12" rim machining

[tobyS]

I'm combining two rims to make a 12" wide rim with the 11.25 bolt circle. The dish part is from an MRAP (Hutchison- black with primer) with the correct bolt circle and the outer ring from the rims that came on the 450 Sand Trail tires (tan). The (20) rim bolts all are the same but the ring bottoms out where the o-ring goes. The o-ring needs space (I measure a 1/8" gap on the Hutchisons at the top).

I can't find a lathe with enough bed capacity to chuck up the ring and remove about 1/4", which will leave 1/8" opening for the o-ring. And it has to be about 10 degree.

Does anyone have any ideas on taking that much (1/4") off and making a 10 degree angle?

I'm thinking about making some kind of a grinder attachment but hoping for a better solution. Any ideas?

 

[Csm Davis]

CNC mill

sent from my decrepit fingers

 

[tobyS]

CNC mill

sent from my decrepit fingers

A friend has one. He has a 10* tool also. Unfortunately he gets big $$$ and could break my bank.

 

[TCD]

Howdy,

As a VOG I could tell you several very sad/bad stories from the early sixties when it was very common to take a set of VW, Jeep or truck wheels, split them and weld sewer pipe (or whatever could be found in the right diameter) in to make a set of wide wheels. Dick Cepek started his business selling used airplane tires for such rims...



I personally would never skimp on wheels. They are your connection with mother earth and the could cause you to loose your connection with mother earth if they fail under many circumstances we encounter on a daily basis (and kill everyone around you also!)! Putting bad wheels on a heavy truck will only accelerate and exacerbate the problem in my opinion!

I would save my money and eventually get a correct set of wheels rather than be in a hurry to endanger everyone...

And therefore be happy and live a long happy life...

Happy Tails,
tom n tyler

PS: Very Old Guy
t

 

[tobyS]

Howdy,

As a VOG I could tell you several very sad/bad stories from the early sixties when it was very common to take a set of VW, Jeep or truck wheels, split them and weld sewer pipe (or whatever could be found in the right diameter) in to make a set of wide wheels. Dick Cepek started his business selling used airplane tires for such rims...

View attachment 637720

I personally would never skimp on wheels. They are your connection with mother earth and the could cause you to loose your connection with mother earth if they fail under many circumstances we encounter on a daily basis (and kill everyone around you also!)! Putting bad wheels on a heavy truck will only accelerate and exacerbate the problem in my opinion!

I would save my money and eventually get a correct set of wheels rather than be in a hurry to endanger everyone...

And therefore be happy and live a long happy life...

Happy Tails,
tom n tyler

PS: Very Old Guy
t

Tom, Thanks for your reply.

There is a considerable difference in what I'm doing and the days of welding pipe on an old VW wheel. That's why I included photo's, so it's clear I'm using components that are made for exactly the purpose I'm using them for. Both donor parts are wheels for equipment that is heavier than what they will end up on. Does the military even make a 12" wide rim for a 5 ton?

These wheels (both donors) are much heavier than combat rims. The centers are 1/2" thick steel (not aluminum). I'm not sure why you would say I'm "skimping"...nothing is even being welded or used in a way it was not intended...the only mod necessary is for the proper fit of the o-ring, which requires less than 1/4" removed from the tan ring. What component of my combination do you think could fail and why? I've never seen a wheel fail that didn't give plenty of warning.

These are not intended for highway service, although they would be used on the local road some-times. My farm is entirely sand and some places can get very soft. I want them for the rear of a dump truck (not steer) and also plan on building a large ag dump trailer for my 931 that I'm collecting components for. The wheel that comes on these tires is similarly built, except with the larger 13.19 BC. I already have the semi trailer axles with exactly the same (11.25") bolt pattern...requiring no alterations (hub centered).

These are not drag race rims. They will go on a vehicle or trailer, on the rear, that will probably never go over 50 MPH or see a highway, except to cross it. Please explain where you think a failure could occur as my combination seems entirely up to the task (made for the purpose it's being used) and can hardly be compared to welding pipe on VW wheels.

