The ET Lug Nut issue was another reason I believe that the Aftermarket Wheel Industry is in sad need of some technical people that know and understand what an automotive wheel is and what it is supposed to do. After reading some of the comments and lack of comments on your Basecamp email, regarding this issue, it confirmed my belief that there isn’t currently any competent technical people on your Council, and certainly no good knowledgeable people active in the industry today. I think there are a couple of folks that I used to consider very good technical guys, but they have since succumb to the ego feeding frenzy that seems to get to all of us a one point.

I’m sad to say that gone are the old timers that started this industry. Guys that were “Car Guys”, and actually worked in the industry, designing, developing new methods of making wheels and putting them together. Creating new finishes, new ways to attach the wheels to the vehicle and developing sales and marketing strategies to sell the wheels. Now is seems that the technical people are gone, replaced by a computer in China. Wheel engineers are really only a Chinaman on a computer running a SolidWorks or Pro-E CAD program. Structural knowledge and design is done by inputting the design into a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) computer program and letting it make the decisions. Not a bad way to do it if you don’t care about the weight of the wheel. In fact, I’d say the only folks that benefit from design by FEA are the aluminum companies and the shipping companies. The heavier the wheel, the happier they are.

Testing is a joke. All the Asian wheel companies have testing equipment and claim that their wheels are all tested and meet a standard. Based on my experience with Chinese companies (and there are many) they don’t understand the first thing about wheels much less how to test them. Remember, most of the factories have only been doing this for less than 10 years. Their technical people are all graduates of their universities, but most of them have never even driven a car, much less know anything about them. I doubt their universities have courses in wheel design, wheel testing or anything involving an automotive wheel. Their knowledge and experience is based on “monkey see, monkey do”, and what they’ve seen on the internet. I do believe they have classes in “how to copy anything, and make it cheaper”.

Other than technical people, the industry is flush with sales and marketing people. The day of the outside salesman is fast becoming extinct, because the internet is the now place to sell. Web sites are the new ego race. It is evident that the comments by some of the members of the ET Lug Nut) Task Group was proof that they had no clue about the purpose or history of the ET Lug Nut. A few buzz words like “shear point” and “torque value” would make one think they had some knowledge or technical background. By the way, what is “torque value”? Sounds very technical, so I would like to know what it means.

As for Fitments and Applications, that’s a bigger joke than testing. There are now a few companies that are offering fitment and application information for those companies that don’t have their own staff that goes out and actually checks brake caliper configurations, hub sizes, bolt patterns, offsets and fender clearances. I’ve seen some of this information and have seen a phrase or term that is called the “X Factor”. I’ve been told that that is the brake caliper clearance or condition that is used to determine the configuration of the back side of a wheel in order to assure there is no interference between the wheel and the brake system. I’ve designed a lot of wheels and can say from experience that to insure proper and ample brake clearance, I had to actually measure and chart the true configuration of the brake caliper in relation to the mounting surface of the wheel. I’m guessing that the “X Factor” is based on 3 conditions:

1) the brakes are really big.
2) the brakes aren’t that big.
3) the brakes aren’t big at all.

Designing wheels is an exact science, and the “X Factor” is just a way of saying, “we really don’t have any exact measurements or configurations, but we think it is —–”. As I said, a joke. But the industry seems to have bought it. I guess that speaks volumes for the industry as a hole today.

I’m sure all the members of the Select Committee are extremely busy these days due to the massive amount of business that is coming your way via the results of the Stimulus Plan that our new Leader and his Merry Band of Legislators have provided us. Oh wait a minute, maybe the Aftermarket Wheel Industry doesn’t get any of the Pork, because they haven’t shown enough failure or don’t have enough Union workers. In any event, when any of the Select Committee, SEMA Staff, ET Lug Nut) Task Group or any other member of the Wheel Industry finds time to thank me for my effort in helping resolve the ET Lug Nut controversy it would be appreciated. I’m excluding the one individual who responded to my TECH Stuff # 13 article in my blog, Brian Boley. He had some useful input the industry could benefit from. Thanks Brian.

