DZUS fastened MOON DISC wheel covers?
 

has anyone used the "DSUS" fasteners that you WELD ON to the wheels?
specifically on Aluminum wheels?

was it hard getting the tabs welded on?
how was the fitment?
how are they holding up?
have you had any issues? (balancing, cops, tire shops)

any input would be greatly appreciated

I'm seriously thinking about doing this on my 2010 Prius

the Wheel Covers
Dzus Fastened MOON Disc
http://www.mooneyesusa.com/v/vspfile...MD11-DZ-2T.jpg

Weld on fasteners
Dzus Tab Kit
http://www.mooneyesusa.com/v/vspfiles/photos/MDK-2T.jpg

Jig for fastener placement
Dzus Weld Jig
http://www.mooneyesusa.com/v/vspfile...s/MDJIG-2T.jpg

I drilled and tapped my rims to fasten the moon discs on Ron Burgundy, but I'm also interested to see if anybody has done these. If you end up welding them on your rims make sure you document the steps real good, I might change mine out down the road for the Dzus fasteners.

Be very careful. Not all aluminum alloys are weldable. If you try to weld the wrong alloy, it will crack on its own without any load on it. Even a weldable alloy will have a heat affected zone around the weld that's weaker than the rest of the wheel.

I haven't done it myself, but Hot Rod have:

<<Eschew The Screws And Use The Dzus>>

...on steelies. Agreed with JRMichler, I'd suggest a different solution. The only operative part of the 'button' is the spring, the question is how that is attached to the wheel. Maybe something like two https://www.google.com/search?q=nutsert.

http://pitstopusa.com/files/DZUS%20FASTENER%20CHART.gif
http://pitstopusa.com/p-4100-how-to-select-dzus-fasteners-brackets-and-springs.html

You could start with determining the suitability of your rims. Three or six spokes (or 30?) might put metal in the right place, or the rim might provide material all the way around.

Dzus and aluminum
 

I don't believe that MOON offers the kit for aluminum wheels at all.These covers are intended for LSR racing and most teams run AERO (R) steel racing wheels as does NASCAR.
If your aluminum wheels are rigid,and don't flex at all,you could drill and tap for the 6-hole MOONs.They're just as aero and a fraction of the price of the 3-hole Dzus-type.

It doesn't look like OP was asking about a productized solution.

The specialized tooling required would be a Bridgeport mill or something similar to chuck the disk in and mark the holes at 120°. 64th inch accuracy should be sufficient. Then a flaring tool to bellmouth the holes in the disks. The spiral springs might attach directly, else the flat square mount could.

Not sure if something like this will fit the steel rims fer the Prius or not... ;)
Gen II Non-Beadlock wheel covers
http://www.aeroracewheels.com/access...overColors.jpg
You might be able to adapt this type of technology to yer rims. :D

It will be much easier and cheaper to screw pans onto the plastic Prius wheel covers....

If I ever do change my setup, I would get narrow steel LSR wheels; you can get them made in custom widths and have the Dzus tabs welded on. The hard part would be finding tires to fit, and cost.

Well, then, the trick would be to get a 4x9" wheel and then you could fit the Bridgestone Ecopias from the BMW i3.

Here's a 15 page thread on them.

Moon will make you the disks.

I just picked up a set (4) of three spoke Ford Explorer steel rims for this purpose (for a reasonable $80). I ordered two of the Moons and the Dzus template which should arrive sometime this week. I’m looking forward to seeing how they turn out. I think l’ll be able to duplicate this setup for the other two wheels for less money in the future.

fender skirts on the other end?

I (for one) look forward to seeing what you can do.

First try at a photo seems unsuccessful, , but here are before pics of one of the rims: http://https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjmqgbluYe/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjmqgbluYe/

I just ordered some of these for my P71 Crown Vic. 17" OEM steelies.

The Dzus is considered better for street use as the clips reduce the bending load on the covers while cornering. While more expensive, they are still cheap compared to fancy alloy wheels.

Moon does (repeat DOES) offer a Dzus cover kits for alloy wheels, but they recommend you measure the various contour radii and consult with Moon. Apparently alloy wheels vary a lot.

For me, this is mostly an appearance decision. I've never seen any Moons on the road around here, so the car will be distinctive.

After I see what they look like, I may talk to my body man. Maybe he can make some custom skirts.

Update: yesterday marked two weeks since I had ordered my Moon discs without receiving them. I emailed Mooneyes to inquire as to there whereabouts and get an ETA. Shortly thereafter, I got a UPS notice that they were shipped yesterday and would be due in Connecticut in a week. I don’t know if they make them to order or if they just flaked and forgot to ship mine (which I suspect) �� I’ve only bead-blasted one of the two wheels so far, so this likely won’t delay completion of this project much, but three weeks is a long wait, so I’d advise anyone interested in Moon discs to order well in advance and follow-up early and often.
I’m really eager to jig and weld them! These wheels are heavy at 30 lbs. each and a chore to strip and prep between the rust and the adhesive from the stainless face, so I might look for alternatives for three-season use (tons of interchange in the 5x114.3 lug pattern, including Crown Vics) and ultimately use this pair for snow tires.

Are these flat?
 

Are these covers flat, or domed? If domed, how much do they protrude?

Is the welding jig a part you can buy?

It's got your attention, eh?

Moons are traditionally domed for strength but the reflections in the sample look more cone-shaped.

They rent the jig so people won't try on their own and make it not work(prolly). I'm sure they would sell the jig as well to anyone setting up a series.

Anyone with a Bridgeport mill can do without it. Like Bucky Fuller said, it's all in the (reproducible) angle and frequency.

Bam, thank you for sharing that, I have not seen that before. Searching for it, this is all of the additional information that I can find. Does anyone know more about them? Welcome To Aero Race Wheels ~ Estherville, Iowa

I received the box from Mooneyes yesterday afternoon. Initial thoughts include:
-The covers do have a significant dome shape to them.
-The Ford Explorer rims I’m using pose a small problem: the outer face of the rim is a single piece that is welded to the rear section, as opposed to the historically predominant style of steel wheel that has a center section joined to an outer rim. Because of this, the flat portion of the outermost lip of the rim is much wider than many and the Moon-supplied Dzus Mount tabs need to be trimmed and re-worked a bit to fit and the weld bead will be very close to the Dzus receptacle. I’ll try to sort it out tomorrow before work if I can.

Nothing worth doing is easy. :thumbup:

Noob question: I read here and in other posts that people are using steelies over alloys and someone said they are lighter, is that true? I always thought that for given size, alloys would be lighter. Please educate me.

Thanks,
Dr_dx

Steel alloys will vary. Here is a discussion of 'alloy' wheels. There are three types of manufacture:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles...st-part-three/

Then there is aluminum vs magnesium vs carbon fiber.

So I see there are 3 different type of manufacturing processes for Aluminum "alloy" wheels with cast being the heaviest and weakest. Is it safe to say they are lighter than steelies for a given size?

Don't know/above my pay grade.

Last I checked the lightest [aluminum] wheel overall was the Center Line Convo Pro. Compare to that.

they do, the aluminum tabs are +$10 per set
Dzus Tab Kit

It depends on the individual wheel. A forged aluminum alloy or magnesium “hence, mag” wheel is generally going to be lighter than most steel wheels, but most aluminum alloy wheels are cast aluminum, and are designed for looks more than optimal performance.