What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

recentering hummer wheels question...again

ryan22re

ryan22re

1/2 ton status
Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Posts
3,368
Reaction score
1
Location
Irmo, SC
Has anybody made a fixture or have seen one for recentering hummer wheels? Reason I ask, is that I am having a hard time getting the runout decent on the rims. Tried to eyeball it along with the guy that is doing my fab work, and they turned out horrible.

We are really drawing a blank trying to come up with something to make these wheels fairly round.

Is there anything different about 12 bolts (what I have) vs. 8 bolts wheels? Seems like the 8 bolt guys don't have any problems...
 
By fixture, do you mean a jig?

I can't think of any major differences between the 8 & 12's. The 12's are rated for more weight, and I *think* they have about a 1/4 to 1/2" more back spacing on the original centers. Other than that, I thought they were basically the same wheel.
 
Fixture = jig. So yes.

I though I would just drop in the new centers, tack em, check em and then have them welded, but I can't get it straight. Tacking at 12 3 6 and 9 oclock.

Won't be able to get to work on them again till next tuesday/wednesday, so I've got some time to try and come up with something.
 
When I did mine (8 bolts) I was using the pressed centers. I just pushed them all the way to the lip that on the inside. Really obvisous as they cant go any farther. Mine and pretty close, there might be a tad bit of run out.
 
Thats what I thought I would do, but it just isn't working out...time to drop back and punt.

Btw, they are 12 bolts, and pressed centers from USA6x6.
 
I don't see why a quick trip home depot wouldn' work! Buy a couple of their hi-grade 2x4's, build a small "stool" to set the center on, then measure it once it's done use a wood plane to take down any high spots till you get it exactly how you want it. set the centers on it and the rim outers over that and sitting flush then weld. I knoweasier said then done but...
 
Are you making sure that any gaps around the new center are equal to the surface it's being welded to? I guess pictures speak better than words sometimes. Heres a bit from a tech article at AK5.

I set the new center into the rim making sure it was seated all the way down. Some of the rims were tight on the center. I sandblasted the rim at the edge of the center all the way around. Then it needs to be cleaned up. Blow it off with air, and wipe the welding surfaces off. Make sure the painted surface on the safety hump is clean also, it will affect the runout of the finished wheel. Some of the rims were tight and some were loose. I used copper shimstock to position the center in the rim. It looks like the worst one had a .032" gap all the way around.

IMG_0102_blasted_shimmed.sized.jpg


The moment you've all been waiting for. Tack the center in place. Make the smallest tack you can that is strong enough to hold the center securely. If the wheel has too much runout, it will be difficult to grind out the weld. Mainly due to the crown of the center getting in the way of the grinder. It's kinda like trying to grind in a valley.

IMG_0102_blast_spot.sized.jpg


Make sure to line up the "cosmetic" holes in the center with the beadlock studs. It may be possible to remove the studs anyway, but I always like to have more room.

IMG_0103_bl_stud.sized.jpg


I hope this helps some.
 
He doesn't make them, only sells them, as far as I can tell. Using my superhuman runout detection vision, the centers are straight.

Thanks Tx. Thats the way that we did it, but we couldnt find a balance between the wheel wobbling (in/out)/egg shaped (up and down). Wonder which would be the lesser of two evils on a street driven truck?
 
You probally know this allready but the lip on the 12 bolts is different, I dropped a 8 bolt center into a 12 just for S&G's and it was way to much BS. I thought Daniel had a seperate set up for the different rims. But like allready posted the 8 bolts we just hammered down and burned in.
 
ryan22re said:
Thats the way that we did it, but we couldnt find a balance between the wheel wobbling (in/out)/egg shaped (up and down). Wonder which would be the lesser of two evils on a street driven truck?
Click to expand...
Well, if I was going to have to pick between the two on a street driver... I'd elect to take the in-out over the egg shaped. I don't like the idea of either one though. Maybe the egg shape can be lessened with balance.. maybe not. But for the sake of simplicity .. the in-out wouldn't shake your fillings loose. :D

Good luck with it.
 
In-out causes the vehicle to wander, up-down causes it to shake.

Scott over at rockstomper had a pic of his jig for when he did custom BS on 15" 8 lugs.
 
Went to my buddies shop, and finished tacking the centers in. Some of them were dead nuts, others required alot of "adjustment" :grin:.

I guess when we did the first one and I saw how much runout it had, I got a little nervous. After a little adjustment with the hammer on our impromptu runout set up, it got a lot better. The second one we did was dead on. Just drop the center in, get it close to being centered tack it check it, and then burn it in. Only problem was we ran out of wire for the mig welder, and only got 1 and a 1/2 of the wheels done. :doah:

Maybe should have them done by this weekend or the middle part of next week. :waytogo:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom