Hi guys. I was wondering if anybody has ever had a pair of aluminum wheels narrowed. If you have, who did it? Or maybe somebody on here can do it. Let me know. thanks for the help.
I don't see why it can't be done , but i would suspect it would be a couple hundred per wheel to have some one do it . So unless its something real special buying a new one would be more practical.
first question,, is there magnesium in the alloy.... ? that makes it difficult to weld back together.
it is fairly easy to split the rim in a lathe.. that way you can leave a lip to put the pieces back together to weld.
you will probably have to split the rim into 3 so you can put the center back where it belongs,, but if you don't care about the offset, you might just narrow one side.
Parted in a lathe , veed and tiged back together Would be the only acceptable method unless they or you had some specialized welding process , then put back into the lathe and trued. Mag can be welded but the cost would be a lot higher.
Yes. The wheel needs to be split into three with a lathe. And slim you're absolutely right. The offset is not a big deal to me. The offset now is 3.5" I want it to be 1.5".
Thanks so far guys.
At the risk of being called "a know it all", or being told I've "Never built one"...etc...Or maybe exploding rims could ensue, or it could be the end of the Hot Rods.... All the BS aside. Oh wait...this has nothing to do with "brake lines"...
What wheel width are you starting with, and what is the finish width you are looking for?
You mentioned the 3.5" offset to 1.5", that right there would narrow the rim by 2". (6" to 4"?)
The sectioned view of any rim has a contour, that is engineered to make it strong, and 100% of the time, they are not flat for more then 3" section, anything stock under 8".
What I'm saying is depending on your rims design/configuration, you may not be able to achieve what you are looking for.
If the center section of the rims profile has enough "flat" area to accommodate the modification, I'd give it a shot.
Otherwise, I'd bite the bullet and buy a custom one, you'd be hard pressed to get that done for under $250. a rim.
More info is needed, to give a definite answer.
Having said this, I don't know off hand who could do it...
Happy New Year!
-- Edited by Gazoo on Monday 5th of January 2015 12:24:58 AM
Yes. The wheel needs to be split into three with a lathe. And slim you're absolutely right. The offset is not a big deal to me. The offset now is 3.5" I want it to be 1.5". Thanks so far guys.
I think it should be pointed out that backspace and offset are very, very different. If you are ordering new wheels, you'll want to make sure! Most hot rod suppliers will ask for backspace, while the tuner crowd often deals with offset in millimeters. I worked in a factory for 20 years making wheels for big rigs and light trucks. We had lots of wheels with 8.5" backspace on a 7" wheel - you guessed it! Dually wheels!
Offset is the difference between the centre of the rim and the inside mounting surface of the disc - sometimes neutral, sometimes positive or negative, it's almost always a smaller number than backspace. Just something to keep in mind.
If you decide to "cut and paste", I know a fabricator at Sean Hyland that has done it, but I doubt if the cost would be less than new ones.
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