Going back to the 50′s and early 60′s, the Aftermarket Wheel Industry was born because of the desire of car guys that wanted something other than stock painted wheels in stock sizes. These cars guys wanted chrome wheels and they wanted them wider so they could use bigger tires. At that time, the OEM’s didn’t offer aluminum wheels. As a result the stud length was shorter on the vehicles. The average stud length was about 3/4″ to 7/8″. This was adequate for steel wheels and there were no thread engagement issues. Then in the early 60′s, the Aftermarket Wheel Industry started offering aluminum alloy wheels. The developers of these wheels solved the thread engagement problem by coming up with the Mag Type lug nut. Since the mounting pad thickness was about the same thickness as the stud length on the vehicles, which left little or no threads on the stud to attach a standard conical seat lug nut, they came up with a lug nut that had a shank that went into the wheel lug hole enough to accomplish proper thread engagement (see illustration). This system was adequate but left a lot to be desired. In order to assure that the wheel was attached to the vehicle with good alignment and acceptable runout, the diameter of the lug hole had to be drilled with a minimum of clearance for the lug nut. After the vehicle was driven enough to heat up the brakes and wheels, the aluminum wheel expanded, thus shrinking the diameter of the lug nut hole. It was then very difficult to remove the lug nuts when the wheel was hot, in order to change a flat tire or what ever.

Now moving forward in time, the OEM’s began offering aluminum alloy wheels on new vehicles. They determined that the use of Mag Type lug nuts was not the best system. They began to offer their aluminum wheels with conical seat lug nuts. They did however lengthen the studs on the vehicles that were offered with aluminum wheels so there was adequate thread engagement. This prompted the Aftermarket Industry to adjust their offering so they could keep up with the OEM’s. In the late 80′s, the Aftermarket Industry began drilling their lug holes with a conical seat instead of the Mag Type lug hole. It was then discovered that the use of a standard lug nut (Acorn Type) was causing problems with the seating area of the wheel. Steel inserts was a solution, but it was soon discovered that the OEM’s were using a Bulged Type lug nut which eliminated the problem with the seating area. So the Aftermarket lug nut manufacturers started offering Bulged Type lug nuts. At that point it seemed that all was well in the Aftermarket Wheel Industry. Not so.

The problem of thread engagement became an issue when a conversion from steel to alloy wheels was made on vehicles that had short studs and were never intended to have alloy wheels. The Aftermarket again responded by developing a Bulged Type lug nut with an extension that would go into the lug hole enough so that proper thread engagement could be accomplished. This lug nut was called the ET (extended thread). Combined with the bulged seat area, the extended thread provides the best attachment that is currently offered.

I have recently observed another problem. In my illustration I show examples of wheels with mounting pad thicknesses from .390″(10mm) to .630″(16mm). I do not recommend a mounting pad thickness to be greater than .390″(10mm). I have done extensive testing on wheels produced in China since 1993 using a .390″(10mm) mounting pad thickness. I have sold in excess of 750,000 wheels and never experienced any failures. Using a Std. Bulged Type lug nut in a wheel with a .390″(10mm) pad thickness on a vehicle with short studs (.800″) (see illustration) is still under the minimum thread engagement recommendation of SAE. And using an ET Bulged Type lug nut in a wheel with a .630″(16mm) pad thickness on a vehicle with short studs (.800″) (again see illustration) is also under the minimum thread engagement recommendation of SAE. In my opinion, ET lug nuts should be used on all aluminum wheels. In summary, what does an ET Type lug nut do? It provides a method to assure proper thread engagement. What is proper thread engagement? Proper thread engagement is defined as engaging the threads onto the bolt or stud by at least the diameter of the bolt or stud. Prior to mounting a wheel on a vehicle, the length of the stud should be checked against the thickness of the mounting pad below the bottom of the conical or spherical seat. Another way to check is to mount the wheel and check how many turns the fastener makes before it reaches the seating area. An example is if using a ½”-20 nut, then there should be at least 10 complete turns.

Being a wheel designer, he wasn’t satisfied with the choices that were available from the wheel industry. It seemed that there was a lack of individualism in the Hot Rod field, and that everyone ran the same two or three styles. So Anderson designed the TQ and started selling Hot Rod wheels.

In January of 2007, Anderson retired and sold his Hot Rod wheel business to HRH Classic Alloys. He now spends most of his time working on his own Rods and doing a little consulting to the wheel industry. Along with the TQ, HRH offers a wide variety of wheels and tires for Rods and Customs. Call them at 800.372.5133 or check out their website at TWE-Inc.com. Also check out Anderson’s Blog at wheelprofessor.com.

