I started widening my wheels today/tonight/this morning......

Pics up! I started widening my wheels today/tonight/this morning......

I bought some 52" michelin XL's from the classifieds, realized that stock rims are not the way to go. I decided to follow Cidrich's plans and widen my stock rims. I am using one riveted rim and one welded rim. Blow holes through the rivets & punch them out,then knock out the center/hub and discard. Plug weld the rivet holes in the rim. Cut 4.5" off the split ring side of the rim I just removed the rivets from. Grind the split ring lip off of the welded center rim ( well, almost all the way off, I did cheat, and trim alot of the lip off with a torch,much care is needed here or you can ruin the rim). Drive the 4.5" piece onto the rim that I just ground the lip off of. The added 4.5" actually laps onto the host rim almost 1.5", ended up with a 10.5" rim. I now need to mount it on my trailer axle, spin it looking to make it run true. The hub and largest part of the wheel is undisturbed, so truing the added peice shouldn't be too hard ( I hope ).After getting it running true, I will weld it inside/outside.It took almost as long to get the the stupid tires off the rims as it did to do all the cutting/welding/grinding/fitting, I think the tires had been on there since moby was a minnow. I actually had to cut the tires off! I will post pics of the process on one of the next rims. I think this is a 6~8 hour per wheel project ( for the first one anyway, it will hopefully get faster by #4).Although,I spent 1.5~2 hours just fighting with the stupid tires. I know alot of people will probably flame me for running homemade wheels, but I have more time than money, and am a very competent welder.

PIctures! We need PICTURES!!!!! Cant say you have done it until we see PICTURES!!!!!!!

Pics? I don't need pics.........

I like your "low-budget" approach and wouldn't say its unsafe to build a wheel like this (if weldings are OK).
Remember: "off-road- (or paper-weight-) use only...!

You probably know that there are wheels out there which have a thicker center section. I would only use those as "host" wheels.
Two drawbacks, though: 1) Backspace remains the same at 10.5"- (but would better be 7"-8" for that size tire)
2) it still remains a tube-type wheel.




G.

gringeltaube said:

Backspace remains the same at 10.5"- (but would better be 7"-8" for that size tire)

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Yeah, but the biggest advantage is thetire tread moves away from the truck. I elected to widen my front wheels only. The rears are fine, but I worried about the distance between the inside of the tire and the vent louvers on the fron fender wells. Now, no worries, and that is with only 3 inches extra width.

ccf460 said:

.............and am a very competent welder.

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Ok, but you are not a very competent photographer.....at least so far. WE WANT PICS, WE WANT PICS!

Back in the "Old Days", lots of stuff, was low budget, but too, if you wanted non-standard wheels, you made them, simply because they weren't being manufactured elsewhere. But that was when more Folks had the skill levels necessary.

Gringeltaube has good points. I would mount your torch up, so that when you have the host wheel spinning on the 105, you could cut that bead off, instead of grinding it off. It would be much faster.

I finally finished the last wheel. I took a little break after #2, and had a hard time motivating myself to finish them. Ah, but then I went to the rally this weekend in Denton, N.C..
Interest was renewed and they are done. I am off to the powdercoater in the morning ( 29.95 per wheel to blast and powdercoat). I will post pics of the finished product, hopefully
by Thursday. Thanks "Cidrich" for all the help and motivation on this truck, and especially for the seats. My wife actually wants to ride in the truck after sitting on them in the garage!

GLAD you got the wheels done!!! I kknow you are also. I want to see some pictures!!!!! We have waited long enough!!! As for the seats and help, you are more than welcome. Glad someone could use them. And glad your wife isnt mad at me!!!

The powdercoater said friday at best. Hopefully I will have them for the weekend. He can only do gloss finishes, so I will use the powder coating as a primer/sealer.
I will just lightly scuff the finish and spray them green (they will come back gloss black).

Jeesh and I caught flack for having a small crack welded on an a3 wheel. Nice work and can't wait to see pictures. Also my powder coater can do flat finishes.....wonder why yours couldn't?

I am sure he could, but he has a narrow focus to his business, it is a road tractor tire center....white, black, & silver.
On a separate note....
Cidrich,
What size tubes & flaps did you use for your 53's?

Here is some more info on DIY rims. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...-W-10-quot-rim-build/page2&highlight=widening

OK tomorrow is friday and I am going out of town. SO!!!!! I expect to see pictures on sunday when I get home!!!!!! WE HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH!!!!!!!

I promise to post pics as soon as I have them. I pick up the wheels in the morning. Located the final tube. Still hunting 10.00 x 20 flaps, but will not rest tomorrow until I have them.

I got the wheels today. Unfortunately no tube flaps found locally. I did find a place in Georgia that had new 12" wide flaps for a 20" rim, and also 16.00 x 20 tubes,
flaps $30.00, tubes $50.00....... will be here tuesday. I found a local shop to mount them for $15.00 each , when the flaps & tubes get here.
Toby Setzer Tire, here is their # 770-466-1060. Check Toby out when you need tubes and flaps. I called a popular surplus place on the eastern side and they were more than double the price for used tubes & flaps.

Widened stock wheels look better to me than any of the other alternatives. Don't get me wrong, the bolt together rims look tough for sure, but the stock wheels look like they belong there.

ccf460 said:

Toby Setzer Tire, here is their # 770-466-1060. Check Toby out when you need tubes and flaps.

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Its actually Toby Sexton in case any one else was wondering. He is about 5 miles up the road from me, great guy to deal with!

Sorry about the name mixup, guess my mind is in overload right now anticipating the wheel/tire combo!
Now that the project is coming to a close, looking back, it is worth it. You will get discouraged along the
way, but keep going,thinking about almost free wheels. Also, the pride of making something yourself is always
better than just buying it.

You know a friend of mine is a very well to do man and his favorite saying is( if you throw enough money at a problem you can fix anything ). I like the old school of do DIY. I am NOT a welder but, from what I have seen of your work you are. I hope they are what you intended them be and they serve you well..............