Hot Rods Steel wheels made from aluminum

I wonder why nobody has tried manufacturing these. Or could they be manufactured at all.
Think of the weight savings alone and being able to use your dog dish caps, custom built to any width, backspace, you could sell a ton of e'm I'm sure.

 

I would imagine that by casting an aluminum wheel as thin as a stamped steel one would make for a very weak wheel.

 

If you made them from aluminum then they wouldn't be steel wheels now would they

There would be major strength issues as well

 

Someone could make them, but they would only be good as a static display and NOT for use on a car on the street or strip.

 

http://circleracing.com/92series.htm

 

Jim beat me to it. Saw some several years ago that looked like chrome reverse wheels, were actually polished aluminum.

 

Also GM Rally and Artillery
http://www.thewheelsmith.net/CustomWheels/RallyeBilletAluminumWheelsAccessories.html

 

Mr. Squirrel has already posted the answer.
But aluminum wheels need only be weak if you make 'em weak. 18 wheeler, big rigs have been equipped with aluminum wheels styled like steelies for years. If the thickness is scaled up slightly, from what is used for steel, for the duty required, the weight will still be less than steel.

 

I can hear it already:

"But, ARE they 'traditional'?"

 

The weight savings might be less but they'd also be more expensive. Another thing would change is the backspace and the hub profile would be a little different.

 

Titanum... That's where it's at.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

 

Too bad they are offering mostly weird size wheels and almost zero in trad. hot rod sizing!

 

American Racing has a couple GM rally aluminum wheels also, maybe a little "newer" though.

http://www.americanracing.com/wheel/4830/vn327-rally

 

Rudge Whitworth racing wheels were the "thing" in the fifties on sports cars, etc..... might make them a little more acceptable to "tradition"?

 

I wonder how long aluminum wheels would last in the People's Republic of New York and the rest of the northeastern U.S. when driven daily throughout several Winters in the salt that keeps the roads clear ??

 

http://circleracing.com/92series.htm

Talk to them. They'll make any size you want.

 

Not at a price that I would be comfortable paying.....just looking a Summit Racing off the shelf prices.....WTF!

 

Weld an Centerline been doing it for years

 

Some Chryslers had aluminum wheels in the 70s that looked like steel wheels. Some cars came with light weight spares in the 80s that were aluminum. Tbird was one, there were others. Have also heard of aluminum trailer wheels that looked like steelies.

 

Vintage trailer wheels

 

I think Rudge Whitworth only made wire wheels. There was a German Rudge company that made conventional wheels of alloy for such as Porsche and M-B racecars of that era. Dunlop made disc wheels, as used on D-Type Jaguars and other Brit racers. These and similar are being repopped, check this site:
http://www.racemettleltd.co.uk/wheel.html
If unsprung weight is such a concern to rodder's, I always wondered why they would put a Ford nine-inch in a light car powered by a flathead or fairly stock small block Ford/Chevvy!

 

I have 2 Cragar slots that the faces are aluminum and the rest are steel. Never been mounted. Basically brand new.

 

After you can make steel wheels from aluminum. You should try making gold from lead

 

I recall when I first saw the Alcoa aluminum semi tractor wheels and really found them pretty. They presumably are a case of form following function, being strong enough and enough lighter than steel to pay their way.

The big truck wheels are forged aluminum, which seems to be better than for corrosion resistance.