Tom Madigan has been an automotive writer for over 40 years. He was a feature editor for Popular Hot Rodding magazine for many years and has written several books including Boss: The Bill Stroppe Story and The Loner: the Story of a Drag Racer. Tom recently wrote the book Edelbrock: Made in the USA.

Larry Anderson, the Wheel Professor, believes in quality of product no matter what the decade.

In the old days, many of the pioneers who manufactured high performance equipment for hot rods and race cars were themselves racers and enthusiasts. Over the years, big business took over, the bottom line became the definitive goal and most of the small shop operators gave in to progress. The one on one approach between supplier and racer was lost. Marketing, bulk sales, wholesale distribution took priority over any personal relationship. The manufacturer became a nameless figure and direct contact with the customer was long forgotten. Today mass marketing, warehouse capacity and sales figures dominant the performance industry as product demand forces more emphasis on quantity and less on quality.

The picture of production growing as fast as today’s high-tech computer programs paints a characterization of modern business in its most expansive mode. Some believe that this furious pace is a rule set in stone. Thankfully there is an exception to every rule and the following story may be one for the performance enthusiast to consider as enlightening.
California native Larry Anderson, creator and president of WheelTech International Corp. based in the Southern California city of Riverside, has recently introduced a line of custom wheels with applications in the Street Rod and Muscle Car market. Nothing unusual or earth-shattering about this concept at first glance until the initial rhetoric is moved aside and it is discovered that in this case, not only are the wheels a throwback to the good old days, but the owner fits the same classification.

Anderson creates and sells wheels that fulfill his own personal standards. The company philosophy is a reversion to the earlier days of the performance business when racers and enthusiasts could find the manufacturer of their favorite pieces of performance equipment in the middle of competition trying to prove their products to their customers. Back then the manufacturer believed that racing on Sunday meant selling on Monday. Vic Edelbrock Sr. one of the most famous names in the performance industry, once said he would never put his name on any product that he didn’t use and believed that his products were the best they could be before they went to a consumer.
The repercussion of this simplicity in marketing, this uncomplicated method for selling a signature product is unpretentious. The act of putting your name on the product says you believe that reputation means everything. Quality and not quantity becomes the focus. At the time of this writing WheelTech produces only three choices in custom wheel applications, however, there is much more to the story than a list of offerings. The man behind the company is the key to why this small wheel supplier is willing to buck the super powers in the aftermarket wheel business with a commitment to high standards in product quality and a promise to return to the past for company service to the customer.

The Man, Behind This Concept…
The notion of high quality at WheelTech is not an idle boast. To get a clearer picture of the product, it is a good idea to take a close-up look at the creator.

WheelTech International did not fall from the sky onto the performance market it was the product of a serious dose of hard work coupled with a strong desire to complete a lifelong dream. Larry Anderson, founder of the company is also the head designer, marketing manager, the major labor force plus chief cook and bottle washer. Anderson and his love for hot rods begins in the late 1950s with his first car, a 1929 Model A five window coupe purchased before he had a driver’s license. At age 16 a 1947 Ford coupe, then an Olds 88. At 17 his first trip to a drag strip. One year later Larry joined the brotherhood of real hot rod enthusiasts with the building of a traditional style 1931 Model A, powered by a very stout Olds V-8.

After a stint in the Marine Corps, Anderson returned to his fathers business. He had worked off and on for his father from age 13 learning the metal stamping business. This experience would propel his desire to become involved in the wheel manufacturing business. By the late 1960s Anderson was ready to strike out on his own and his industrious nature pushed him into developing his own venture called Anderson-Walker Industries, a metal stamping and fabrication company that included stamping steel wheel centers for custom wheels. The company started producing centers for VW dune buggy wheels for Johnny’s Speed & Chrome.

Throughout the 1970s Anderson continued developing technology in creating wheel center stampings and was instrumental in developing the first chrome steel smoothie wheel for Johnny’s Speed & Chrome. During this time period Anderson-Walker (Larry) began designing and building a line of wheel centers that were sold to companies like American Racing, Appliance, Keystone, Rocket, Superior and Western wheel.

