Widening Alloys

[dubbed]

Hey peeps,

So I had this a grand idea of widening my TT rims - 9-9.5" rears - to keep with the OEM theme and get a fatter stance with some stretch. I've just been searching the net only to find out that widening alloy wheels is not a good idea. Can someone confirm this? It's heart breaking news if it's indeed true (U)

Ta.

[Mrk_Mickey]

Hmmm I can understand the concept of widening steelies, but is it worth trying to widen designed alloy wheels? I'd imagine it would be no easy feat...

[Valver.]

Get some 3-piece rims and widen them! Can't go anywhere with a 1-piece alloy wheel

[Jarred]

get some spacers to pump out the stance and really fill those gaurds up.

good compromise imo.

[dubbed]

Yes it's worth it because I like these wheels and would like to do something a bit different

I like three piece wheels (BBS LMs) and also light weight wheels. Trouble is they're expensive and I don't know if I'm after some phat stretch or performance, not to mention the big outlay of moola for decent wheels argh.

I've thought about spacers too but it doesn't help with wider rubber. But maybe...

[Oneofthegreats]

There is a bloke who's done it before & done it succesfully, but with the cost involved you could just buy a new set of wheel's in the size's your after.

A side note to the sceptic's, the wheel's happened to be built for a 1800rwhp street car.

[rayray086]

I believe widening alloys is the same concept as widening steelies - have the wheel "centre" cut out, expose it in low temperature and expose the new (wider) barrel in heat and then fuse them together. Not all one-piece alloys can be widened this way though - the alloy wheel must be constructed in a similar way to steelies, whereby the centre piece is separate to the barrel, albeit permanently "stuck" to one another. Peter from OZwheels was talking about it when I enquired about widening steelies. It didn't sound like anything special either, as he asked me straight off whether my wheels were steel or alloy.

[Oneofthegreats]

The wheel I'm referring to weren't that style where you could turn out the centre.

This is what the rims look like. VS Clubposrt R8's widened to 10" on the back.

[dubbed]

Hey golfworx, some Holden crew did the same to some Maloo rims - made them 11.5" wide I believe haha. And I think they're VX GTS/Clubby wheels?

I've also just been reading that there is a high chance of cracking and fractures if you attempt to widen and weld alloy wheels

[rayray086]

That's insane... any pics of them?

Imagine the different kinds of one-piece alloy wheels widened out...

[Mrk_Mickey]

Imagine the different kinds of one-piece alloy wheels widened out...

Hahahaha.....don't start Ray!

[intensem1]

It has been done, this is what i found when searching few weeks back.



Its totally illegal, after much searching and phonecalls, I came to realise that no one in Australia would do it.
Every shop I called would say the same thing. If it fell apart, I could be killed (expecially if hurtling along at 120+MPH).

A performance shop in Sydney was able to orchestrate the work for me though. I had to go through them, and from there I now know the wheels were shipped to Labrador, Queensland to be done.
(You might be able to work out who might have done it, as I since have, but am not going to name the place publicly).

I specified that I wanted to extend the 8" wheel to 9".
I could have gone as large as I wanted. I was thinking about 9.5" but didn't want to have clearance issues.

As the process only affects the inside of the wheel, not the hub placement, you will need some spacers. I had custom spacers machined up.
As my inner edge was now 25.4mm closer to the strut, I had 15mm spacers made, and then had to subsequently machine the right hand side in to be a 12.5mm spacer to stop rubbing.
Guards were rolled aswell.

As stated elsewhere, it was about $700 for the widening and shipment of two wheels. (this included the costs of two 17" wheels being cut up aswell - remember you need 4 wheels to make 2 wider ones).
About $700 for two Mickey Thompson 17" 275's and I think $80 for custom spacers. Plus associated fitment of rubber costs aswell.
Not exactly a cheap process. You could probably get two second hand 17" 3-piece simmons and then have appropriate offset in the width youu want made for the same money.

I however wanted to be stealth, so chose the same alloy rims that I drive around with everyday.

The alloy rims are precision welded on both sides of the rim, and in reality should be bloody strong.
I only got them for drag racing, so figured that in a straight line, they would be reasonably safe. I definitely wouldn't do circuit work on them - but I am a bit of a worrier

The performance shop reckoned they would be fine to use as a daily driver, but the roads in sydney are so bad, i'd never chance it.
I do however (on my two trips to the drags) put them on at home, and don't need to worry about changing tyres.

[rayray086]

Ahhh - it looks like the inner section of the barrel is cut away for a wider piece and welded on? Looks similar to the way the guys in the UK widen their steelies (banding).

[Oneofthegreats]

Its totally illegal,

For interest's sake, it's also illegal to redrill the PCD of wheel's too.

[Preen59]

Those wheels would be completely safe. The welds are even, have plently of penetration and also have no signs of contamination. Whoever did these wheels knew what they were doing.

These kind of modifications are illegal because some people cut corners or attempt work that they are incapable of doing properly.