Thread: A Question for the Old Timers

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I've heard that back in the day there were places you could take your steel wheels to, and they would cut them in half and weld a band in them to make them wider. Has anyone ever heard of this?

I've heard of that being done, but never knew anybody that had any.

Yup, one of the places was my shop.... We used to widen all of our own race car wheels, played a lot with offsets and stagger, didn't have much for good suspension then (pre-sprinter days) and the rules were half way between jalopies and modifieds...had to try something. We used a rear axle with bearing going down through a steel table top. Cut out (or removed rivets depending on the wheel) to remove the center and put it where we wanted it, then added a band made from strap steel wrapped around an appropriately sized metal container to make them round. Cut the wheel shell apart with the old belt driven lathe (bought it at a surplus sale for $35.00), and tacked the band in place on the lower half. Set up a dial indicator for setting runout and height, tacked the top half of the wheel shell into place. Then we'd put on a bunch more tacks, finish welding the seam, and a final check with the dial indicators to make sure everything was straight..... Used to make some money on the side "reversing" wheels for all the local hot rodders.... With all the wheel widths and offsets available now, guess it's kind of a lost art!!!!

Stockton Wheel still does it!

Keith...

Speedway used to sell shells and centers separately, don't know if they still do or not.... Most have quit doing it because if you sell a guy the wheel pieces and he puts them together wrong it's all your fault!!!!!

I remember an alignment shop doing it in my home town in Illinois.

They also welded wheels together. I bought some blanks, and had them do some 15 X 10" for a '55 Chevy that I put a 3/4 ton axle under.

The reversed wheels on the back of my '36, I was told, were '49/'50 Merc centers and Olds or Buick wheels. Does that sound right to you, Dave? It was a pain to check the air pressure as the valve stems were on the inside which made you crawl under to car to gain access.

any one with a big lathe and a welder can do it. my first job on a drag truck was when i was 5or 6 was standing on some GM Milk truck rims so dad could tack them . they were cut and add to for some race master slicks

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

The reversed wheels on the back of my '36, I was told, were '49/'50 Merc centers and Olds or Buick wheels. Does that sound right to you, Dave? It was a pain to check the air pressure as the valve stems were on the inside which made you crawl under to car to gain access.

Don't know, we used to use whatever we had around!!!! Ford wheels were the easiest, just grind off the rivet heads, knock the rivet out, flip the center, weld it in place!!!! It was easy money then, I got $20 to do a set of four!!!!

When I was 16 or so, I reversed the centers on the wheels of my '52 Chevy tudor post. Lopped off the rivet heads, turned the centers around, and re-riveted them. It gave that deep-dish look.

Wheelkid, who used to frequent CHR works with his Dad, Gary Mclean. They used to do this kind of stuff, and think they still do. I have some '35 Ford wire wheels, and if and when I get around to using them on a car I plan to have the back two widened by them. Here is their website:

www.rallyamerica.com/index.html

I have seen numerous people on the HAMB post that they did a good job for them and were not slow, like some of the others out there (like 6 months slow )

Don

Originally Posted by Sinister

I've heard that back in the day there were places you could take your steel wheels to, and they would cut them in half and weld a band in them to make them wider. Has anyone ever heard of this?

O.K.so now I am old.
In 1984 I bought the inserts to do this for a 1969 Mustang.
I think it added 3.5 inches to the wheel.
If you wanted to keep your wheel's stock appearing this was the trick.

I worked in a shop that did this. I made a rotating fixture out of a motor stand that used a torch to split the rim. It had a gearmotor drive and worked just like a flame cutter...it was one.

Bands of various width were rolled from 1/4 inch material.

Like Dave I just put a few tacks aroun dboth sides of the band and tacked the band seam together.

I made a weld fixture that turned the wheel assembly while I welded it. I used a spray arc and lot of current. I could do a 20 inch wide truck wheel in about 30 minutes including priming it. Needless to say I was paid piece work on these and made a killing on them. These were used on farm vehicles so run out wasn't real critical but I checked and the beads rarely ran more than .030-.045 which is about as good as stock.

There are a couple Co. that still do this.

I actually did the first of this method back about 1959. The best you could get was a reversed rim. I split my old Olds rims at school and made bands in sheet metal shop on a roller. Bach then MIG welding was not common so I stick welded them. they worked great. No leaks and no sealer. I had fat rims reversed and some big tires for the day. Got an "A" in metal working and machine shop that semester for this project..