WHEELS, Home made spiders for $10 a wheel

[flt-blk]

Several people have ask me how I made mine so here goes.

I am running a plain steel wheel with wide whites and wanted
the spider cap look. I’m not about to pay the current prices for
original or repop Spiders, so I chose to make my own.

Everything happens at the swap meet, I picked up some bullets
from the local Wirth custom booth, similar to night prowlers but
closer to the BBQ stand. The front bullets are around 2” and the
rears are 3”.

I kept walking the swap meet and found a fella with several boxes
of bullet lug nuts for 50 cents each.
Total investment is around $40.
http://www.thenightprowlers.com/ http://wirthscustomauto.com/

[flt-blk]

The front bullets are cast and have a threaded boss inside. I
ground down the boss until it fit snugly over the spindle dust cap.
Drilled a hole in the dust cap and bolted it down. Pop the dust
cover back on and the fronts are done.
Be careful and use a very flat bolt or screw so it doesn’t hit the
spindle nut before the dust cap is fully seated.

[flt-blk]

The rear bullets have a bracket inside so I copied that bracket and
welded it to the wheel. The bullet outside diameter is the exact
same size as the raised boss on my wheels so I ground the weld
down until it fit very tight. A nut bolt and lock washer from the back
side is all it takes to cinch them down. Now the rear is done.





Now it’s your turn to be creative and make some for yourself.
TZ

[saltflataddict]

very cool Flt-Blk.. I did the same thing except mine was a little easier. Others could do it as well, what I did was buy some of the Radir bullets (you can find them on their website) then just tap them with a rubber mallett thru the backside of the wheel, presto cheap spiders. I too added the bullet lugs and you get the same effect at a fraction of what the repop spiders are going for, better yet they are all metal no ghetto chrome. sorry no pics, but looks like the above pics..

[haring]

Nice!

I have a question about how you attached the front bullet. Do you screw the bullet to the dust cap and THEN put it on the hub, or do you put the cap on the hub THEN screw the bullet on?

I ask because I have a real problem getting caps to go on and seat straight without a bunch of fussing and finessing.

[porknbeaner]

Good tech.
I was wondering how I was going to do it. You method is a lot easier that the hours I was going to spend in the machine shop whittling a set out.

[CLSSY56]

Good tech, however I noticed something.

In this pic...


When you actually get around to changing a tire, are you going to do it by hand. All the machines I've seen to slip a tire on uses a treaded post with a wingnut to hold it to the machine, which goes throught that center hole you welded the plate across. Your spiders do look good though

[saltflataddict]

I had new tires installed and they did not have a problem with my caps. They didnt take them off, but I am not sure what they did about the method you speak off..

[seymour]

[ QUOTE ]
Good tech, however I noticed something.

In this pic...

When you actually get around to changing a tire, are you going to do it by hand. All the machines I've seen to slip a tire on uses a treaded post with a wingnut to hold it to the machine, which goes throught that center hole you welded the plate across. Your spiders do look good though

[/ QUOTE ]

that was *exactly* what I was wondering myself. Changing the tire(s) would be no problem, but balancing... might. The kiddo at Discount Tire will have to dig out the lug centric plate and balance them as if theyre lug centric wheels. Any ways... looks Great!!

Dennis

[kustombuilder]

just a thought to solve that problem. make a round piece just bigger than the bolt pattern. hold it behind the wheel and trace the bolt pattern through the lug holes. drill em out then make the same type bracket FLT-BLK did and weld the two pieces together. then weld a nut inside the bullet and a bolt to the bracket. slip the new "spider plate", you just made, over the lugs, slip the wheel on, tighten the lugs then screw on the bullet.

ofcourse its not like you change tires every week (i hope) so it would'nt be a big thing to grind the tack welds off when you have them changed, then tack em back on when done.

nice tech brutha. these tech posts just keep gettin better and better....

[SamIyam]

I don't know what you'all have out there for tire changers... but out here all the tire shops have the kind that has the air table that grips the rim... and not the style with the thing that goes up through the middle... for balancing, you could always bubble balance them.

Sam.

[saltflataddict]

Sams right...

[Satinblack]

Cool idea! Yes there would be a problem balancing your tires, but half of these people probably dont do that anyway. I think I'll stick with original spiders. I like the look of traditional parts. just my opinion, Satin

[flt-blk]

Haring,
I bolted the bullet to the cap and tapped it on with a soft
face mallet, not problem.

On the tire changing deal, The fronts are not an issue, I
did think about that on the rear. When I need to change tires I plan on cutting the bracket loose then welding it back on. Shouldn't take more than 10 min.

I figure I have another couple years before I need tires
and don't plan on worrying about it until then.

Satin,
I like to make my stuff instead of buying it, traditional
or not. The $300 savings is just a bonus.

TZ

[porknbeaner]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know what you'all have out there for tire changers... but out here all the tire shops have the kind that has the air table that grips the rim... and not the style with the thing that goes up through the middle... for balancing, you could always bubble balance them.

Sam.

[/ QUOTE ]

I bubble balance anyway, but

what if I'm on my way to say Livermore and trash a tire in say Arm Pit, Utah (no offense to you Utah guys). They just don't happen to have Star Wars Technology in Arm Pit. I guess its the bumper jack, and tire spoon....

[flt-blk]

P&B
Hack saw for the bracket, and no bullet for the rest of the
trip through Arm Pit.
TZ

[burndup]

$14 Halbol Flate anger glinduh in tlunk of cal. Tile go pop, you glind off blacket and give to glease monkrey tile-change-uh boy.

Sorry, gotta practice the accent, or I won't be able to make an ass of myself when I'm drunk...

[seymour]

[ QUOTE ]
When I need to change tires I plan on cutting the bracket loose then welding it back on. Shouldn't take more than 10 min.
TZ

[/ QUOTE ]

Why bother? Most tire places have what they call lug centric balancing plates. Because not all wheels have a center pilot hole that is concentric with the lug holes (stamped in most cases.) The balancing plate is a spun piece of alum with a concentric center pilot hole, studs and lug nuts. They just spin it on to the balancer and then mount your wheels up to it.

[dondanno]

Great Idea! One thing you could do is make a plate for the back that is recest to center on the back of the rim and still bolt the cap like you are doing, then you dont have to weld anything. When you have to spin balance you just unbolt the cap. Just a thought...But still a great Idea..Danny

[Monkey]

Thanks for posting this Tyler. I needed to see how you did it again. I think I'm just going to use the two spiders I have for the rear, and then do the dust-cover bullets on the front. Those are the easiest to do, am I right?

Very very cool man!

later,
Monkey