metalmonkey47 Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 I've been playing with this idea for some time now, just looking for some input. I thought it might be awesome to widen the stock steelies to a 14x7 or 14x8, and run wider tires. might look pretty badass and still fit well in the fender with the right spacers. I always though the stockers looked fantastic, but were too narrow to look good with everything else I have going on, especially on a really low truck. Pics for reference. Edit-1 by metalmonkey47, on Flickr Edit-1-6 by metalmonkey47, on Flickr Quote Link to comment
'70dime Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Matt, I used to work with a guy and he said his dad would take wheels to a place and have them cut, widen and weld them back together for a real good price, if you are serious, I'll start tracking him down. Quote Link to comment
izzo Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 matt a local had a five ten... he took the stock wheels into a shop and had them widened, they looked pretty badass... Tho it was done years ago, i think your main concern would be finding a shop that can/would do it. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 matt a local had a five ten... he took the stock wheels into a shop and had them widened, they looked pretty badass... Tho it was done years ago, i think your main concern would be finding a shop that can/would do it. I think the idea is pretty awesome. I ALWAYS loved the look of the stock wheels, but they were way too narrow for me to enjoy. I like aggressive cornering every once in a while, and you can't do it on narrow tires. Not to mention how light the truck feels on 185's in the rear. I could eat rubber like a madman though. Matt, I used to work with a guy and he said his dad would take wheels to a place and have them cut, widen and weld them back together for a real good price, if you are serious, I'll start tracking him down. Pierce, if you could find out, and get me a number I'd love to chat with the guy about it. I'd love to daily some wide ass stockers, and keep the 15x10's for meets/shows. Someone's already rubbed a bumper across mine once and left a nice big gash at work Quote Link to comment
DaBlist Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Love a stock style steel wheel with deep dish! Quote Link to comment
Radim Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 If you were local I'd be able to do it. =/ but the cost of shipping back and forth makes it way too expensive. The rebarreling process of steel is a lot easier than aluminum, I can do both Quote Link to comment
DaBlist Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 If you were local I'd be able to do it. =/ but the cost of shipping back and forth makes it way too expensive. The rebarreling process of steel is a lot easier than aluminum, I can do both Radim Are there options for upsizing like cutting out a 13 center and making it a 15 or making a 15 into 17 in steel or aluminum? Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Radim, if I could source some local to you, would it make sense to do it that way, to cut shipping cost to ONE way only? What's it cost in your experience to widen one wheel? Radim Are there options for upsizing like cutting out a 13 center and making it a 15 or making a 15 into 17 in steel or aluminum? Also curious about that. An extra inch would be nice for finding tires. Quote Link to comment
Radim Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 DaBlist: Yeah, you can do either or but sourcing barrels like that is pretty difficult, You need to find stepped lips and typically they only go up in one size... 13-14 15-16 ect.... there are barrels out there where you can do 13-15s but most are NOS barrels.... which of course are pretty pricy. MetalMonkey: Stepped barrels for steelies are a lot more common than Aluminum barrels, it's honestly up to you but just to give you an example on weight, my 15x11 wheels have steel barrels and aluminum centers, and those weight just over 50lbs without tires. Shipping would be done in two separate boxes, each consisting of two wheels.... 15x8s would weigh around 20-25lbs. Pricing depends on specs OEM vs Rebarrled. If can also cut up junkyard wheels and scavange the barrels.... Quote Link to comment
LaidoutRivi63 Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 My buddy does it locally here. He did the set on his drag trike from some 14" early corrola steelies Quote Link to comment
Tristin Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Depending on barrel size, I've seen people cut off the outer steel lips and weld in cut up propane tanks (with the tops and bottoms cut off). They are the same diameter as some steelies an are thick enough for a good barrel. Quote Link to comment
Radim Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Yep, some people call that "banding". You can use other barrels too.... Steel is fine to "band" but aluminum you're getting pretty risky... unless it's all show. Quote Link to comment
Tristin Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Yeah I wouldnt do Al. that way... Quote Link to comment
Mr.Dean_Yates Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 steelies are easy, you just gotta find 14" barrels and your set. check summit or jegs. Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Way back in 1969 I took my 1965 Chevy2 Nova wagon to a tire shop and had the factory wheels reverse rimmed. This gave me the room to go to 700x13 tires without rubbing the tie rod boots, And they looked damned good! The new tires stuck out just far enough to look "custom" [i spray painted the interior surfaces that now showed with factory touchup paint and stenceled the correct psi rating for the tires on the widened rims] and when i traded it in [on a 1970 Buick Electra LTD with all options] I got mucho extra bucks on its trade in value. Reverse rimming the original factory wheel is a forgotten alternative to too expensive after market wheel sets. The slight add-on to the wheel center spacing can give surprising improvement to handling and steering! Try it. Quote Link to comment
Ratty260z Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 It's easy to widen the wheels, Finding tires that fit now thats the hard part, finding anything that will fit a 14x8, look good, and be street legal is going to be tough, I know some places can keep the same center and make it a 15 or 16, Stockton comes to mind but 15's are a lot easier to get tires for. Quote Link to comment
Son_of_a_Datsun_Guy Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 There are some guys that make hot rod wheels that you can buy fairly cheap, probably cheaper than getting stockers widened. Then you just need to put some different clips on them, and you'll be able to put stock hubcaps on them. Or just run baby moons. Same look, old school steel with real tire Quote Link to comment
Dawa Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 DaBlist: Yeah, you can do either or but sourcing barrels like that is pretty difficult, You need to find stepped lips and typically they only go up in one size... 13-14 15-16 ect.... there are barrels out there where you can do 13-15s but most are NOS barrels.... which of course are pretty pricy. MetalMonkey: Stepped barrels for steelies are a lot more common than Aluminum barrels, it's honestly up to you but just to give you an example on weight, my 15x11 wheels have steel barrels and aluminum centers, and those weight just over 50lbs without tires. Shipping would be done in two separate boxes, each consisting of two wheels.... 15x8s would weigh around 20-25lbs. Pricing depends on specs OEM vs Rebarrled. dude you rebarrel and youre in oc? ive just been patronizing vr wheels, but if your rates R cheaper i got a lot of business for u If can also cut up junkyard wheels and scavange the barrels.... Quote Link to comment
RedBanner Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 ....... nice big gash at work Quote Link to comment
510T Posted November 10, 2012 Report Share Posted November 10, 2012 A few years ago Stockton Wheel qouted me $140ish per wheel to have 14x5.5s made into 15x7s. Kinda pricey for steelies, I went a different direction... Quote Link to comment
Kirden Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Pics for reference.Edit-1 by metalmonkey47, on FlickrEdit-1-6 by metalmonkey47, on Flickr Oh how far this truck has come. Did you ever find a shop local that offers rebarreling service? Sadly my project uses aluminum barrels, so not as easy as steel. I either need to widen the ones I have, or I'll need new barrels, which will probably be more than what I paid for the wheels... Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 That's a lot for rims that you could probably just buy. Just weld on the clips or knobs that hols the dog dish on and who would know the difference? Quote Link to comment
jimmy billy Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Do it! Either way with that crome it would look hella sick. Im sorcing out rims myself to do it and mite start making them for certien people too. Quote Link to comment
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