The demand for aftermarket wheels took a new direction in the early 1970s, off-road racing blossomed into a serious sport and Anderson saw the chance for expansion. He created more off-road wheel designs as well as a line of products for the hard core off-road enthusiast. Working with both Bilstein and Mickey Thompson he developed cooling fins for shock absorbers to keep them cool under extreme conditions. Also, dune buggy skid plates and suspension components were added to the list of off-road parts. Always the enthusiast Larry could not contain himself with just building parts he had to compete. From 1971 thru 1977 Anderson built and raced a single seat buggy in major events including the Mint 400, Baja 500 and the Mexican 1000. Again, Anderson proved his philosophy that using your own products help to make them better. As the off-road segment of the industry grew, Anderson-Walker became a leader in the production of wheels for off-road buggies as well as for the newest market, four-wheel drive sport utility vehicles. The future looked bright for the aftermarket wheel industry.
Then, without much warning, the 1970s fell into the clutches of the great gasoline debacle. All segments of the auto industry took some serious body blows. This was especially true for the off-road market. Monster four-wheel drive vehicles, getting about 10 mpg fell from grace in the eyes of the public. A collateral victim of the fuel crisis was the aftermarket suppliers, wheels being a major portion of that business. By 1979 Anderson-Walker began having very serious financial problems and in an effort to save the company from ruin, Larry designed a new style steel wheel fashioned after the Centerline Champ style three piece aluminum wheel. It had 10 round holes and 20 simulated rivets and the center was colored black or gold. The wheel was introduced at the 1979 SEMA show as the Steel Modular (later known as the Chrome Mod) and became a huge success, unfortunately not as an Anderson-Walker product. Despite his best efforts the economic struggles at the end of the decade forced Anderson into some very tough choices. In 1980 he dissolved Anderson-Walker in favor of a down-sized venture called Cal/Master specializing in steel wheels for VW and FWD drive vehicles. Although he was still making wheels, the pressure of a large company with a substantial workforce was gone.

It is during this time period that our story takes on a whole new dimension. The aftermarket wheel industry had grown so quickly that the quality in some of the products had become less than premium. Anderson became obsessed with improving quality. He found that most companies were more interested in quantity as off-shore manufacturing became the new generation concept in a quest for cheap labor and high volume. Anderson threw himself into the study of specifications, testing requirements, test procedures and safer wheel design. Working with a laboratory called Goal Automotive Technical Services, Anderson honed his expertise in the process of creating a wheel that would not only appeal to the senses but to meet the highest standards available. He became the first American to be awarded a certificate of approval from TUV (The German Wheel Specification Organization). This desire to create a better product would become the steering mechanism for the rest of his career. In late 1987 Anderson sold his Cal/Master wheel interests to a company called Progressive Wheel of Riverside, California, agreeing to remain three years as a technical consultant. As part of his commitment, he set up their engineering department and quality control department. While still under contract to Progressive, Anderson set up the company’s two-piece aluminum wheel manufacturing line and also discovered the one-piece cast aluminum wheel part of the wheel business. During his time with Progressive he made his first trip to Asia sourcing aluminum centers. This would be an important event in his career.

With the conclusion of his contract in 1990 with Progressive Wheel, Larry Anderson decided to become a consultant to the wheel industry and try to resolve certain problems that were plaguing manufacturers at the time. His accomplishments in a very short period are worth noting. Anderson and old wheel testing buddy, Ed Hill, worked with SEMA to form the Wheel Industry Committee and in 1999 became the first Chairman of the Wheel Industry Council. He also became Chairman of the SAE Aftermarket Wheel & Tire Committee. During his Chairmanship the committee developed the new SAE J2530 Aftermarket Wheel Standard. In addition to SEMA and SAE, Anderson became a liaison between United States aftermarket industry groups including: SAE, WIC, SEMA and JAWA (Japan Light Alloy Wheel Association). While acting as a consultant Anderson crossed paths with a company called Empire Castings, a factory specializing in low pressure wheel casting machines. Anderson absorbed all of the technical knowledge he could and in 1990-91 he was lured back into the wheel business by Ultra Wheel to set up a two piece aluminum wheel assembly line. At Ultra Anderson designed a welding machine to weld cast aluminum wheel centers into a rolled or spun aluminum outer rim. The process was so successful that Anderson began selling the welding equipment to other wheel manufacturers. During this same time frame, Anderson decided that he would venture back into the wheel manufacturing business and formed his own company called WheelTech International.

