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83 242 V8 LQ4 swap

MikeJr. said:
Sweet! You said you took a flat piece of steel and banded it yourself right? Did you bend it first then weld it on or did you bend, weld, bend, weld? Do you have any pics of the finished wheel pre-tire? Awesome work?
Click to expand...

Here are some more detailed pics,

Here is the band I rolled, I did it on a tiny slip roll made for sheet metal.

370A6484-A131-4082-AB96-BFB99B25C7FA-24788-000013FC0697A3B7.jpg


Tacked it together and put it on my friends tire machine to check runout.

A9338DDE-F58C-4CD6-B53B-8D967BFC1DD7-24788-000013FBFC819FE6.jpg



Welded on the outside, going to weld the inside tomorrow. I welded it in 3-4 inch strips to try to keep the heat spread around. I also decided to tig this whole wheel, just comes out cleaner.

BCDD7157-BD2A-4ABF-87B2-64BC3EFB2412-24788-000013FBE2D0E630.jpg


I don't know what it weighs but I will try to find a scale before I put the tire on.
 
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Weigh it with the tire mounted. And it probably won't be near as accurate with a bathroom scale unless you use yourself as the 'holder' - then subtract your weight.
 
55superbeetle said:
Here are some more detailed pics,

Here is the band I rolled, I did it on a tiny slip roll made for sheet metal.

370A6484-A131-4082-AB96-BFB99B25C7FA-24788-000013FC0697A3B7.jpg


Tacked it together and put it on my friends tire machine to check runout.

A9338DDE-F58C-4CD6-B53B-8D967BFC1DD7-24788-000013FBFC819FE6.jpg



Welded on the outside, going to weld the inside tomorrow. I welded it in 3-4 inch strips to try to keep the heat spread around. I also decided to tig this whole wheel, just comes out cleaner.

BCDD7157-BD2A-4ABF-87B2-64BC3EFB2412-24788-000013FBE2D0E630.jpg


I don't know what it weighs but I will try to find a scale before I put the tire on.
Click to expand...

Glad you decided to tig it.

It looks great!
 
M.H. Yount said:
Well - it's a mystery of life I suppose. Aluminum (at 1/3 the weight of steel) and steel wheels that weigh the same.
Click to expand...

There's really no mystery to it. Aluminum may be 1/3 the weight, but it's also got to be at least 3 times as thick to get the same strength out of it. When you compare steel wheels (.060" thick) to a typical cast aluminum wheel (.25" thick or more) it's really no surprise that steel wheels can end up pretty light.

Now, when you start talking about forged wheels, that's an entirely different story. But most aftermarket cast aluminum wheels are not nearly as light as you may think they are, including those 26 pound wheels from IPD.
 
slammed145 said:
There's really no mystery to it. Aluminum may be 1/3 the weight, but it's also got to be at least 3 times as thick to get the same strength out of it. When you compare steel wheels (.060" thick) to a typical cast aluminum wheel (.25" thick or more) it's really no surprise that steel wheels can end up pretty light.

Now, when you start talking about forged wheels, that's an entirely different story. But most aftermarket cast aluminum wheels are not nearly as light as you may think they are, including those 26 pound wheels from IPD.
Click to expand...

Anyone who's picked up a Virgo knows that aluminum wheels can be real boat anchors. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the 18x13 3-piece BBS wheels for my 242 are 24lbs a piece.
 
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slammed145 said:
There's really no mystery to it. Aluminum may be 1/3 the weight, but it's also got to be at least 3 times as thick to get the same strength out of it. When you compare steel wheels (.060" thick) to a typical cast aluminum wheel (.25" thick or more) it's really no surprise that steel wheels can end up pretty light.

Now, when you start talking about forged wheels, that's an entirely different story. But most aftermarket cast aluminum wheels are not nearly as light as you may think they are, including those 26 pound wheels from IPD.
Click to expand...

That's not how materials behave. There is not a linear relationship between the material thickness and the deflection slope. The moment of inertial comes into play. I = b*(h^3)/12 I = moment of inertia, b = base, h = height. In the case of the wheel, h = wheel thickness. So, based on that relationship, it would require the aluminum to be ~ 1.44 times as thick as the steel to be the same strength in deflection. That's why you have aluminum, magnesium, titanium etc used everywhere in designs requiring minimum weight as a requirement. No matter how you slice it, aluminum wheels of the same weight are going to be stiffer/stronger than steel wheels. It's the cost that comes into play. Steel is very uniform in its properties. The many ways aluminum can be used makes the end products properties vary greatly. Spun aluminum wheels are incredibly strong and ductile. Cast aluminum wheels are rigid, yet, brittle.
 
There are really 3 key aluminium wheel manufacturing techniques for monoblock wheels. Cast. (Gravity and Low Pressure casting), Cast Flow Forming and Forging.

Then you get into 2 and 3 piece wheels where you can have a cast or forged centre and a cast or flow formed rim. I'm not sure why you would want a 2 or 3 piece wheel unless you cant get the size and offset you need in a mono block wheel though, it just makes them weak.

Happy to explain but you're better off goggling it or watching some youtube clips which show the process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wKsKdH43_U

You can generally tell which process has been used by looking at the wheel if you know what to look for.

The back of the spoke on a Cast or Cast Flow formed wheel will generally be pocketed to save weight and aluminium.
The rim section of a Cast wheel will be much thicker than if the rim is flow formed.
 
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BURNSY;
Thanks for showing me the real world, that video you sent was an intrigue for sure.

It's also a refreshing feeling to see that folks with knowledge, exposure and experience are graciously willing to share, too.

There are many folks out there who freely share their knowledge; and I truly respect that.

I've always believed that's the only way to preserve th heritage of trailblazers before us- to openly share the fun of hot rodding, upgrading and re-sculpting our respective rides into one more personalized and tailored to our particular needs. That can sure limit results if one's own limitations and exposures are all that's available.

It's great to welcome you, too- and to realize there are not just good people out there, but tons of good people with an amazing array of skills.

Thanks for sharing!

This whole build - and the CRAFTSMAN MENTALITY is what we need more of, thanks to all who share their impressive experience and skills!
 
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