This is a small description on how to build a set of cheap steel wheels for your drag race car, g***er or Hot Rod. I went into action upon discovering that Ford never produced an 8" wide steel wheel. By removing a 5 on 4-1/2" center from a 15x6 Ford steel wheel, I figured I could find a readily available rim from a wider steel wheel to accommodate the center. Once I removed my first center, I was able to identify the OD as 13-1/4". At that point the issue was to find rim whose inner diameter matched the outer diameter of the removed center. After some measuring I found that mid 70's to mid 80's 15x8 Chevy truck wheels have a 13 1/4" I.D. By using the two wheels you can make up a 15x8 nostalgic steel wheel. You can build Chevy wheels using the same procedure with Chevy centers, or 5 x 5 1/2" early Ford bolt pattern wheels using the appropriate centers. These recognizable 15x8 Chevy steel truck wheels use the same ID as readily available 15x6 Ford steel wheels. These wheels come in 5 and 6 lug patterns, and are pretty easy to find. Here are the 15 x 6" stock Ford wheels that I use for the centers. A wheel that many of you all have lying around. These are the Ford centers after I have cut them out of the Ford wheels.At this point they are ready to be mated to the 8" wide Chevy wheel rims. This is the weld that holds the center to the rim on the Chevy wheel. There are four of these welds that you need to grind down to separate the rim and wheel center. Using a small die grinder with a 3" cut off wheel I make quick work of the welds. I grind into the center and not into the rim since I will be reusing the rim. Here are the Chevy rims after the centers have been removed. Did you know that the term "rim" and "wheel" should not be used interchangeably? This picture shows rims, a wheel without a center. A simple fixture made from an old Ford spindle and hub was bolted to a work table. I use the fixture to true the wheel before it is welded to the Ford centers. The center is tapped into place on the wheel. I reversed this wheel, meaning that the former inside of the wheel will now be the outside of the wheel to give it the "deep dish" look. The backspace is also set by measuring from the outer lip of the wheel to the mounting surface. The backspace on this wheel will be 3 1/2". A dial indicator is mounted to the work table to true the wheel. Anywhere from 0 -.045" is acceptable. I trie to get the wheel as true as possible with little or no run-out. The wheel is tack welded in four places, and the run-out is checked again. The wheel is then finish welded alternating the welds from one side of the wheel to the other. When the wheel is reversed, the valve stem hole is now on the wrong side of the wheel. The hole is welded shut, and it will be re-drilled in the correct location. These are the completed ***emblies before a trip to the sandblaster. ...and after: After painting: Here is a pair of 15 x 8 Chevy wheels I built with a 5 1/4" backspace for a '65 Chevelle, the possibilities are endless.
great tech!if youre going to try this at home you better be really efficient with your welding skills.
What other sizes did you find ? Or is there a "standard size" for each diameter ? I need to make some Frankenwheels.
I was looking for factory 8" wide wheels, the only thing I found was the Chevy truck wheels, which fit the 13 1/4" centers I had. If you find some aftermarket chrome spokes or modular steel wheels, the I.D. is 12 5/8", which is the same as alot of pre-1967 wheels. 14" wheels use a smaller 12 1/4" I.D. center, so using those is out of the question.
That is an "I" beam that is bolted to the back of an old Bradford lathe. I mainly use the beam as a base where I straighten rear end housings, but it has alot of other uses as well.
Thanks. Miller Tire shows 15" x 3" hoops with a 13.2 ID. http://www.millertire.com/wheel_catalog.asp?cl***=99
Looks good to me, ain't gonna see both sides of the car at the same time anyway to see the differance.
This is good. I just built a pair of wheels the same way, there waiting to be fully welded now. Nice to see someone else did them the same way, reasures me One question though, the hole for the valve (i also reversed the rim). The origional hole is set in a stamped flat recess. The new hole drilled on the other side wont be on dead flat metal, will the valve still seal well enough? Also, for those with less tools, i kept an old tyre mounted to the rim. I bolted the center to the car and slid the rim over the center. You can then adjust offset perfectly by seeign where the tyre sits in relation to the inner/ourer wheelarch. To check run out i clamped a screwdriver to an axle stand. Point the screwdriver at the rim and turn the wheel to check run out. Not as accurate but good enough, i got both wheels with less than 1mm of run out.
Awesome tech Lil bit of chevy truck spotters guide, several variations on that rim- What's shown is known as the "van rally" 5x5 pattern, and is most commonly found on 2WD suburbans and vans. 2wd half ton trucks typically received the 7" wide version of this wheel 4WD half ton used the same style wheel again, in 8" width only, with a 6 bolt large hole centers. These may use a different outer, for brake clearance, maybe I know a guy with 6 of these 8" van rallys for sale, pm for contact info
very freakin' informative post. wished I would have seen this earlier..... I looked hi and lo for 15 x 8's for my 69 stepside (6 lug). finally found them then the powdercoater screwed them up. ***hole.
No, this wheel never came in 9' wide. even the 4x4s were 8". I can only ***ume the "van rally" term came about because if you got rallys on a van (or 2wd suburban) it was an 8" rim, while 2wd pickups got 7's. The 7 inch version is sometimes called a "truck rally". Since new, hotrod truck guys have swapped to wider van rallys. It's common enough most people don't realize 2wd trucks didn't come with 8" wheels. They're finally crashing in price but 10 years ago van rallys commanded a premium and truck rallys didn't. Sorry to get so far off topic, just trying to clarify for guys that don't dabble in squarebody chevys. And wanted to say once more........super insano extra-awesome tech post.
Oops, I typed 9 instead of 8. I could have sworn trucks came with either. I had 7" up front and 8" in back on my last truck. I must have bought van wheels. The truck I have now has 10" from Stockton, appearantly the only pair of wheels they ever delivered on time.
I have a old VW rim with Chevy Rally center, to match the wheels on my '57. The VW/Chevy wheel uses a small 165-15 tire that is a great space saver for the trunk.
Thanks for the tech and info. I'm in the big middle of needing a pair of 15x8 rims for my 48 and this just might do it as 4x4 and vav rims are fairly inexpensive around here.
Could this wheel customizing work to make a set of skinny front runners out of a set of old centers and a set of 15" donut rims?
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