This time around Anderson was fully armed with expert knowledge in all of the aspects of wheel manufacturing. His talents as a designer and wheel engineer now combined with his understanding of casting methods and he was able to confront all of the inherent problems encountered by aftermarket wheel makers. He could design around the challenges presented by brake systems, suspension systems, original wheel off-set, center bores, bolt patterns, wheel loads and the effects of tire size. Anderson was now ready to design wheels that would not only fit a wide segment of the market but produce wheels that were high quality and safe. All the hard work paid off when a long standing relationship between Anderson and a company in China called Zhongnan Aluminum Wheel Company Ltd. resulted in WheelTech International designing and selling high quality custom street wheels under an agreement with Sears and Pep Boys. The wheels, classified as custom designed, aftermarket commodity units, priced for mass market sales to the General Public. The wheels were aimed at a wide market including, the standard passenger car line, SUVs, light trucks and the import “Tuner” market. The wheels are private label; Pep Boys selling under the name ZNA Alloy Wheels and Sears under SSC Performance Wheels. With high quality and low price the line became an instant success. For Anderson and WheelTech, the marriage between the two mass market companies and the factory in China was ideal because the wheels were shipped directly to warehouse facilities provided by Sears and Pep Boys leaving WheelTech to provide designs for new lines and to offer a hot line for customer problems.

Selling thousands of wheels to a massive audience is profitable and makes good business sense but it left a void in Larry Anderson as a true car enthusiast. So, as the new millennium came into reality, Anderson renewed his interest in his first love, hot rods. He began attending hot rod shows and started restoring a couple of his favorite street machines; a 1962 Ford Thunderbird and a 1954 Oldsmobile 88. Anderson also indulged himself in a pleasure every hot rod enthusiast dreams about. He built a very cool work shop on property behind his house in Riverside, California. The shop is complete with all of the equipment necessary to create any hot rod project. WheelTech has a small sales office and warehouse in Riverside, CA. but Anderson does most of the design work at his home office and shop. During the process of detuning his fast paced life and take slowing down to smell the gear oil and engage in some personal restoration, Anderson discovered that there wasn’t many choices when it came to aftermarket aluminum wheels for the late 50s and 60s style cars. Most of the muscle car restoration projects were using American Torque Thrusts, Cragar SS or some type of steel nostalgia wheel. This dilemma was an instant challenge for the creative mind of Larry Anderson. It was a no-brainer, Anderson decided he would design and build his own personal custom wheel line for the nostalgia market.

We have now come full circle from Anderson’s love for cars as a young enthusiast to the development of his own signature wheel and to the exposure to the public with this story.

There are three styles in this all-new WheelTech line, all designed by Anderson and produced by the same company he has used for the last 14 years. The first design was the TQ Rod Wheel, then came the SLT Muscle Mag and the latest creation is the RT5 Retro Alloy.

Prior to retiring, I owned and operated WheelTech International Corp. I’ve been in the wheel industry for 40 years. I started in the steel wheel business and evolved into aluminum wheels. I still like steel wheels but simple chrome plated alloys are my choice. Back in 1969 I worked with another company and developed the first Smoothie style steel wheel. I was in the metal stamping business then and built the tooling and stamped the centers. I later designed the Steel Mod wheel in 1979. After that I was hooked. I ate, breathed and slept wheels.

In 1981 I formed a small wheel company called Cal/Master. I specialized in VW and FWD steel wheels. In 1987 I sold Cal/Master to Progressive Wheel in Riverside California. That’s when I was introduced to aluminum wheels. I spent the next 4 years learning the art of manufacturing aluminum wheels, both one piece and two piece. I found I had a particular flair for designing, so I dove head first into learning everything I could about designing, engineering, testing and manufacturing.

In 1990, I fell into an opportunity that set the course for the rest of my career. I was offered a project to design the wheels for a new company being formed in China. I was part of a group that built a complete turn key aluminum wheel manufacturing factory. This factory was the second of what was to become many such factories in China and So. Korea. These factories were built using the latest state-of-the art equipment and technology. Compared to the factories operating in the States at the time, these were light years ahead in technology. The quality was far superior and the costs were much more competitive.

