Wheel Blanks Options

[Ruroniarc]

Hey, I don't know if this is in the right section, or even possible, but I figured I would ask.

I am going to college next year, and I'm going to be attending Worcester Polytech Institute. Which means, I have access to about 13 CNC machines. I'd like to machine my own rims for my Celica. Does anyone here know of a place where I can get wheel blanks, like ready-made rims but nothing cut out of them?

Once again, I'm not sure if they even do this outside of the motorcycle realm. But if at all possible, I want to CNC my own rims, for something a little more unique.

Thanks guys.

Small Edit For Picture: This is a motorcycle rim.



This post has been edited by Ruroniarc: May 19, 2009 - 5:14 PM

[playr158]

Car wheels are normally Forged, not sure many are actually CNC machined.

But you would want to look into the industrial Metal suppliers.

This post has been edited by playr158: May 19, 2009 - 5:59 PM

[95CelicaST]

I can probably get you raw steel blanks - but who wants steel wheels?


And it'll be expensive.

[Ruroniarc]

I was looking for aluminum rims. Basically, I want a rim that I could slap a tire on and put on my car, but there is nothing cut out of the inside.

[Legit94GT]

So that is cool that you are going to a school with all that, glad to see that some people still want to work in the trades;)
Problem 1. Because it is a school i high doubt that they will let you make them cause if something were to break and you crashed your car cause the rims broke they could be liable. Maybe sign a wavier or something?

Problem 2. It will take alot of technical cnc programming to make your rims. Assuming you are making something nice, and not just something with some holes drilled in it. I am talking about needing to use like 4 axies (sp?) at once if you want to make some cool looking rims, and depending on what software they are using it would be alot of work. no saying you can't do it, but i don't know if you have any experience doing any of that or whatever, but this would be an advanced project that probablly should wait a bit till you got some experience under your belt.

Problem 3. Ordering the wheel blanks. Companies do exsit that do exactly what you are talking about, and it might be more effecient to have them do it. They will be heavy, and storing them could be problematic. you would probablly need to have them deliver to your school and stored there.

feel free to email me if you wanna talk more about all this, i am a cnc machinist and know a thing or about a thing or two

[Ruroniarc]

Yeah, I was gonna wait until I was about two years into my education. The school lets you do whatever you want in their machine rooms as long as you don't break ****. I just don't have a clue where I could get the blanks.

Also, about the trade thing. I'm actually going for Electrical and Computer Engineering, but I have a strong basis in Mechanical from my Dad, so I want to incorporate the best of both worlds into my project.

[Mstoochn]

Yeah, I was gonna wait until I was about two years into my education. The school lets you do whatever you want in their machine rooms as long as you don't break ****. I just don't have a clue where I could get the blanks.

Also, about the trade thing. I'm actually going for Electrical and Computer Engineering, but I have a strong basis in Mechanical from my Dad, so I want to incorporate the best of both worlds into my project.

You can infact buy wheel blanks from rims manufacturs, RTX, BBS, A-Pro, Enkei sell there aluminum wheel blanks at 95$ a pop USD + Shipping send off an email or call them directly (ppl do this all the time in canada)

[dgbldr]

Yeah, I was gonna wait until I was about two years into my education.

Good idea. Once you get into engineering a bit, you might decide it's a good idea to model the wheels first and learn how to properly analyze the design for the required loads and speeds.

Tossing some blanks on a CNC and making pretty wheels is OK for a static show car. If you plan on actually driving on them, you may want to make sure they don't fly apart at 100 mph. Also don't forget the legal liability of driving on non-DOT approved wheels.

[GriffGirl]

How does Chip Foose do it? That's what I'd look to as a model. You know, if I had the smarts and ability to take on such an endeavor.

Good luck with it, I think it'll be VERY cool if you're able to do this!

This post has been edited by GriffGirl: Jun 11, 2009 - 1:20 PM

[97lestyousay]

Any thing is possible but the blanks to make such wheels are likely going to cost as much as a set of gram lights,
you are talking about a 17 to 18 in dia or square block that size and 7 1/2 inches thick. Most motorcycle
rims are thinner so avalability is much more common. I would look at alluminum makers like alcoa or
someone like that, I am sure you can find it but very expensive and a specialty item also heavy as hell
so shipping isn't going to be cheap.



As a first year machining student you may think of a different project. I have been machining on CNC mills for 17 years,
I do extremely close tolerence prototype work and I can tell you it is not going to be some simple thing, whipping out a set
of wheels. If you just can't let the idea go, start with a design. What you want the end result to be is going to determine how
it should be made. A 17 inch slug with five holes would not be that hard to make but they would weigh about 80 lbs each.

Edit: After looking at the picture above you can see about 80% of the material has been removed from the inside back
(look a the thickness of the center hole) The blank above was done on a cnc lathe before it ever hits a mill, and the
outside will probably be cut again to finished size also on a lathe because removing more material is going to make it relieve.

Also as was stated by Dan above most wheels are forged, and with good reason, it is much stronger than extruded alluminum
of the same weight.

This post has been edited by 97lestyousay: Jun 12, 2009 - 12:55 AM