one/two piece wheels?

[53guy]

What's the difference between one and two piece wheels? What type is better? I'm looking at these wheels (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=USW%2D94%2D5860&N=700+4294923105+4294795098+4294906447+4294906445+ 4294793325+4294795067+115&autoview=sku) on summit's web site and don't understand. I've always used one piece wheels, so this is new to me even though it appears to be old tech.

[kubtastic]

i think real two piece wheels have gone the way of leaded gasoline and cars with no seat belts. I don't know what "modular" is supposed to mean.

[WB9YZU]

Go to the USWHEEL website. "Modular" is the design series and really has nothing to do with the fact that they are regular steel wheels with a little "Bling" added.
The specs on the Summit website are really deceiving. All steel rims are made with a center section welded to the outer rim, hence 2pc. Aluminum rims are cast or machined as one piece.

Real 2pc rims went away even before leaded gas died. You will still see them on older trucks, and you need a blast cage to change tires on them. Most places will not service them as you need a blast cage to safely inflate them once you have dissasembled and reassembled the rim.

Beadlocks make a regular rim into a 2pc wheel. They are not DOT legal. You take a wheel and modify it so the outter lip is the inner ring, and squash the outside tire bead between it and the outside ring. The inner and outside rings are then bolted together, trapping the outer tire bead. This prevents the outer bead from moving on the rim and prevents airdowns under extreme airdown or torque conditions.

HTH
Ron

[53guy]

Awesome. I appreciate the help. The only experience with two piece rims is at work and I know they are dangerous as hell and just don't even mess with them.

[ILLXJ]

Awesome. I appreciate the help. The only experience with two piece rims is at work and I know they are dangerous as hell and just don't even mess with them.

It gets interesting when the lock ring blows off. Seen it happen a few times, always in a cage. Saw some pics. in AIT of what happens when they aren't put in one. Not pretty. JIM.

[Dirk Pitt]

They are not DOT legal.

Can you tell me where this is written?

And I'm not being a smartass.

[IntrepidXJ]

Can you tell me where this is written?


x2....there is a reward on pirate4x4 in cash if you can find it :)

[Lawn Cher']

Can you tell me where this is written?

And I'm not being a smartass.

Aw, you asked nicely before I could smite him with the SPOBI hammer.

[WB9YZU]

[quote=Dirk Pitt]Can you tell me where this is written?

I can see your argument and have seen the SPOBI call a few posts later <shrug>

Federal Standards indicate (Title 49 cfr 571.120 s5.2) that a rim shall be stamped with the following information: a) Rim dimensions b) Standards to which the wheel was manufactured c) DOT indicating that the rim meets all DOT standards for safety d) Manufacture name e) When manufactured.

There appears to a be a couple of companies that unknown to me, have submitted their manufactured rims for DOT approval and have received said approval (Good for them!!)

The question then becomes "Is it legal to modify a DOT approved rim and to use it on the highway?" My answer is still "No". The rim has been modified from it's original DOT certified form, thus it is not a DOT approved rim for highway use. If that rim fails on the highway and hurts someone, you could be up shyst creek without a rubber raft. Is there a specific law which states that it is "Illegal" to run "Beadlocks"? Not likely. The DOT laws are ages behind what people are doing to their vehicles and IMO it is up to us to use our best judgment.

Cher' ,SPOBI away if it makes you feel better, but it won't make it so.

:D Ron

[lazarus]

um, hate to throw in a nother wrench ! but a lot of aluminium wheels are also several piece. for instance a lot of them area large band that gets heated and then have a center pressed or dropped into them then welded. And I thought that tires not wheels were controlled by dot? I could be wrong on that one as zuki has put up the info!

[WB9YZU]

um, hate to throw in a nother wrench ! but a lot of aluminium wheels are also several piece. for instance a lot of them area large band that gets heated and then have a center pressed or dropped into them then welded. And I thought that tires not wheels were controlled by dot? I could be wrong on that one as zuki has put up the info!

I know that many aircraft wheels are two piece bolt together aluminum, but I haven't seen an aluminum Auto/Truck rim that wasn't cast then machined whole, or machined out of whole stock.
I guess if you get to looking at a particular item you see a lot of different stuff <shrug>