Narrow your clod rims AND get less Backspacing!

[SR5Dave]

Well, I've been experimenting with my extra wheels (I'm out now..)

I discovered what I think is the best way to narrow the rims, they are super strong, still have the 'safety bead' so you wont lose em as much, AND you make your rig wider. Pics will explain best.

First take a stock, un modified wheel, and cut it just behind the mounting surface. If you did it right you will have a shell and half a wheel, like this:

Inner shell

Outer Shell


You will have to file down the mounting surface, and file down the inside of the outer shell. Also, the lip on the inner shell you will have to file down just enough so the outer shell will fit over. Don't do too much, should be just enough so you have to really hit it (I have a rubber mallet.. it should be that tight of a fit, but not enough so it breaks) This way the outer shell will stay centered. Hell, they're tight enough if you do it right you dont need to glue them!

pressing them together:


Then you have a completed rim: depending on how much you cut you can have different backspacing and different widths. If you make the outer shell shorter, you can push it on further and get more back spacing and a narrower wheel. Doing it just behind the mounting surface yields like 3/4" BS and a 2 7/8" wide wheel, IMO thats pretty ideal, you could even make it narrower and keep the same backspacing if you narrow it after assembled like you would normally. (cutting off outer lips)

Completed wheel:


Pic of how the back spacing is:


Rig is about 1.5" wider now (actually 15 3/4 wide, didn't measure quite right, camera ran outta batt to retake the pic)


Also, since the centers are overlapped, and the outside of the wheels are thicker, these make for some seriously strong wheels!

And wider is better

[SR5Dave]

Oh yeah, tools used
A hacksaw blade (no saw, lost in moving) pliers, file and rubber mallet.

Here is what else is going on in the garage...

DRW60 front is in, rear 70 still sittin around till I get some money and a welder... and and and....

[SR5Dave]

Well, thanks to glue'n my tires to the rims (They were gettin real stretched out and slipping pretty bad) I've chewed up a side gear some, I can hear it pop when it really binds up. Oops! And my motors are in need of a rebuild. I think the whole thing needs a teardown/rebuild. 8O

Oh well! Something to do while I'm jobless!! Hey.. anyone need a website?

[badtodabone]

Cool i like the toy

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by badtodabone

Cool i like the toy

Thanks kid. I gotta toss in the before pic when I got it...


Bone stock through sluice and to spider a few times with the Pirates She's a good girl.

(This is back when the sluice wasn't an insane rockwell rig only run!)

[4RnrRick]

Worked perfectly for me! Just like you said, I didn't even have to use glue!



Rims side my side, stock on the left and modified on the right.



tires side my side, stock rim on the left and modified on the right.

THANKS for the info DAVE!

[kwj48]

great info dave! nothing like a little experimenting ,you may have just started a trend

[SR5Dave]

Like I said in the original post, its SUCH a tight fit you don't even really need to glue them. I learned that after a long while they will start to slide off (But thats with me driving, so who knows )

[team-nyke]

I just finished narrowing one of my rims this way it seems like one of the best ways because you only need to cut the rim in one spot. another thing i did rather than gluing the rim together was put for small screws into the rim with a locknut on the end, that way it will be much harder for the rim to come apart and i glued it as well now lets see the stupid things pull apart

[ratmloud]

I did up four rims like this last night for a freind, works awesome easy and fast! All four modded and tires remounted in 1/2 hour!

sr5dave is the man!

[4RnrRick]

Can this be turned into a "Tech article"......

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by 4RnrRick

Can this be turned into a "Tech article"......

It already is :P This thread will definetely be included in the FAQ.

[roktoy]

He he.....this is how I've always narrowed my wheels.....
Jay

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by roktoy

He he.....this is how I've always narrowed my wheels.....
Jay

Yeah, I'm not the first to do it... But I did do it without seeing it before (for *some* credibility ;) ). I believe Krod_Clod as done it, and the Utah guys might have a writeup too?

[chaos18]

that works great even with stock tires you dont have to worrie about the tires hittin your lower links either. i just did it and for all 4 it took me 20 mins, (but i cheated i used a dremel )

[Rikpal]

Thatt's great !!!
Where the h*** do I put my hacksaw...

[RATBASTARD808]

Searching High and Low for Narrow rims with only a few pictures and old posts.
Found some great info at UTRCRC, and for those who do a search looking for narrow clod rims wheels here ya go .
http://www.utrcrc.com/tech.html

http://www.utrcrc.com/reviews.html

Why not buy some adapters and get the new Moab tires and a set of bead locks? Well I picked up a homemade clod with several rims and tires including a set of proline Giant Trac tires. I wanted to practice with what I have now before killing my wallet.

Also I am still searching for a write up or post on cutting and gluing a clod tire or any tire. I found several posts with "cut 1" of the tire and glue it together" but what glue to use, techniques or hints on gluing the two pieces so they roll and not wobble.

Thanks for your help got a long way to go for building and crawling a homemade clod.

Back to reading, I love the search button, but 2 weeks of reading can cause some major brain cramps, and lots of beer.

RATBASTARD