OD iron rim?

[bottleworks]

Bottleworks, If you want to talk NC law, you better read the document you posted. MVR-55 must be signed and notarized as steps in your instructions.

Ah, good find. I could not find the MVR-55. It's not in the PDF copy of the title manual I have. I agree, my example doesn't fit. However, stating that a vehicle that has a plate = vehicle meets fed requirements is still untrue. Automotive manufacturers can plate prototype vehicles... I am sure you can research better examples.

Have you found anything with regards to DOT requirements with MVs and custom wheels?

 

[joec]

YES they are

 

[davidkroberts]

I have a titled Unimog 404 that i had titled, licensed, and insured without any problems. Being its a German Mercedes manufactured for the Swiss Military i dont think it was ever DOT approved. I think the DOT certification is a benchmark manufacturers have to meet for selling new vehicles in the US for US customers. I dont think those certifications have anything to do with used equipment. Ive had used Yanmar diesel tractors without an EPA certified engine.

As to a DOT certification on an aftermarket wheel i cant see why it would matter. Legally if you do anything mechanically to a vehicle you have voided an certification anyway.

 

[tjcouch]

I can't speak to the esoteric discussion here, but what I do know is that I have them on my truck and they are BEEFY - the plate Mike welds in is 5/8" thick and the welds are the highly sought after "stack of dimes." Speaking of dimes, the following pic is a dime sitting on the wheel "spoke."

If you saw them in-person I doubt there would be any reservations as to their structural strength.

 

[tjcouch]

That is one reason why no more HMMWV's are being sold to the public.

Moving off topic here - but I find this an interesting point: I was talking with someone the other day and mentioned that one can not by a HMMWV w/o out it being shredded. . . . . but I don't know why . . . .

I assumed that it was b/c they are still "new technology" and our forces would prefer that they not end up in the wrong person's hands.

While your statement makes perfect sense . . . liability concerns . . . it does not explain why other non padded dash, etc. vehicle are being sold as an operable vehicle . . . . so . . . I am still curious, "why do they have to be shredded?"

I probably should have searched and I would find the answer here somewhere . . . but for now I will just put on my fire retardant undergarments to avoid the impending "flames."

 

[OPCOM]

This is weird, I never noticed an anti-ODIron crowd. Maybe there isn't one. If there is, or if there are other anti-xyz crowds, I am happy not to have noticed it. I want a set of the wheels so I can run the taller tires to lower the RPMs on the super slab. maybe some day.

 

[DanMartin]

Well, I have the OD Iron rims, and I can say they are of excellent quality and design. I also noted that the centers are thicker than stock, welded correctly, and the offsets are designed for use on an G742 series truck without requiring flipping of the hubs. I feel very confident that the OD Iron wheels will hold up as well than or better than the stock type rims.

I think they are great, excellent quality, great value, and I know that Mike at OD Iron would stand behind them if there were a problem.

...and No, I'm not paid to say this...I'm a satisfied customer who believes in passing along information to others. If these wheels were crap, I'd be barking 10x louder...believe me.

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Well this is a interesting thread. Not that I would buy those rims, I was worried enough when I had a couple of the older rims that were rivited.

But I can see where don is comming from...............................I get it don.

 

[FreightTrain]

Well,actually the reason we couldn't have Humvees is cause AM general and GM paid off some politicians to declare them not safe so they didn't have any competition with the Civy version.

 

[devilman96]

Guys, is this an OD iron rim?

Yes, it is...

Are they DOT approved?

Jeff

Yes the shells have a DOT number... Have I ever sold these as a "DOT approved wheel assy"? no... The fact that I do 86 MPH with the ones under my deuce is my own business!!!

Are deuces? M151s? HMMWVs?

Yep... they are not, nor do they have to be as they are exempt as pointed out.

I guess the underlying question is if the OD iron rim meet or exceed the standards set for in section 571-120 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (Chapter V--National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT, under Title 49)?

There is alot of liability rolling around on a set of rims whether they be stock or custom.

Nothing military is inspected to meet 571... I don’t build for 571... and (nothing against you asking) I don’t remotely care about ANY fed regulation for ANYTHING ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME... (total libertarian, I stand behind my work and take the load without your, or my tax dollars telling me to be a responsible business man.)

However If anyone would like me to have the whole assy approved I can... It will drive the cost up about $250 per wheel on ever wheel I sell in the future... Kind'a defeats the purpose of me making them... First customer in line that wants a fully approved wheel, contact me... I'll be happy to have them done right away... Right after you write the check! ... I’m not ranting... I’m just sayin... if ya want to pay for it... I'll build it!

I was just asking... There must be a process for getting wheels approved. Look at all the aftermarket wheels. Not to pick on Mike but I'm curious how he designed the wheel and decided things like material thickness and how big he could go on the slots, etc.

Jeff

I don’t think anyone is picking... With the exception of Captain Negativity hovering over an ODI posting like a fly over a pile of crap (as usual) Otherwise it’s all pretty much valid and a lot of really good questions are being brought up.

The history is this...

