How To: Make a wide hub + Join it to a car rim. Updated again!

[Vintagebikelover24]

Rich does some awesome work! If you can work things out with him, you will end up with a nice ride! Post up some pics!

Luke.

We'll see if we can make something up! And I'll definitely be keeping you updated I hope this works out

 

[RichL]

Rich does some awesome work! If you can work things out with him, you will end up with a nice ride! Post up some pics!

Luke.

We'll see if we can make something up! And I'll definitely be keeping you updated I hope this works out

Well, draw up some basic design ideas when you have some time, than pm to me, this way I can decide whether they can be built with my equipment. I would also be able to help guide you towards some interesting design ideas.

I live 3 miles from Sandy Hook beach, and another 15 miles south is Belmar beaches, so a young man like yourself will have plenty of things to do to keep your interest!

peace

rich

 

[Vintagebikelover24]

Rich does some awesome work! If you can work things out with him, you will end up with a nice ride! Post up some pics!

Luke.

We'll see if we can make something up! And I'll definitely be keeping you updated I hope this works out

Well, draw up some basic design ideas when you have some time, than pm to me, this way I can decide whether they can be built with my equipment. I would also be able to help guide you towards some interesting design ideas.

I live 3 miles from Sandy Hook beach, and another 15 miles south is Belmar beaches, so a young man like yourself will have plenty of things to do to keep your interest!

peace

rich

Alright I'll pm you with some frame concepts when I get them drawn!

 

[stormbird]

Hi there

Excellent tutorial , printed and read more than once

For reference a 16inch motorbike or car tire can be fitted to a wide 20inch bmx style rim for the perfect beach/sand cruiser combination!

Could I ask :-

1)How wide is ' wide ' for the BMX rim ?
2) what inner tube would you use for this combination ?
3) I am thinking of 4 spokes for a space saver car wheel on the rear , but would like the front wheel to look the same only smaller ?

So I have 2 steel 20" wheels from an old shopper could I cut one rim of each of them and weld them together to make a wheel wide enough for a motorcycle tire and then spoke that with 4 smaller spokes say 1/2" square m/s ?

I assume I can weld up the spoke holes ?

If that worked would I need 2 x bicycle inner tubes ? or 1 m/c , I have never seen m/c tires/inner tubes ?

thanks for your time Paul

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Hey Paul!

The wide bmx rims I was referring too are actually similar to the later stingray chopper rear wheels that run a 4inch width, you could probably get away with an 80mm rim but that would be about the limit for 180 width tires, you could experiment with narrower tires but you will still need at least a 50mm rim to clear the tire beads...

If you do this I would suggest using the matching motorbike tube, or possibly the original stingray tube may work too. Motorbike tubes are available in many different sizes so it would not be hard to find the right one.

I am not sure if there are many motorbike tires available in 20 inch, as far as I am aware they usually run 16, 17, 19, 21 inch sizes... If you find a chopper rim in one of those sizes I am pretty sure if you weld up the spoke holes and weld in 4 new spokes you will be able to run them tubeless...

For your spokes I would suggest sticking to 17mm square tube for 8 spoke rims and 25mm square tube for 4 spoke rims to help with the sideways forces involved, you may be able to get away with the 1/2 inch (13mm) tube but it would not take much to push it sideways and bend your rim...

Hope that helps, feel free to ask any questions you need, and we would love to see pics of what you build so please post them up!

Luke.

Edit: Just realised you meant 20 inch bike rims for using with 16 inch motorbike tires! Yes that will work, provided you get a wide enough rim when you are done... See the notes above...

Luke.

 

[stormbird]

Luke

Thanks for your detailed reply I shall read an inwardly digest :wink:

All my current knowledge [ what little there is :wink: :wink: ] has come from Brads Atomic Zombie site and few of his plans I have.

Currently working on a spoked 15" x 175 rim and a space saver that will have welded spokes like your tutorial.

I had not though of lateral loading and assumed I could use as many/few welded spokes as I wanted ? seems that idea is wrong !

Although I am only a light guy <168lb most days.

