i ended up with a set of used bead lock rims that had the large 5 on 5.5 so i had some new centers made for them out of 5/16 flat.

what i started with


new center. 4 for $100

back side



front side

painted and tire mounted


total cost $160

 

the finished product looks bad ***! nice work! and cant beat the cost!

 

sweeeet. i have to ask how close to balanced they are? i drive my trail rig to and from the trail so id like to balance the wheels, do you think that would be possible with beadlocks like those?

 

normally i would have put them on the balancer at work but i got the wheels together about 1:30 the night b4 i was racing so time wasnt there. with the tires on them and the beadlocks it would prolly be a mother to get balanced. id just use air soft pellets. i havnt had a chance to run it down the road yet

 

Very nice work. But I think they will bend pretty easily. Now you only have a flat plate with holes cut into it mounted on a small hub, with all the leverage of the tire against it. You have no reinforcing bends like the original "centers". Unless you add any gussets, I forsee bent wheels (first the fronts) in your future.

I think when people say they are replacing the centers, they mean only the part that gets bolted to the hub. Not the entire wheel.

This is just my 18 yr old-wannabe-engineer opinion, so I could be wayyyy wrong.

 

People do it with H1s all the time and they seem to work just fine. Doubt he's going to bend 5/16 plate and if he does the wheel is prob the least of his worries.

 

So they do replace the entire inside part of the wheel? I thought it was just the part that actually mounted to the hub...

I learned something.

 

i know what your sayin but thats why i went with 5/16 and not 1/4. the cut outs are a good way from the lug holes and there is still a full 1in around the outside.

this is a pic of a 49x14.9R24 tire with 7/16 flat centers. they been on the rig for 3years they survived top truck challenge '07. there is a lot more mass there to turn and even usin hydro steer they have not bent.


so with the mass of them holdin up i believe a 16in rim runnin a 36 will be fine.

 

some video of what they took so far

 

where did you get the new centers?

 

a place called A to Z manufacturing. they do big jobs for places so my centers wasnt nothin for them. they have the laser and plasma tables. they are only 15miles from me

 

Those vids made my neck hurt, not sure how you didn't shove the front axle thru the floor board at the end of the first one. I LOVE seeing someone use their rig for what it was built for and use it well I might add. Looks like fun hope you wear a neck brace.

 

the big tires are more forgiving then you would think but the first run i did take out a u-joint and axle when i landed on them.
i didnt have a neck brace on no but they are a good idea. best part of it all. the broke joint, axles and broke in half rear shock was the first place finish! haha

 

haha congrats

 

Interesting setup. Do you have some pics of the boatside build?