Look what I found floating in Missouri River today...

[Rolling Thunder]

Was out in middle of nowhere today and spied what looked like a mopar rallye wheel floating on edge of river today. Thought to self...hmmm wonder if 15inch. Guess what? Sure is. Was not able to snatch up due to other circumstances but going back tomorrow to get...IF still floating there. If this wheel and tire could talk.

 

[shag766]

hoffa

 

[Cranky]

Yup, it's a 15"! Can always tell by the space from the center to the bead area. The centers are the same size on both 14's and 15's with just the ring being different. Whenever I build 15" wheels, I steal the centers from 14" wheels....

 

[YY1]

What do you use to cut the centers out? One of my friends uses an old brake lathe.
How do you make sure they're square when you weld them back up?

 

[Cranky]

Everything is done on an engine lathe....I have a small machine shop. I use an old cut down and machined axle for the truing operation and that's also done in the lathe.

 

[Meep-Meep]

Everything is done on an engine lathe....I have a small machine shop. I use an old cut down and machined axle for the truing operation and that's also done in the lathe.

Good idea. Do you have any chatter issues? Now I just need a lathe with enough swing. Where do you get the rim shells?

 

[Meep-Meep]

If it was an Olds wheel I'd say Ted Kennedy had something to do with it.

 

[Ron 73]

Cool find for sure, I remember once fishing along the creek here and found a really decent tire, I looked around a bit and found the mate to it a bit further down.. whats the chances! You never know..

 

[Cranky]

Good idea. Do you have any chatter issues? Now I just need a lathe with enough swing. Where do you get the rim shells?

Chatter issues on the machining process? Naw. Last set of rings, or shells, came from a nice set of white spoke wagon wheels. I found some new rings at a shop that sold parts to the dirt track guys but they were all too big in the centers. Anyways, the wagon wheels were a bit larger than they needed to be so I cut off the old rings on each side of the welds. Other words, I left a strip of the old ring as a spacer and it worked out perfect and really isn't noticeable unless you look hard and isn't noticeable once a trim ring is installed.

 

[Meep-Meep]

I figured you found some wheels to cut up. Speedway used to sell the shells but they seemed to pull them out of the catalog. I wonder if it has to do with requiring certification to modify wheels or something.

Yeah, chatter while cutting on the rim. It just seems with grabbing by the center it could sing a bit but sounds like you have it under control.

 

[YY1]

15x7 5th Ave wheels would be great donors for 14" rallye (or road) centers, wouldn't they?

 

[Cranky]

I figured you found some wheels to cut up. Speedway used to sell the shells but they seemed to pull them out of the catalog. I wonder if it has to do with requiring certification to modify wheels or something.

Yeah, chatter while cutting on the rim. It just seems with grabbing by the center it could sing a bit but sounds like you have it under control.

Slow rpm and taking small bites help plus if it starts to sing, a lead hammer resting against the wheel will usually help. I really miss the Lodge and Shipley AVS 20" lathe I used at work. It had variable speed and you could easily get control chatter with that thing.

15x7 5th Ave wheels would be great donors for 14" rallye (or road) centers, wouldn't they?

Never messed with any wheels from a 5th...

 

[super-bee_ski]

Look what I found floating in the Missouri river...

That pretty neat Rolling Thunder..!
Keep your eyes open for a 70 superbee N96 hood set up for me!
You see one of those floating by, I'll pay ya for it!
ski

 

['67Satellite]

funny story. same kind of thing happened to me once. walking through an old scrap yard i found this wheel buried in weeds. i dug it out really quick because i thought it looked like a 1969 "W23" recall wheel. after further inspection i don't think it is. shame too, thought i might have struck gold.

 

[scotts74birds]

I'm a Detroiter! You don't WANNA know what [or who] I've found floating in the Detroit River! We just hit the lever, and flush-it into Lake Erie. Let Toledo deal with it! Congrats Ohio! Enjoy your spoils from the Toledo War!

 

[69rtse4spd]

floaters

Looks like you will also get a spare with it.

 

[Cranky]

Wasn't too many years ago I was walking through a wrecking yard and found a full set of rally wheels welded together as jack stands.