The Stovebolt Forums Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 22.5 steel rims weld in centers

I apologize if this is a stupid thought or question. I am new to medium duty trucks so there could be good reason against this idea.

Anyone ever considered welding your Budd 6 bolt centers into a tubeless steel rim? I know the hot rodders and light truck crowd do quite a bit of modding on steel wheels (change rim size, widen, build bead lock rims etc.), but I am not sure why I haven't heard of anyone doing it for medium duty trucks. Maybe just load capacity issues? There are a few shops here in Michigan that build and modify steel wheels but don't list any 22.5", just 20, 22 and the other standard light duty wheel/rim sizes (15,16, etc.).


https://www.heywheel.com/page11.html

$120 for some 22.5" steel rims. Can also get some 20x8 for $100 but I don't think there are any truck tires available in that size, just light truck tires (which may work fine for some depending on use profile). The above links lists their rims as off road only, also, likely for liability and to keep costs down (I am sure it is expensive to get something DOT certified).

Just wondering if someone has looked into that or maybe already done it and it wasn't any cheaper than the available $300 28157 style wheels.

I just emailed two shops in the Detroit area, I will let you guys know their thoughts on doing this (welding my centers into new tubeless rims)

Any shop that will take on the job of modifying wheels like that probably won't have the liability insurance coverage to address the disastrous consequences when (not if) they fail and cause an accident. I've modified a pretty good sized truckload of wheels for dirt track racing, but the US treasury can't print enough money to make me put one on on a street machine. The guys on the track are aware of the risks of running modified stuff, and they take them willingly. The soccer mom with a minivan full of kids didn't sign on to the challenge of sharing the road with some hotrodder's cobbled-up deathtrap.

Weld-modified wheels have a habit of developing stress cracks at the welds, as several stovebolters have discovered over a lot of years. One huge problem you're going to encounter is the fact that the drop center tubeless wheels won't clear those big brake drums. Tube type wheels have an almost straight center section that just barely clears the drums on the inboard dual. The cost of buying a properly made 22.5" wheel with the right lug bolt pattern is cheap insurance, considering the possible consequences of running something that's ben modified.
Jerry

Makes sense. I assumed there must be some good reason I hadn't read about it. One shop emailed back already with just "No sir, we do not do that". Guessing if the other even responds it will be the same.