 

[TCD]

Howdy,

Sorry for my jumping to inaccurate assumptions about your project!

When I read about grinding and angles as a machinist and gunsmith I think in terms of pretty precise metal work.

And since I was one of those splitting wheels in the bad old days I jumped the gun with my comments. One of the bad stories referred to was a rear wheel on my VW coming apart on the Hollywood freeway. Happy and flying along one minute and grinding to a halt in the center divider the next...

Again my apologies and good luck with your project!

Tom

 

[tobyS]

Tom,

Safety is always my goal. I understand about your's coming apart on the highway and why that would be a real problem, especially if it occurred with a 5 ton (or a deuce). I can't see any reason this is not a quality modification using parts intended for the use (even if in a slightly different combination).

Using narrow rims with wide tires puts lots of stress on sidewalls. The tries are over 16" wide. I hope to reduce the sidewall stress but am not going to bet the farm. And additionally, it reduces the unused rim components to camp-fire-ring status, unless somebody needs 8" MRAP wheels with 13.19 BC. I'm modifying 4 right now but have 12 of the Hutchinson rims and 16 of the sand trail tire-rim combinations that would seem perfect for AG use, low ground pressure situations (and fit a modern semi axle, hub centered).

 

[grendel]

Perhaps check with Jon at Stazworks?

http://stazworks.com/

 

[gimpyrobb]

Why? this seems like a simple machining operation. Just cause he hasn't got a website doesn't mean he can't do this any better or worse than another.

 

[grendel]

Liability.

I wouldn't want it, not with any insurance company out there looking for any excuse to not pay out a claim.

 

[patracy]

Pretty sure I could do it in my mill with the rotary table. But like others said, liability.

 

[tobyS]

I see from another thread that the o-ring is 60* installed. That's 30* total or 15* each side.

It won't be the first time I've assumed liability for my work, nor the last.

 

[tobyS]

Perhaps check with Jon at Stazworks?

http://stazworks.com/

Thanks grendel. To make a proper fit, while things appear to be consistent, I think we should have both parts of the rim to make sure that hub A fits with ring A. That would require shipping both parts two ways and get rather costly (to Wisconsin). A mill is probably what it will end up on, a lathe with enough gap at the head would make short work of it too.

 

[Special T]

What is the brand of the sand Tire? Do you now what the designated rim width is ? I would be surprised if 2" rim width makes a difference unless you are hauling any real weight.

 

[tobyS]

What is the brand of the sand Tire? Do you now what the designated rim width is ? I would be surprised if 2" rim width makes a difference unless you are hauling any real weight.

These seem to be made in South Africa and used on a special mine sweeper vehicle. It says "Sand Trail" (as a brand) and are 450/80/R20. The company claims the machine can go 50, so I don't see speed an issue. Obviously they won't tear up roads as bad as more load concentrating tires. Hydroplane and slick when wet..YEP!

It may not make any difference at all in performance in my sand box, but I gain the right bolt pattern. If the first four aren't worth the effort, I won't do more.

When I bought the Sand Trail wheel tire combo, I found the rims on them (the 13.19 BC) fit some NOS 25,000# Ag hubs that I have from prior work at a hub manufacturer. An alcoholic boss got mad that some older, recently moved machinery could not be made consistent (after moving an entire factory), producing 30% of these large hubs that were slightly out of specification. So he ordered the full lot of 150 scrapped. I saved 10 that were completely in spec. including several of the 4" solid machined axles.

It's interesting that the MRAP and rims with 13.19 BC are the same as the 25k ag hub. I have more than enough to do a two or three axle heavy hauler. Google ag dump trailers and instead of a farm tractor, substitute a 931.

 

[Special T]

I was going to try and look the specs up on the tire but have not been able to find the size by any manufacturer.