - I don't know.

Definitely the best looking wheel for a Seven - although Mavic's new ally ones do look very nice too! Can't think of the name at present.

I've had my MBs for three years now but only done light road use and not bothered to have them crack tested yet.  I need to refinish them at some point as the gold paint wasn't great so will get them crack tested when I get them powder coated.

 

 

 

[A10ROX]

First post on the new Blatchat ...

 

They do look good

They are light

They do crack/ fail

 

I was there when ECK(slipper man) had his failure and it was a mess ... Made worse by unsighted position at Rockingham

 

They do need crack testing, get mine done every two years and have ad centres replaced due to cracking

 

They are a performance wheel and need to be treated as such

[Titanium7]

Can you obtain from MB cast aluminium centres to replace the magnesium ones, are they direct replacements and fit the original spun outers?

 

[jerrypike]

i had 2 sets for sprints/racing and replaced 1 centre in 6 seasons

Mike was really helpful with regard to getting wheels refurbed, but it is a cost to factor in to the running of your car

[Mike Biddle]

You could take a look at Image instead, good product and service from them.

[Lotus Boy]

Hmm I hit reply thinking that would "quote" the post I wanted to answer but it seems that doesn't do it.

Titanium7 - in answer to your question...

Yes you can. He doesn't always have them on the shelf so you may have to wait for him to make them up.

I would imagine it's a like for like fit. He produces Ali ones in the same way he does the mag ones. 

 

[Richard Price]

Didn't Jason Fletcher have some aluminium centres specially cast a few years back?

I can't remember whether he detailed it here or over on Pistonheads?

Yes, they were a like for like replacement.

Martyn,

If you choose to swap your centres, I may be interested in your original centres (to add to my stock http://www.lotus7.club/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png)

[Lotus Boy]

When I was sorting my mags out I almost bought of set of aluminium ones on the basis I thought they were noticeably cheaper than magnesium ones but because Mike makes them the same way with similar dies to cast from, the costs were comparable due to effort.

Though I don't really envisage issues with my mags I may choose to switch to aluminium centres in a couple of years time when I refurb and powder coat, given I'm not a racer and after absolute light weight (I have a VX for heavens sake !) ;-)

Cheers