Three (or so) years ago I needed wheels for the Diablo project... I was going to buy 6X6 wheels (yeah yeah I know)

Chris (steelsoldiers) grilled me on the idea... Why put someone else wheels on my truck when I'm capable of doing my own?... He had a point... He knows how picky I am... he also knew what I could offer the members here in doing so.

I put up some postings about the idea asking the members here what they thought a super single should be for a deuce… These wheels are a direct result of what the membership wanted.

I considered A3 wheels... (again not DOT approved)... but they don’t balance... are incredibly unstraight... leak like crazy and are HEAVY as all get out.

I knew a one piece would far out perform a "bead lock"... run FAR truer... be much safer... and cost a LOT less to build.

G actually did the home work on these, he had came up with the back spacing and reversibility idea like the 5 tons years before I had a glimmer of building them... His initial idea was a pressed center... but with the market and qtys can’t justify the cost or production numbers needed for me to get them made that way. (obviously I don’t own a 150k press machine.)

From his measurements I took the concept and built the first set using DOT approved shells on a center plate.. With his blessing of course!

The spoked hole design... I wanted a similar look to the stock wheels but it is also a safety feature against cracking... If a crack were to develop in a spider (disc area) it would not be able to run the full length of the wheel causing a catastrophic failure as it would have to stop and then restart every few inches... Near impossiable to happen and would be noticed by the owner long before anything failed if it DID manage to happen some how.

Note I don’t offer any other center design...

Note I don’t offer any other wheels for other applications...

The hole (scallop cut) size is a 2 parts answer..
A strength
B That’s the size needed to fit a valve stem into the spider cut out area (and be able to fill it) to keep it protected while offroading.

I have been asked SEVERAL dozen times to build a "solid center"... It’s possible to do and would probably work without issue... However I will not take on the responsibility or sell something knowing what is possiable with cracking... I can and will make an A3 "look alike" cover plate for them... But not a solid center.

The design was laid out in CAD and tested for force loads far beyond what is needed... Many people much smarter than I were involved in the process of prototyping and designing these… Short of going off of a cliff or putting 800 HP in front of them (which they were not built for) all is good.

I am VERY snippy about specific information on these... I’ve gone through the trouble of producing something for the market that no one else would go through the annoyance of doing... Though the measurements are around on the site I will not give out back spacing if asked... Force load info, spec, etc I have no comment on... Why is very simple... Certain people don’t like to do their home work and prefer stealing others work!!! If you want to know you’re going to have to go work it out on your own!!!

I sell a LOT of these wheels and everyone that has them… raves about them. I have had 2 leak issues in the (roughly) 300 of them put under trucks in the past year or so. (TJ was one of those people) The leaks came into play where the valve stems were located within the shell, not in a spider to shell area… The wheels were replaced! And speaking of TJ… yours is till at Cliffs place I think… Rally???

I didn’t build them with the intent of getting rich off of them. I have managed to thus far keep building them where several other companies have gone out of business attempting to do so.

I run a 4-8 week lead time on them… Not 6-8 months like other guys… If I have a 20+ piece dealer order in the pipeline it takes a few weeks to clear the schedule out… If not I have gotten them from raw sheet to the customer in under 10 days… Pretty good compared to the past wheel service offered by others in the business.

Though I am now selling to several well known dealers and builders in the US I still offer them to SS members directly...

If ya don’t like them or trust them... don’t buy them we all have our preferences.

Moving off topic here - but I find this an interesting point: I was talking with someone the other day and mentioned that one cannot by a HMMWV w/o out it being shredded. . . . . but I don't know why . . . .

I assumed that it was b/c they are still "new technology" and our forces would prefer that they not end up in the wrong person's hands.

TJ... The answer is marketing... Under contract with AMG the military was forbidden to dispose of their trucks to the public with AM citing the fact that it would compete with their H1 line... Now that the H1 is gone (and I'll bet Hummer goes out completely) that MAY change... I’m sure there is other BS wrapped up in that but I know this was the main stay of why...

 

[Chevytruck]

this thread is interesting and its showing me a lot about tires i didn't know about
now i know at least some of why they don't sell Humvee to the public!!!!
doesn't everyone wish they had one of those!

 

[Alredneck]

GO MIKE GO May OD Iron have many successful years!

As for humvees in civy hands I doubt it, since a whole bunch are going brand new to Armies overseas that we will end up having to get into it with at a later date. Look at how many Uparomored ones the Iraqis have bought (more like you the taxpayer bought for them ) in the last couple years, also Isreal has bought some to plus a couple other countries.

Im willing to execpt a set of wheels for some down n dirty no holds barred testing if anybodies interested, if it wasnt for me trying to buy all the different trucks for my own business start up I would put some proudly on Apoc!!!!!

 

[cattlerepairman]

devilman96

devilman 96:

It is refreshing to read a level-headed and honest response. All the info is on the table for everyone to make an informed decision.

 

[tjcouch]

[ And speaking of TJ… yours is till at Cliffs place I think… Rally???

Aye!

 

[vinny-socom1]

 

[OPCOM]

still want some ODI rims, but I have to get the 56FT radio tower up first. Always something.. but the truck is functional with the existing wheels, whereas the old iron and glass is useless without a skyhook.