Using SolidWorks 2010, I decided to start designing a 3 piece wheel for a FSAE or DSR race car to get some practice with design tables within assemblies, but I have ran into a major problem with subassembly configurations updating to the proper configuration, but it only happens when I try to use a specific method to create the subassembly.

To make it easy to dynamically change most of the parts of the wheel, I decided to start off with a sketch within the wheel assembly that defined the important parts (wheel diameter, width, hub offset, etc), make the parts within the assembly in context to that sketch, and use the sketch annotations to define my design table so that all 3 parts (front rim piece, back rim piece, and the center piece) change together. This was all working great within the assembly. I made a couple of configurations and tried them out and it updated perfectly.

The problem arose when I put made this assembly and tried to use different configurations. I made a tire to put on the wheel and created an assembly out of the two. Now when I try to setup different configurations, the tire model updates, and the sketches for the wheel assembly update, but the actual parts of the wheel assembly stay the same. I even tried making a design table for the tire/wheel assembly that forces the specific configuration for wheel assembly and tire. Again, it works for the tire, but not the wheel.

I've done some tests and created other parts to see if I could recreate the situation, but it seems to be limited to when I define the parts by a sketch in the assembly. Am I going about this the wrong way? Is there a better way to do it? I'm sorry if this has been answered before. I've tried a search, but I'm not exactly sure what I'm searching for. I don't know what to call the problem.

Edit: It may be important that the sketch for the subassembly updates, even though the parts do not.