Widen wheels?

[CSiJason]

I've read somewhere that their is a few shops you can send wheels to for repair due to curb damage and such, or to be widened greater than normal widths. (Or even to change the offset.) I wondered if anyone knew of such a place and at what cost the service is to make something like an 18x8 into an 18x9 or even wider?

Is the wheel still strong and true after such modification I wonder?

[phobos512]

I've read somewhere that their is a few shops you can send wheels to for repair due to curb damage and such, or to be widened greater than normal widths. (Or even to change the offset.) I wondered if anyone knew of such a place and at what cost the service is to make something like an 18x8 into an 18x9 or even wider?

Is the wheel still strong and true after such modification I wonder?

Are two pieces of metal welded together generally stronger or weaker than a single piece of metal? If you answer that question, I think you've answered your question about the wheels.

Personally, I don't think I'd want to risk it.

[anmracing]

You’r probably thinking of three piece wheels. This would be very high dollar in any brand. Some two piece wheels can be widened but the offsets would generally stay the same. With a three piece wheel, what they do is change the outer barrel and use the same center. This can be done with steel wheel. Wheel Vintiques does this with stock steel wheel for muscle cars.

It wouldn't be recommended to weld something wider on to a one piece wheel. That sounds dangerous....

[CSiJason]

I could have sworn their was a company that somehow remade the wheel using a wider outer rim. I suppose this isnt possable on cast wheels regardless. The wheel design I want looks like a three piece but I dont know if it really is or not.

[BillyGoatGruff]

There is a company that punches out the centers of old wheels and mounts them on a wider ring. I am not sure of the company but I believe I once heard it was Stockton Wheels. I remember talking with a few of the old poncho owners about the old rally I and II wheels they wanted to have punched out to a wider rim.

[CSiJason]

I'm guessing they cut the centers out and just weld it back into a new wheel as if it was a two piece wheel to begin with. Not bad but i'm sure that is extremely pricey.

[lionsden]

I saw a guy who a had a RED 99-2002 Trans Am WS6 that had a shop widen the stock 5 spoke 17x9 to 12 0r 13in wide so he could fit 335 width series tires on the rear to have the same width as the viper. And give it the sleeper stock look from the side. I wish I had saved the link. It was pretty interesting.

[Rob]

Go to ws6.com as Keith had his 96 WS6 wheels widened to 11" I believe. Its been quite awhile since I've talked to him. I think it was a company in CA.

[lionsden]

Go to ws6.com as Keith had his 96 WS6 wheels widened to 11" I believe. Its been quite awhile since I've talked to him. I think it was a company in CA.

You the man, thats him. Its been a while since I saw that but I was somewhat close. Atleast you knew what I was talking about. Thanks!

[CSiJason]

You the man, thats him. Its been a while since I saw that but I was somewhat close. Atleast you knew what I was talking about. Thanks!

If you PM him and ask, please share your findings with the rest of us. Thanks! :p

[Yeller Jakett]

There is a company that punches out the centers of old wheels and mounts them on a wider ring. I am not sure of the company but I believe I once heard it was Stockton Wheels. I remember talking with a few of the old poncho owners about the old rally I and II wheels they wanted to have punched out to a wider rim.

Actually, I looked into this a year ago... The guy at Stockton wheel will refer you to a machine shop in the L.A. area that can and will widen alloy wheels. I can't remember the name but I spoke to him and he sounds very knowledgable and competent. BUT it ain't cheap. Widening on just one side will run you about $250 a wheel. I would figure stock wheels will need to be widened on both the inside and the outside to the tune of $500 per wheel! Plus shipping... Cha Ching! Get custom wheels... Enjoy!

[CSiJason]

Actualy, you should only need to extend the inside lip on most wheels, at least for the rears. The wheel i want isnt expensive but is only available in 18x8 and 19x8. I really wanted staggered sizes though. If I get 6 wheels (for the cost, 6 wheels would be less than 2 of the other wheels I was looking into), I could get 2 of them widened to 9" for the rear and keep two extra for backups and/or running different tires on. I'd no doubt run the custom 9" rears most of the time though.

The backspacing on the stock wheels allows for plenty of room inwards towards the frame but little outward towards the fender. With the offset (42mm) of the wheels I want, it would almost need to be extended inwards only. And if it is $250 per wheel to have that done, the total cost for those two wheels would still only be ~$450 or less per wheel. Perfectly within the cost I expected to pay x 4.

[Yeller Jakett]

The backspacing on the stock wheels allows for plenty of room inwards towards the frame but little outward towards the fender. With the offset (42mm) of the wheels I want, it would almost need to be extended inwards only.

Hmmm... Lemme do the math here... ET42 plus 25.4mm per inch gives about an ET67. Thats 2mm above the high range for a 9.0" wide wheel as per the chart so graciously provided by Padre. You might have to start playing with spacers to get it to work.

[CSiJason]

Sure, go put a cramp in my fun...

I can get the wheels I want in 18x9 but they only come that way with a 5x114.3 bolt pattern which is a bit small yet. I could probably have them welded up and redrilled but that doesnt solve the offset problem.

[Screwed Goat]

Are two pieces of metal welded together generally stronger or weaker than a single piece of metal? If you answer that question, I think you've answered your question about the wheels.

Personally, I don't think I'd want to risk it.


Thats correct with a few exceptions. There are forms of air hardened steel that are stonger at the welds. There are also scandium enhanced aluminim alloys that are pretty strrong at the weld as well.