Machining wheels
Discussion
Bought some wheels off Ebay to mount the winter tyres on (no, not another thread about them) but the centre hole has a ridge running around it preventing my fitting the Subaru centre cap. I'd like it machined down a bit. What sort of place am I looking for to do this?.. and could they do it with the tyres on the wheels (I don't really want to have them removed now).
Maybe this is something I could do with a dremel or a die grinder? Good idea/bad idea?
Maybe this is something I could do with a dremel or a die grinder? Good idea/bad idea?
The height of the ridge is a little under 2mm too high. So I'd need the ridge bored to between 3 and 4mm wider (diameter).
I've just found a few local places that are advertised as machine shops. When I take these wheels off in the Spring, I'll drag them around to see if anyone can bore them without having to take the tyres off.
I've just found a few local places that are advertised as machine shops. When I take these wheels off in the Spring, I'll drag them around to see if anyone can bore them without having to take the tyres off.
Leaving tyres on shouldn't be a problem, at worst they'll have to re-centre it on each wheel (not hard). I guess the engineering company would make a jig (I would) so tyres shouldn't be a problem at all. Id get a bollokin if it took me more than about 2 hours MAX start to finish, can be expensive unless you know someone in the biz.
Im afraid to say all of the above is useless knowledge, like everybody else said, mod some cheap caps an jobs a good'un.
Im afraid to say all of the above is useless knowledge, like everybody else said, mod some cheap caps an jobs a good'un.
thinfourth2 said:
Why bother
The wheels are round what more do you want?
Bit of a facile question really. Why bother washing your car? Why bother taking pride in it in any way? Answer: because I already own a set of caps, and the car looks better with them on.The wheels are round what more do you want?
Did you really need to ask?
Mars said:
Did you really need to ask?
As you might be a dullard that thinks they do something then other then look pretty.To machine them out then its a easy job with a milling machine and a boring head, should take ten minutes per wheel as it doesn't need to be dead center.
Do be aware it will break the lacquer so your wheels will look cack in no time once the salt and cack gets in.
They are winter wheels they are meant to look cack so save you money and get your summer wheels tarted up
You'll probably have a bit of a chase around trying to find someone with a lathe big enough to take the wheels (especially with the tyres on!!) of course, as you don't care if the centre caps are EXACTLY in the centre (i mean to lathe stds, i.e + or - a 1mm wouldnt hurt) so i'm sure you could find someone with a big pillar drill or mill and just stick a boring bar in it, centre it by the old eyecrometer and fireaway!
(but as mentioned, just mod the caps, easier, cheaper)
(but as mentioned, just mod the caps, easier, cheaper)
The cost of getting it machined out would be massive, and more to the point people wouldn't be interested in doing it. Machinists don't just sit around with odd two hour slots, they're on jobs the whole time they're at work and a couple of hours to machine some wheels is not a very efficient use of time. If you knew someone in the industry however it might be a different story.
Buy some second hand centre caps off the bay and butcher them to fit then epoxy them in, much easier.
Buy some second hand centre caps off the bay and butcher them to fit then epoxy them in, much easier.
Dremel them if there only winter tyres, but do a little at a time and keep trying the caps.
Machining is going to cost alot, if you can find a machine that can fit them in...
yes its a bodge, but if done carefully it will be fine, its not impacting the safety of the wheel (unless you go crazy with the dremel....)
Machining is going to cost alot, if you can find a machine that can fit them in...
yes its a bodge, but if done carefully it will be fine, its not impacting the safety of the wheel (unless you go crazy with the dremel....)
thinfourth2 said:
To machine them out then its a easy job with a milling machine and a boring head, should take ten minutes per wheel as it doesn't need to be dead center.
Listen to this man ^^, he talks sense! Only a mentalist would chuck these with tyres on! If you find someone who will do this let me know so I can be somewhere else! Pop into your local machine shop, drop them off and pick them up a week later for some beer tokens. Bit of stud through the wheel nut holes into a T-Nut on the table to clamp them down without scratching the paint and bingo......Edited for shot splellings.......
Edited by Jonnas on Wednesday 3rd November 19:11
B1ggest said:
Your looking at a couple of hours, and most places will charge £75 ish per hour. Needs to be a m/c shop with a very big 4 jaw chuck lathe, even bigger if you want to leave tyres on?
RollocksEven if you did them on a lathe
Need a machine with roughly a 24" swing which ain't huge. 3 jaw chuck, grip on the inner rim of the wheel with the jaws inside the wheel not outside, quick slow spin to check for alignment, 2 cuts with a boring bar, repeat 3 times, cup of tea.
An hour tops
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