First off, you take a factory steel wheel, cut around the circumference, usually between the edge of the rim and the face of the hub. Banded wheels are often seen on lorries and other commercial vehicles, too. There are companies like Weller that manufacture wider steel wheels from scratch, but it’s safe to expect to pay more, and you may not find a design that’s to your liking.
It is ‘common knowledge’ that banded wheels are ‘illegal’ and that they became illegal in the late 80s/early 90s due to badly banded wheels failing and causing accidents. Banded wheels may give you trouble come MOT time or if you happen to be the victim of a ‘random police check’ for any reason. The principles involved in banded wheels are no different to that involved in manufacturing and repairing other critical parts of your car.
how to band wheels Related Question:
Are banded wheels legal UK?
Are banded wheels Legal? There is no law in the uk regarding banding steel wheels, although we advise that they have been carried out by a competent engineer and must be safe. If you require any wheel banding please get in touch.
Is it safe to widen wheels?
Why Wheel Widening Is Dangerous Its ability to resist the kind of common stress applied at a 90-degree angle to the weld—such as hitting a pothole or a manhole cover—is very, very low. The resulting failure of the weld will cause the tire to deflate instantaneously and can potentially kill you or someone else.
Can you widen 2 piece wheels?
Widening a wheel by banding is usually done for steel wheels and single piece aluminum wheels but with multi piece wheels there are too many stresses involved in order to do it safely IMO.
Are banded wheels safe?
Banded wheels are often seen on lorries and other commercial vehicles, too. Despite sounding quite labour intensive, it’s a cost-effective way to widen wheels while retaining an OEM look. It’s also safe, providing you’ve used a reputable establishment to do the work.
Are banded wheels load rated?
There are no load rating figures because I suspect banding wheels is so inconsistent in quality, no individual bander would have the time or money to have all their different wheel sizes and widths officially approved and load rated.
What happens if a tire is too wide for a rim?
If the rim width is too narrow, you pinch the tire in and cause it to balloon more in cross-section. If the rim width is too wide, you run the risk of the tire ripping away at high speed. For 50-series tires and above, the rim width is 70% of the tire’s section width, rounded off to the nearest 0.5.
Is a wider rim better?
When running a wider rim, you are increasing the air volume which is resulting in a smoother ride since the base of the tire is now wider. This allows the rider to run their suspension a tad bit stiffer without losing that great ride feel while gaining more control.
How much wider can a tire be than the rim?
As a general rule of thumb, it’s safe to fit a tire up to 20 millimeters wider than stock on the original rim. The actual width of the tire will vary depending on the width of the rim: The tire will expand 5 millimeters for every half inch (12.5 millimeters) increase in rim width.
Are steel wheels cool?
Steel wheels are the hottest option in the market right now due to their look and longevity. They may not necessarily excel in the performance of the car as much as other components do, yet they can make a great difference to its appeal and appearance. Looking for the best steel wheels on the market?
What are wheel spacers?
Wheel spacers are special components which create more space in the area that lies between the wheel hub assembly and the wheel itself. You place the wheel spacers over the holding bracket of the vehicle to produce this additional space.
Can you narrow alloy wheels?
Alloy wheel narrowing involves cutting the back section of your wheel, cutting the required reduction out of the back section, before fitting and welding it back onto the front section of your wheel.
What are two piece wheels?
2-piece wheels consist of two separate components: the barrel (the rim) and the face (center piece and spokes). 2-piece wheels offer more customization and a wide variety of offset and width options.
Are steelies good?
Steel wheels are significantly stronger than alloy wheels making them the ideal choice for use in the Winter and for more powerful vehicles. Unlike alloy wheels, durability is a major advantage when it comes to steel wheels.
What are Steelie wheels?
Steel wheels, or steelies, are automobile wheels that are constructed out of the metal. Due to their cheap and simple design, they are fairly ubiquitous, and are often included as the stock wheels on the cheapest base trim of many car models.
What is a steel wheel in poker?
Explanation of Steel Wheel It’s common in poker to use nicknames to describe different types of poker hands. The nickname for the Ace to Five straight flush is the “steel wheel”.