I designed the initial group of wheels for the Chinese factory based on what would sell in the US. After the wheels were tooled and ready for production, the Chinese came to me and asked if I knew where they could sell the wheels. After a long period of contemplation (about 10 seconds) I agreed to give it a whirl. It’s a lot more involved and complicated, but to put it simply, I again fell into a situation that got me a national account that bought and sold a lot of wheels, Sears. This afforded me the opportunity to travel all over Asia (every country but 5 or 6), see many sights and meet many very nice people. I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything, even a Hot Rod built by Boyd or Chip.

In 2000, I decided to slow down a bit and get back to my favorite hobby and first love, (other than my wife of 44 years and my kids), cars. I started building a 1929 Model A when I was just out of high school, but I joined the Marines and that ended that. My first project was to build a shop at home. So I added a 1000 sq ft shop on my property. Then I found a 1954 Olds Super 88 (that’s what I had in high school). When I started looking for wheels for the Olds, I couldn’t find anything I liked. Everyone either had Torque Thrusts, Cragar SS’s or Billets. I wanted something different. That prompted me to design the TQ Rod Wheel. I wanted a 5 spoke, fairly deep dish and chrome plated. I used the Torque Thrust, the Cragar SS and the Supreme as my inspiration, and the TQ was the result.

I later discovered that the old Slotted Mags were only found at swap meets so I bought an old Indy Mag and used it to design the SLT Muscle Mag. Then I noticed that the Rodders were starting to ask for more lip (I’d go there, but I won’t) so I came up with the RT5 Retro Alloy.

Now I’m retired, and except for writing these TECH Stuff articles, and doing a little technical consulting for the factory, I’m working on my Olds and some honey-do-list items my wife laid on me my second day of retirement. I sold my three Hot Rod Wheel business to some really nice folks in Long Beach, California, Hank and Glenn Feldman. They have been in the wheel business over 30 years and have a real handle on the business and can meet any need you have. They offer tires along with the wheels. They not only sell the TQ, SLT and RT5 but some of the other wheels that I mentioned (that everyone has). If you are tired of seeing the same styles (sometimes I think Torque Thrusts were OEM on Tri-Five Chevys), then check out the TQ, SLT or RT5 now offered by HRH Classic Alloys.

As for me, I’ll never be famous, but I do know wheels. Unlike a couple of really good Hot Rod designers/ builders, turned TV celebrities, turned wheel designers, I’m a wheel engineer/designer turned 65 and retired. I have created a Blog, so if you want to rain on my parade or ask me some technical questions, look me up at WheelProfessor.com, I’d love to share 40 years of experience.

 Here are some examples of modifications that are risky, even dangerous:

 It is pretty tough changing the bolt pattern in a steel wheel.  I think it would be easier to change the brake drums or rotors/axles.  Aluminum wheels can be modified fairly easy.  Caution is advised when considering drilling a new set of lug holes in aluminum wheels.  It is done frequently and there are machines that are built especially for this purpose.  If you choose this type of modification, make sure you use someone who knows what they are doing and has had experience.  One thing that is absolutely not recommended, is putting a truck bolt pattern in a passenger car wheel.  Trucks have a much higher load requirement than passenger cars. 

Straightening and refinishing

There are shops with special equipment to straighten bent wheels.  Steel and formed or forged aluminum are the easiest and least risky.  Steel can be bent and straightened without much fear of fatigue or cracks.  Cast aluminum however is another story.  Most cast aluminum wheels are made from heat treatable alloys.  Some European wheels are made from high silicon alloys that don’t require heat treatment.  The high silicon alloys have more elasticity and can be bent back into their original shape with less chance of fractures or cracks.  Heat treated alloys are not so pliable and can easily crack when not properly done.  Again, knowledge and experience are the keys to success. Refinishing is not much of a problem.  Steel and aluminum painted wheels can be stripped and repainted with no problems.  Steel chrome wheels have to be taken apart and rechromed separately (rim and center).  Chrome plated aluminum wheels are easier than steel because they are already one piece.  Stripping the chrome requires some knowledge because the chrome is stripped chemically, and if not done properly, can damage the aluminum casting.    The big no-no in refinishing aluminum wheels is re-machining the face of a wheel to clean it up and take out nicks and scratches.  Machining the face of the wheel removes metal from the wheel.  This changes the thicknesses of the original design and therefore changes the structural integrity of the wheel.  Enough said. I am not a fan of any type of modification other than refinishing.  Buy them new the way you want them.  If you can’t do that, make sure you do it right and make them safe. 

