After months of searching for nice 16" steelies with a 4.5" bolt pattern to match my rear axle, I finally scored a few pairs of 49 ford wheels that my favorite junkyard owner had been hoarding in his barn. I ordered new 750x16 firestones and mounted them up on my newly blasted and painted wheels. Went out to mount them today and the %#* center hole is too damn small for the wheel to seat! Doh! What a dumbass, I didn't even check that! Now, I don't want to run spacers as those thin cheapies make me nervous and the thicker type that bolt on would sit my wheels out another inch. I thought about redrilling the axles and drums and just running the 40's wheels I have, but after measuring it, there's just not enough meat there to do so. Is it possible to mount a steel wheel in a lathe to turn the id of the center opening of the wheel out larger to match the hub? The hub is 2.75" and the wheel looks like about 2.50", maybe a bit bigger. Anyone ever do this?
Probably the easiet thing to do would be to mill it out on a Bridgeport or similar milling machine. Thats how i did mine, without the tire mounted, of course. Good luck.
Possible,if you can find access to a lathe that big. Another way would be on a milling machine with a boring head. Of course,you will lose the lip around the hole.
Look at heavy equiptment shops. Lots of us here have had big work done at the local gravel companies Machine shop.
If you can't chuck up the axle and turn down the center....just do like the others said, put them on a Bridgeport indicate the center and use a boring head to bore the center hole out. If its that close split the difference between the two....no big deal!
Thanks guys, Yeah, I guess finding a lathe that's big enough is the real question! I hadn't thought of a milling machine though, that's probably the ticket there. unkl ian, I thought about the loss of that lip and the integrity of the wheel without it, but the front wheels are not hubcentric I don't think it will make a difference in this case.
An old school machine shop with a rotary table would work. If all else fails check with the DUB crowd in your town.....Wheel Specialists here in Phoenix has a lathe that they mount 24" wheels on.
just do like the others said, put them on a Bridgeport indicate the center and use a boring head to bore the center hole out. If its that close split the difference between the two....no big deal! thats it
Get a round grinding stone that goes in an angle grinder and you'll be done pretty quickly. You should be able to make a clean circle if you take your time. Finish off with a big half round file.
Now I had this thought too, Kev. Not just because I'm a cheap-ass, but also because I just moved to the Buffalo area and I really don't know the area or anyone well enough to ask for favors (yet..) or know who'll do this and won't charge me a left nut for it... which I guess goes back to me just being a cheap-ass! I measured with dial calipers today instead of the crappy tape and it only needs be opened up about 0.125" total. I'm gonna get a round stone and get a grindin'! Thanks again guys.
The Jalopy Journal
