HandForged
Built Not Bought!
So in my search for wheels for my project truck, what I really want is a 16" steel wheel with the hub cap clips in them for a factory look. Now I know they are made and sold but the price is exorbitant at 240.00 a wheel. I contacted a couple companies today that sell the steel wheel empty shells. Stockton wheel was one of them. I have a good amount of the OEM hubcap wheels here. The center section measures just over 13". The steel shells that Stockton and a couple others sell are the same inner diameter. Why not drill out the rivets and use the centers on the new shells?
I will quantify this with a few things. I am an experienced machinist and welder. I've built steel wheels before with the military 16.5 press in centers and with the appropriate jig can be welded up with 0.020" or less runout, which is better than most factory wheels you can buy. Cost would be about 60.00 per shell and time. Sounds good to me. The gentleman that I spoke with said there was a possibility of getting a 17" wheel shell with a similar center diameter. I have not heard back for him as of yet. If they have a 17" shell that I can use the centers from the wheels I already have, I'll be pulling the trigger on this. Just wondering if any of the brethren here have made their own?
I will quantify this with a few things. I am an experienced machinist and welder. I've built steel wheels before with the military 16.5 press in centers and with the appropriate jig can be welded up with 0.020" or less runout, which is better than most factory wheels you can buy. Cost would be about 60.00 per shell and time. Sounds good to me. The gentleman that I spoke with said there was a possibility of getting a 17" wheel shell with a similar center diameter. I have not heard back for him as of yet. If they have a 17" shell that I can use the centers from the wheels I already have, I'll be pulling the trigger on this. Just wondering if any of the brethren here have made their own?