1.  Style

I’m sure we all have a style in mind that we’ve pictured in our heads that would look cool on our Rod.  The 3 most significant appearance features of a custom ride are the body styling, the paint scheme and the custom wheels.  The wrong wheels on a custom rod is the same as wearing brown shoes with a tuxedo.  Some of us are nostalgia freaks that want the same custom wheels we had on our first car, and then there are those who think billet is cool and others who want a touch of today in their wheel style.  In any event, make sure the wheels you want are available for your particular Rod.

2.  Finish

In an earlier TECH Stuff (#7) we discussed finishes of custom wheels along with their proper care and maintenance.  This is a big consideration.  Painted and chrome wheels require the least maintenance.  Polished aluminum requires the most.  Think about how much time you are willing to or can devote to cleaning your wheels.  Also check out the finishes available for the style of wheel you want.  Steel wheels are available in painted or chrome.  Cast one piece aluminum and forged wheels are available in painted, machined finished, polished and all chrome.  Billet 2 piece wheels are offered in machined or polished only.  Composite (steel rim / aluminum center) only come in all chrome.

3.  Size

After you have made your style choice, check to see the available sizes.  The older styles that are still available are most likely offered in 14″ & 15″.  The newer styles are probably not available in 14″ and the pickens are slim in 15″.  For some reason a lot of the manufactures have skipped the 16″ and gone with 17″ and up.  I personally like the 16″ because the tire selection is huge and you still get the big meat look with the tires and the nostalgia look with the wheels.  The trend of big wheels and low profile tires is becoming more popular with the Rodders every year.  The steel wheel with baby moons and trim rings starts to look goofy in 17″ and the early composites and one piece aluminum styles get lost after 17″.  So if you’re into the nostalgia look of the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s, plan on sticking with 14″, 15″ and 16″ wheels. 

4. Other things to think about

A.  Does your Rod have or do you plan to convert to disc brakes?  Some of the aftermarket brake systems are not very wheel friendly.  Make sure you check with the brake manufacturer to verify the compatibility between his brakes and your wheels.  I think some of these brake manufacturers think everyone buys brakes first, then builds a Rod to fit them.  I’d bet there were more Rods built around a set of wheels than brakes.  I’ve never had a brake manufacturer call me and ask for wheel profiles or samples to check against their brakes.  Seems like the logical thing to do.

B.  Check the bolt pattern (TECH Stuff #2) on your Rod to make sure the wheels you want are available in your bolt pattern.  There are a lot of Mopar guys out there that have stressed out trying to find a 5×4.00″ bolt pattern in the wheel style of their choice.

C.  Make sure you have verified the load rating of your wheel choice to the load requirements of your Rod (TECH Stuff #3). 

D. Last but certainly not least, check your clearance in the wheel well.  Check for fender clearance, brake clearance, suspension and steering component interference.  Refer to TECH Stuff #1 for more information on determining your wheel backspacing or offset.  Nothing is more irritating than tire rub when turning or going over bumps. 

In summary, do your homework before you decide on your wheels.  They can make your Rod.  And remember, don’t go to the prom with brown shoes.

  Here are some facts I picked up during my research; 

  1.  Air is composed of:

   A.  1% Water Vapor and other gases and escapes up to 250 times faster than Nitrogen.

B.  21% Oxygen and escapes 3-4 times faster than Nitrogen.

C. 78% Nitrogen and is the largest molecule in air, is dry and non-flammable.  Because of their large size, the nitrogen molecules are the least able to seep through the pores of the tire, therefore maintaining optimal inflation longer.By reducing the percentage of oxygen, water vapor and other gases in your tires from 21% to 7% or lower as compared to plain old air, your tires will hold proper inflation pressure 3-4 times longer.

