Ideas for smooth wheel cover on spoked alloy wheel

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by bandit86

Long studs like threaded rod with short nuts welded in middle, could be used as wheel bolts

The threaded rod would need to have the same grade rating as OEM studs or nuts.
And the heat from welding might remove strength or hardness, or both.

[Piotrsko]

Don't want "hard" in load bearing devices, the appropriate word is tough. Hard has a tendency to have low yields so your device shatters instead of stretching. Tough tends to not care about heat treatments like welding but at the expense of lower yields.

[j-c-c]

Originally Posted by aerohead

The threaded rod would need to have the same grade rating as OEM studs or nuts.
And the heat from welding might remove strength or hardness, or both.

By using a long wheel nut, making hardly more than a tack weld, any heat related downsides would be centered towards the non load bearing end, combined with the overall mass of a long nut, with a long stud would keep the area not welded safely IMO out of the heat effected zone (800F+?). There are other welding tricks that can assist in that goal to retain original mechanical strengths of the threaded rod and most of the long wheel nut. The protruding stud if designed that way to secure the wheel cover, will be far exceeding any needed strengths or fatigue limits needed to retain the cover with the negative effects of the welding

[freebeard]

There are other welding tricks that can assist in that goal...

Tap threads into a section of copper pipe and screw each one into it?

[j-c-c]

Yes, regardless of whatever "trick'" is used, trying not to overcool and/overly thermally shock the welded metal is also important.

[Piotrsko]

Hmm starting to need a thermal biased metallurgical engineer for hubcaps. Bit too far perhaps?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by j-c-c

By using a long wheel nut, making hardly more than a tack weld, any heat related downsides would be centered towards the non load bearing end, combined with the overall mass of a long nut, with a long stud would keep the area not welded safely IMO out of the heat effected zone (800F+?). There are other welding tricks that can assist in that goal to retain original mechanical strengths of the threaded rod and most of the long wheel nut. The protruding stud if designed that way to secure the wheel cover, will be far exceeding any needed strengths or fatigue limits needed to retain the cover with the negative effects of the welding

I might just drill out the capped end of the nut, and use J-B Weld to anchor the all-thread into the nut, skipping the 'heat' altogether.

[j-c-c]

As long as temps are under control, normal epoxy doesn't like over 200F temps, and you will need a deep enough socket to grab the nut, not a standard lug wrench.
I do like simple.

[j-c-c]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Hmm starting to need a thermal biased metallurgical engineer for hubcaps. Bit too far perhaps?

So then pay attention.
Wheel studs or nuts are a major safety issue because of fatigue issues and large cycles of loading in their lifetime, and the solutions being discussed can have big consequences with retaining the wheel regardless of the aero wheel cover issues.
Not too far one bit IMO.

[Piotrsko]

Originally Posted by j-c-c

So then pay attention.
Wheel studs or nuts are a major safety issue because of fatigue issues and large cycles of loading in their lifetime, and the solutions being discussed can have big consequences with retaining the wheel regardless of the aero wheel cover issues.
Not too far one bit IMO.

Was paying attention. Why do you think I started the snarkey comments? This isnt a place where obscure chineseum made steel alloys from a dubious source sold cheaply at a orange hardware store are adequate for the stresses involved particularly after uncontrolled random heat treatment. In the old days, wheel covers simply fell off and got ran over. My F250 has torque sensitive lug bolts. Not using a click wrench and just going gonzo with an impact gun at a tire place makes me have to replace them every so often. Too loose and they back off and disappear somewhere on the street.