Banded Steel Wheels

How to improve the Cornering & Stopping of your Alfa
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PETROLHEAD
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Banded Steel Wheels

Post by PETROLHEAD »

This is a new service that i'll offer to folk, alongside the wheel trading, refurbishment and finishing that i already do.

Its not rocket science, its basic metalwork and fabrication at the end of the day, but also as a road wheel it has to be done right and with appropriate materials.

As an exercise, i made these ridiculous 10j and 11j wide Carlos Vandango's from my old Vauxhall Vivaro steel wheels, and since then the interest in having more traditional sized and original wheels done has kinda taken off.


So you can see the processes, here are the van wheels in build stages, and completed prior to any refinishing, and some more sensibly widened original Alfasud steels belonging to Sudboy1490 that i refurbished,


Cut apart,
2016-04-09 19.37.54.jpg

I then shotblasted the wheel parts so i can clearly inspect the wheels for suitability for the job, and to ensure no unwanted ingress into the welding from paints, rust, dirt etc

New band, 3mm cold drawn steel, guilotined and rolled to an approximate diameter, and set up ready for tack welding into position.
2016-04-26 12.53.52.jpg

Fronts first so that it can be prepped and smoothed externally
2016-04-27 13.14.09.jpg

Back to positioning, check, double check, tack, triple check, tack together into the tight joint, and then start the welding proper.
2016-04-27 17.59.59.jpg

Repeat x 4

Stand back and realise what the hell have you just done! lol!
2016-04-27 20.15.10.jpg



My current process, should anyone want to know, or try it yourself, is to weld the fronts from the inside and out because the exposed dish weld has to be smoothed off after a guaranteed penetration, but the rear weld, back onto the drum section is first passed at medium amperage into the tight channel formed by the joining edges, but is then V ground out again for a high amperage second pass. This is both for strength and to ensure that they will be air tight with absolutely no porosity in the welds.

Normally i can pressure test with a tyre but on this occasion i didn't have a 16" tyre that will inflate onto a 11j rim! lol!

I've also just bought some new welding plant too, so i may adjust the process slightly as i familiarise myself with the new machine soon, but right now i think the multi pass route is best practice, even though very time consuming and heavy on the wire, gas, and grinder use!

Finally, they will be sanded and prepped again, and powder coated etc etc.

The eagle eyed amongst you might also spot that i have plug welded the usual valve holes. This is because i believe it ruins the look of a really deep dish wheel, and these particular monsters will likely be nothing more than show wheels or sales exhibits, so a secret repositioned valve is put into the rear section instead in this instance. This can be tailored to suit anyones preference of course.



Thats what i do, and if anyone wants some doing i'm all ears.

I can normally source wheels pretty reasonably, but maybe the best arrangement is for the customer to supply the steel wheels, and i'll do the rest.


Finally, here are Sudboys oroginal Alfasud wheels all refinished and looking splendid with a much more sensible banding exercise i have to say! :D
2016-04-23 14.51.03.jpg
SHREW

I AM the Law!


Alfasud 1.7-16v, Charade Turbo SR, & The Dirty Diesels - GT Cloverleaf, 159 Ti Sportwagon, Saab 9-3 Sportwagon

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Spacenut
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Spacenut »

Vantastic - I love banded steels! It's a shame there aren't many nicely styled steel wheels out there - this side of the pond I can only think of the Alfasud and the ubiquitous Rostyle...

Seeing as you have made a set of four, I take it that Carlos Vandango might be interested???

If I manage to get my 9.5" Compos under the rear wheel arches I might be interested in banding out my Weller Racing wheels (currently 7 x 15") to match. I love the look of tyres stretched over wide rims, this was the best way of stiffening the sidewalls against cornering loads back in the day, although there is no benefit to be had from modern radials using this method, apparently. And I don't like the modern practice of "stretching", which is just silly :roll:

Lauren

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PETROLHEAD
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by PETROLHEAD »

Yeah some stretching is just ridiculous.

Ive seen some very damaged wheels, and cars for that matter, when the pressure has dropped and allow it to suddenly collapse!

A minor stretch to help get inside an arch is one thing, but things like 195's on 10j rims, or worse, is just an accident waiting to happen! :shock:
SHREW

I AM the Law!


Alfasud 1.7-16v, Charade Turbo SR, & The Dirty Diesels - GT Cloverleaf, 159 Ti Sportwagon, Saab 9-3 Sportwagon

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PETROLHEAD
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by PETROLHEAD »

and finished in all their ridiculous glory!