2.  Increased Fuel Efficiency:

 Â By using Nitrogen in your tires, and maintaining proper inflation pressure, the rolling resistance is reduced, resulting in better fuel economy.  In fact, properly inflated tires can improve your gas mileage by about 3.3%.  I’ll take that any day.

1. Longer Tire Life:

By maintaining more consistent inflation pressure, and reducing rolling resistance, the tire doesn’t wear as fast from the heat caused by under-inflation. 

1. Increased Safety:

Under-inflated tires are the cause of 90% of blowouts.  Nitrogen provides more reliable inflation pressure and reduces blowout potential. 

5.  Improved TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) Performance:

By 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has mandated that all new vehicles have a TPMS as standard equipment.  Most of the current systems being installed in new vehicles by the OEM’s, are put inside the tire.  They are an electronic device that puts out a signal that indicates if the tire pressure has dropped below the minimum required inflation pressure.  A warning light then flashes or lights up inside the vehicle, to inform the driver of a problem.  Using plain old air to inflate the tire can be a potential disaster for the TPMS monitor because of the water vapor from the plain old air.  As we all know, water and electronic components don’t play well together.  I do know that the cost to replace one of these TPMS devices is very pricey, not to mention the other three. 

1.  Helping the environment:

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an environmental wacko, but I am for helping get rid of the smog and other things that are a result of toxic emissions released by our beloved rides.  Nitrogen used in tires can help.  It can decrease fuel consumption by reducing rolling resistance, it can increase tire life which will mean less tires need to be produced, which means less energy is used by tire manufacturers, less emissions from the trucks that deliver the tires and yada, yada, yada.  You get the picture.  In summary, I’m getting on the band wagon.  I’ve got 5 cars (one’s a work in progress) and a Motorhome.  I’m going Nitrogen and the 3.3% increase in gas mileage.  In the long run, I’ll buy less gas and fewer tires.  

 In today’s world, when you change the wheel and tire combination diameter, it affects a number of things with your ride. Not only will it change the speedo reading, but the ABS braking system, the engine management system and with some cars the suspension control system. Computers don’t take kindly to changes of input components.So to make sure you don’t alter the input from the wheel and tire combination, the diameter of the OEM combination needs to be maintained. To accomplish this you need to understand the meaning of Plus Sizing. A simple definition is to take the original wheel diameter and plus up from there. A Plus 1 conversion is upping the diameter of the original size by 1 inch (i.e. 14″to 15″). In some extremes I’ve heard of a Plus 9 conversion (i.e. 17″ to 26″). That’s a bit radical for me, but to each his own. Most tire and wheel dealers are very aware of the Plus Sizing concept and can guide you as to the proper tire size to fit your wheel diameter choice and maintain the original tire and wheel combination diameter. It’s pretty difficult to get the exact match, but if you are within 5% you’re okay.Now let’s discuss the Pro’s and Con’s of Plus Sizing.The Pro’s - First of all, you’ll be cool if you Plus Size. The bigger the diameter, the cooler you are (at least some folks think so). The biggest benefit from Plus Sizing is the increased road handling. By increasing the wheel diameter (and maintaining the original overall diameter), the height of the tire side wall deceases. This has the effect of less tire sway or roll, and increases the stability or cornering ability of your ride. Other than those 2 attributes, I’m hard pressed to come up with more Pro’s.The Con’s - The first thing that comes to mind is the loss of suspension. By deceasing the side wall of the tire, you will increase the effect of road bumps, pot holes, expansion joints and all the other deformities of our roads and highways. Road noise will be increased also. In addition to the loss of ride comfort, you will also experience a loss of free time. I come to this conclusion based on the theory that the bigger the wheel, the more time it requires to keep it shining. Another Con is the tire mounting folks that have to put these tires on these wheels (20′ and up) aren’t real thrilled with the whole concept. A few things to beware of when choosing to Plus Size. The larger the diameter of the wheel, the more difficult it is to meet the load requirements for a safe and reliable wheel. Some manufacturers solve the problem by adding material to the wheel so it will pass the performance standards (see TECH Stuff 3). By adding material, the weight of the wheel becomes heavier than the suspension the vehicle is designed to take and function properly. The tire and wheel are considered unsprung weight, and can cause excessive wear on the struts or shocks, bearings, spindles and brake systems.

Plus Sizing is not a bad thing when done properly.