Sadly I try to do my work using free stuff and so never come across Stingrays and other wide rimmed bikes , in the UK they are as rare as hen's teeth [ which may of may not be rare in Australia and the USA ?] or as rare as rocking horse droppings depending on your supply of rocking horses ?

regards Paul

ps yes some pictures will be forthcoming when I have achieved something , or end up seriously stuck

 

[jerrykr]

I've been reading this interesting thread. Thanks for all the efforts to post it up.
Forgive me for asking a dumb question, but instead of trying to make a rim for a motorcycle tire out of heavy car rims, or combinations of bicycle rims welded together, etc., why not start with a motorcycle rim for the tire you want to use?

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I've been reading this interesting thread. Thanks for all the efforts to post it up.
Forgive me for asking a dumb question, but instead of trying to make a rim for a motorcycle tire out of heavy car rims, or combinations of bicycle rims welded together, etc., why not start with a motorcycle rim for the tire you want to use?

It could be done, and is, the hardest bit would be making adapters for the axle to work on the bike and adding a freewheel mount and suitable brakes to it. Not impossible, adapters could be made that bolt up where the brake discs did to mount freewheels or whatever, but in reality how much weight would be saved by the time it is done? Also there is the consideration of looks, a motorbike rim with adapters will most likely always look like a motorbike rim with adapters on it, whereas a scratch built wheel always gets you asked "Where did you get that, and where can I get one?"

My original idea was to use motorbike rims, but the ones I wanted were still $200 each second-hand, as explained at the start these were significantly cheaper to make...

Please if you do convert some motorbike rims, post them up here, always looking for different ways to do things!

Luke.

 

[jerrykr]

It could be done, and is, the hardest bit would be making adapters for the axle to work on the bike and adding a freewheel mount and suitable brakes to it. Not impossible, adapters could be made that bolt up where the brake discs did to mount freewheels or whatever, but in reality how much weight would be saved by the time it is done? Also there is the consideration of looks, a motorbike rim with adapters will most likely always look like a motorbike rim with adapters on it, whereas a scratch built wheel always gets you asked "Where did you get that, and where can I get one?"

My original idea was to use motorbike rims, but the ones I wanted were still $200 each second-hand, as explained at the start these were significantly cheaper to make...

Please if you do convert some motorbike rims, post them up here, always looking for different ways to do things!

Luke.

I meant just using the motorcycle rim (hoop?), not the hub and spokes. make your own hub and spokes like you describe in this thread. I define a wheel as everything from the axel out to where the tire mounts. I define a rim as the round hoop the tire mounts to. Thanks for your patience.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I meant just using the motorcycle rim (hoop?), not the hub and spokes. make your own hub and spokes like you describe in this thread. I define a wheel as everything from the axel out to where the tire mounts. I define a rim as the round hoop the tire mounts to. Thanks for your patience.

Yeah, that could work, welding up the old spoke holes would be a pain, and they may look a bit funny if they are the raised dimpled style spoke holes though...

Luke.

 

[Dirty_Vinylpusher]

Good stuff here.
I'm definitely gonna have to do a car wheel setup sometime.


Making good jigs and setups is the key.
And can be very time consuming.....

Sometimes I'll spend a whole day making something which I'll use to make something else to hold whatever I'm doing in place just so I can do 4 spot welds haha.

 

[Dirty_Vinylpusher]

Have you done any wheels with spokes that aren't straight, so to speak?

Like with a bend or twist or zigzag kinda setup?

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Have you done any wheels with spokes that aren't straight, so to speak?

Like with a bend or twist or zigzag kinda setup?

Been thinking about it, but it does start to make the wheel look complicated and bulky...

Luke.

 

[Dirty_Vinylpusher]

Yeah fair call.





Still.......

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Have you done any wheels with spokes that aren't straight, so to speak?

Like with a bend or twist or zigzag kinda setup?

Been thinking about it, but it does start to make the wheel look complicated and bulky...

Luke.

Yeah fair call.





Still.......

Huh, I was going through this thread because someone asked for information, and what do you know, I have now done some wheels that are not just straight spokes!

Complete details can be found in this thread:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/mbbo-04-class-2-lambo-pedro-plans-revealed.94236/

Here are some pics:

Hubs are built the same way, but two pieces of 16 gauge steel and some 3" exhaust tube make up the wheel centres...

Luke.

 

[horsefarmer]

WOW!

 

[Dirty_Vinylpusher]

YES!



You da man!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Posted up a couple of Instructables with the info here in the hopes it will reach more people and someone will give it a go!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-wide-bike-wheel-hubs-and-joining-them-to-ca/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-wide-bike-wheel-hubs-and-joining-them-to-ca-1/

Luke.