Has anyone here ever widened their wheels?

[davey g-force]

1. The first thing you should be asking is whether it is legal in your state to run wheels on your car that have been cut, welded and modified to increase the rim width.

2. In NSW for example it is not legal to run wheels which have had an insert section welded into the rim face to achieve a wider rim which is what you are talking about doing.

One of the requirements in NSW is: "The wheel rim must not have a circumferential weld other than that which attaches the rim to the wheel centre."

Do what you are proposing in NSW and your car will be unroadworthy. You will not be able to get a NSW DOT approval for wheels modified in this way because there is no provision for approvals for wheels modified as you propose.

The same rules apply in VIC and QLD. You could not legally fit wheels that have been modified as you propose and your car will be unroadworthy if you fit them.

3. Futhermore the wheels you fit to your car in this country must also meet particular size, construction and standards requirements. What you propose would not meet these requirements either.

4. It is your responsibility to ensure your vehicle meets the minimum roadworthy standards in your State. Modifiers can do what they like for you but at the end of the day it is the owners that have entire responsibility for work carried out on their cars that may deem them unroadworthy.

Contact the local authority in your State and explain to them exactly how you intend to modify your wheels. I am sure they will confirm the above.

Congratulations though on coming up with one of the top 10 most stupid ideas for 2013.

Have you been speaking to Benboy? Sounds like one of his posts lol

 

[VRSenator065]

Theres a bloke on here with a VS Clubby, has an LSX in it. He had alloy centers welded into outer rims.

I think that's me your talking about. If you are the way mine were very different to what the OP is proposing (I think). In my case the wheels were made by having a custom centre machined from billet, then they are heat shrunk onto billet 10" wide outer rims, then a fully continuous weld is applied from behind. Mine were manufactured by Dragway, they are completely legal, but cost a small fortune, but hey some people spend their money on drugs, I spend mine on cars....

I also believe it sometimes possible to take a "regular" wheel, and basically machine off the entire outer rim section, leaving just the centre, again a billet full width rim is then machined to take this center, heat shrunk on, and fully welded. Neither way is easy/cheap.

Reading the OP, I think you are suggesting welding on a widened piece, I cant say I think that is legal, safe or easy to do.

Really for what you after it may just be easier to try and source a new wheel with the width, and offset you are looking for. I know it means buying the two fronts as well but its probably going to be way cheaper than what i did.

These are mine below

 

[Manwhore]

Only time i have ever heard of people widening the rim like you suggest is for off road rims, they will be illegal for on road and depending who does the work could be very nasty. Have seen a few off road buggies split apart from this procedure. But it's your choice just one i wouldn't personally do on a road car.

 

[Darren D]

Thanks guys, not sure this is for me but well worth the question.

It's the services of companies like those linked below that I was interested in, these are some of the companies that offer rim widening and narrowing.

See their pages:
Home | Dr Wheels - Gold Coast Alloy Wheel Repairs, Custom Wheel Rim Modifications
Services: Wheels Sydney - - Sydney Wheels
Rims and Alloy Wheel Repairs - Wheels Balancing

Darren

 

[Manwhore]

Spose all you can do mate is check whether it is legal to do and if these guy's are going to supply a full test on each wheel would need a ultrasonic test to make sure the steel is in tact with no struct cracks from the weld. and prob check the hardness hasn't gone out of it. Would prob need an engineer to sign of on them aswell??

 

[brasher]

Theres a bloke on here with a VS Clubby, has an LSX in it. He had alloy centers welded into outer rims.

if it's the one I'm thinking of, they are actually laser scanned, CNC machined and "upscaled" from the original. Pretty cool.

bugger me.... he posted above lol.

 

[IBLOWN]

I think that's me your talking about. If you are the way mine were very different to what the OP is proposing (I think). In my case the wheels were made by having a custom centre machined from billet, then they are heat shrunk onto billet 10" wide outer rims, then a fully continuous weld is applied from behind. Mine were manufactured by Dragway, they are completely legal, but cost a small fortune, but hey some people spend their money on drugs, I spend mine on cars....

I also believe it sometimes possible to take a "regular" wheel, and basically machine off the entire outer rim section, leaving just the centre, again a billet full width rim is then machined to take this center, heat shrunk on, and fully welded. Neither way is easy/cheap.

Reading the OP, I think you are suggesting welding on a widened piece, I cant say I think that is legal, safe or easy to do.

Really for what you after it may just be easier to try and source a new wheel with the width, and offset you are looking for. I know it means buying the two fronts as well but its probably going to be way cheaper than what i did.??

Yeah this bloke lol!

Ahh, thats right, you had the centers made.

 

[swingn_wasabi]

Seeing as it sounds like the safest & likely legal way to do it appears to be a rather expensive exercise, why not look at getting a custom set of 2-3pc rims?

Simmons (Now owned by Tempe Tyres) do all sorts of things like that. I still have an original set of their wheels (Before Tempe) - That I will resurrect as track rims one day - & the quality was good back then, but also fairly expensive. From what I've heard through the grape vine, the manufacturing has been shifted off shore which has bought down the costs, but they've also upgraded some of the materials being used. Might be worth looking into

But in all seriousness, I can't stress enough, that although what you're wanting to achieve may look bloody awesome & different (Big fan of being different), the cost of tyres is just going to be crazy. For example, a set of 245/35 19's (F) & 305/30 19's (R) will easily set you back AT LEAST $2500.00 sticking with reputable brands. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ducker85]

Gup runs 305 MT semi slicks on his stock 20x9.5 GTS rims so why bother widening them????

You know he has that red GTS with the 727cc sonny racing engine, look it up if you haven't seen it