Just had a chat to Oakley customer service UK about a small crack in the lenses of my brand new Why 3 ruby clear. The shop I bought the glasses from say that Oakley can somehow improve the glasses (bloke was saying something about a smaller screw and a sleeve which absorbs part of the stress and thus makes the lens less likely to crack in the future) and so I'll get something better.

Oakley UK claim that there's nothing wrong with the design and so they don't change anything. The woman also said that most of the Why 3 they get back have normally been damaged by people stretching the glasses "by wearing the glasses on top of their head" or people who'd bought the glasses had heads which were too big for the glasses. I did point out that it's extremely unlikely that anybody would feel the need to put a pair of glasses which has 92% light transmission on top of their head and that a cynic could consider breaking because people wore them as somewhat of a design flaw in glasses but she wouldn't be drawn on either matter.

So does anybody know any way to stop Why 3 lenses from growing cracks? Any way short of putting the things in a display case and leaving them there. I never wear glasses on top of my head, always keep them in cases and always use two hands to put them on and take them off.

I'll be less than a happy bunny if I can't wear the ruby clears and VR50 Emeralds I spent so long tracking down!

This is a cronic problem with the early Why designs. The new why designs have a rubber spacer or gasket that seperates the lense from the metal screw and frame. This seems to minimize the stress and reduce or even eliminate stress fractures. Because the old one's don't have a gasket the lack of flexiblity at the lense/screw/frame point causes a lot of stress in a very small area. The result: cracks and fractures.

There is no good way to avoid this, short of not wearing them at all. This is a problem that Oakley seems to not want to acknowledge unfortunately, as I have heard them say the same exact thing to other people. Early versions of the Dartboards have this problem as well.

You're right, my dartobard did that.I changed the lense and had no problem anymore

What about replacing the current screw with a smaller one and using the space to insert a rubber spacer like the one which modern Whys have, would that be possible? I imagine that Oakley won't do such a thing themselves so I think I may have to have a word with my local watch repairer as soon as the warrantee on the glasses expires (thank god I bought these things retail from an authorised dealer and not on ebay!)

The Why's have a threaded split head that the screw goes into. This causes the entire assembly to fit snuggly into the screw hole, BUT it also will slowly wear out the lense material and after awhile causing the frame to always be loose at the lense connection, yet another problem with the old Why design.

as far as modifiying it, I would love to see you try that! If you can please post pics. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to, but it won't be easy I think the hardest part is going to be figuring out what to do about the threaded split head, I suppose just take it out, add a few plastic washers, slightly longer screw and nut. Viola it should work.

I think that a nut to replace the threaded split-head is the way to go. The problem I expect is going to be getting the parts, especially the rubber sleeve. I'll need to find a good opticians and ask there.