2016-05-12 13.34.08.jpg
2016-05-12 13.30.56.jpg
2016-05-12 13.35.27.jpg


I can't wait to see if anyone is brave enough to buy them! :D
SHREW

I AM the Law!


Alfasud 1.7-16v, Charade Turbo SR, & The Dirty Diesels - GT Cloverleaf, 159 Ti Sportwagon, Saab 9-3 Sportwagon

Kegsti66
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Kegsti66 »

They came out great Shrew.
Took these pictures for you this weekend at Brands Hatch. Thought it looks great and it does have Alfa style door handles. 8-)
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Sud 145
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Sud 145 »

Damn they look the business Shrew.

Veesix75
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Veesix75 »

Toffee apple red.......?

The Vauxhall looks great, no idea if it's a victor or cresta, but all the Coke bottle vauxhalls looked good, viva through to firenzas, the victors and the one I can't remember which was similar to a mk1 Granada .

Remembered as I hovered over submit, the ventora ?

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Spacenut
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Spacenut »

Veesix75 wrote:Toffee apple red.......?

The Vauxhall looks great, no idea if it's a victor or cresta, but all the Coke bottle vauxhalls looked good, viva through to firenzas, the victors and the one I can't remember which was similar to a mk1 Granada .

Remembered as I hovered over submit, the ventora ?
Looks like an FC Victor estate, superb. And yes, the one you were thinking of is the Ventora. I've always loved their shrunken American muscle car looks, GM styling always seemed better than the equivalent Ford, with the possible exception of the Mk3 Cortina and Mk1 Granada. Also loved the way the Australian and South African markets re-engineered these cars for smallblock V8s.

I hope this Victor has a GM engine under the bonnet! Non-originality I can tolerate, but brand disloyalty, that's a whole different ballgame... :x

Lauren

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KevJTD
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by KevJTD »

Spacenut wrote:
Veesix75 wrote:Toffee apple red.......?

The Vauxhall looks great, no idea if it's a victor or cresta, but all the Coke bottle vauxhalls looked good, viva through to firenzas, the victors and the one I can't remember which was similar to a mk1 Granada .

Remembered as I hovered over submit, the ventora ?
Looks like an FC Victor estate, superb. And yes, the one you were thinking of is the Ventora. I've always loved their shrunken American muscle car looks, GM styling always seemed better than the equivalent Ford, with the possible exception of the Mk3 Cortina and Mk1 Granada. Also loved the way the Australian and South African markets re-engineered these cars for smallblock V8s.

I hope this Victor has a GM engine under the bonnet! Non-originality I can tolerate, but brand disloyalty, that's a whole different ballgame... :x

Lauren

an LS3 motor then Lauren, that'd be ok wouldn't it :D
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Kegsti66
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Kegsti66 »

Spacenut wrote: Non-originality I can tolerate, but brand disloyalty, that's a whole different ballgame... :x

Lauren




Oh dear !!
Better not post this then. :shock:
Sorry Lauren, this made me smile. :lol:
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PETROLHEAD
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by PETROLHEAD »

I should think that makes the owner smile a lot,

An awful lot! :P


My old man had a Ventora, 3.3 straight six iirc but a pathetic little solex carb.

He reckons it was probably about the quickest stock thing around up as far as 80, but then the piffling little carb left it breathless.

A nice of triples and cam should have transformed it eh, and i agree, that era of vauxhalls with their obvious slant towards across the pond, looked heaps better than the period fords.

"Were" better than the period fords! 8-)
SHREW

I AM the Law!


Alfasud 1.7-16v, Charade Turbo SR, & The Dirty Diesels - GT Cloverleaf, 159 Ti Sportwagon, Saab 9-3 Sportwagon

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Spacenut
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Spacenut »

Kegsti66 wrote:Oh dear !!
Better not post this then. :shock:
Sorry Lauren, this made me smile. :lol:
So... not a Jaguar engine then??? Probably the best thing for a Mk10, always a bit underpowered with the 4.2 litre straight 6.

It's OK, I shouldn't have been so harsh before. For some reason old Vauxhalls seem to be the target of engine conversions, but as Shrew says, usually because what was there before wasn't much cop in the first place!

Incidentally, the Vauxhall 3.3 started life in a GM pickup truck before the war! 3-bearing crank was very weak, so probably couldn't have coped with twin (or triple) carbs... So happy with a V8 conversion, as long as it is GM :D

Lauren

Kegsti66
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Re: Banded Steel Wheels

Post by Kegsti66 »

Phew !! :D

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