Pizza Pan covers over 16" GM alloy OEM wheels

[moorecomp]

One word: Helicoils.

[nbleak21]

I've been considering this, too. So 17" pizza pans for a 16" rim then?

[WesternStarSCR]

Thanks!!!
You guys all rock.
Glad I got some good feedback. That was my hope, to start documenting before the build, to help with things through the build.

I considered tapping, but I do not have taps, and I am not so sure a partial depth tapped hole would have enough meat of aluminum, which can also strip easier than stainless. Also, need loctite to make sure it stayed.

If it were not for the grooves, that allow me to make a capture spot for the nut on the outside face, I would have probably gone that route.

I will report on metal thickness when I get into this over the thanksgiving break.

And yep, 17" pans for 16" wheels. Seems like it is wheel diameter + 1" for most wheels I read about on Ecomodder. Could not find that size locally, except for Grainger, who just started selling them recently.

[Weather Spotter]

Check amazon.com they have aluminum pans in all sizes. If you have an alloy wheel the metal thickness is about 3/4". I drilled and tapped mine for my winter tires. That length of hole makes for a nice thread gripping.

Once you drill the holes take the tires to a shop and get them balanced . They will not due it with the pans on but without still will balance any uneven hole drilling .

In that thickness of rim I went with 1/4-20 stainless steel bolts.

[MetroMPG]

Holes + bolts/nuts shouldn't throw your balance off much if at all, I wouldn't think.

Would it not be better to just do the full mod, and only if you feel vibration afterward spend the money on balancing?

[YeahPete]

I agree w/ Metro. If your tapping the holes where you say you are, it shouldn't throw off the balance. You should be able to find a cheap tap set easy.

Make sure you use screws that are aluminum. Steel and alluminum react and corrode over time. Also make sure your wheels are alluminum and not some different metal and find the reactive characteristics of the different metal on metal contacts.

[YeahPete]

I don't want you to destroy those nice stock rims.
Google: "aluminum fasteners"

[WesternStarSCR]

Hey everyone:
Thanks for following. I follow so many of you guys all the time and I am inspired...

Tapping etc:
Yeah, tapping, helicoils, even some sort of threaded insert was considered. (FYI Grainger catalog is addicting when looking for hardware and fasteners) Then my OCD medicine kicked in and I realized I was over thinking it. I use lock nuts for stuff all the time.

If I have a pretty flush head on the back side (pan or round, not hex or socket cap) as to not interfere with brakes etc, could I just use a lock nut on front side? Backside of cast wheel is recessed as well, so no interference concern anyway.

Even without my 'capture' groove on the front side to let me tighten it up nice, a lock nut quickly serves the purpose in lieu of tapping etc., and I did not have taps, but SS lock nuts are inexpensive. Loctite and a dab of JB weld plus lock nut and it should be OK.

A bonus on using studs inserted from back side:
When removing the retaining nut on the front side, to remove pans for tire rotation etc, the act of loosening nut (left) is applying tightining (right) force on the stud. It will be tight anyway you look at it.

The only way to accidentally loosen the stud would be to somehow over tighten the pans when putting them back on. But I think I would dimple the pan or crush the washers and grommets first anyway. Then it would have to counteract the nylock nut, plus the dab of JB and loctite.

Balance and weight:
I rebuilt my suspension last month and my alignement is still good, and no vibrations on wheels up to over 80 mph, so once I am confident the mod is on good, I have 2 slow leakers that need addressing anyway, and I will ask how much to re-balance, just to move weights off of front edge. Not sure it will be an isue.

The #8 bolts are very small, and picked my Al pans for lightness too. So, hopefuly, no balance issues.

Plasti-dip, paint, stickers, or other design ideas:
I was asking my 6 year old what would look good painted on them. She said swirly things to make it look like it is spinning. I am pretty sure I have never described a WWII prop nose cone, or jet engine intake to her before... kids say the darndest things...

[MetroMPG]

It's fun that you're involving your daughter in the project.

[WesternStarSCR]

Originally Posted by YeahPete

I agree w/ Metro. If your tapping the holes where you say you are, it shouldn't throw off the balance. You should be able to find a cheap tap set easy.

Make sure you use screws that are aluminum. Steel and alluminum react and corrode over time. Also make sure your wheels are alluminum and not some different metal and find the reactive characteristics of the different metal on metal contacts.

I did find Aluminum screws online, but not locknuts. I read some online instructions for tapping into aluminum, a lot of talk about taking your time, using the proper lubricant, backing it out after every couple of turns etc. to prevent galling.

My thought process went a little like this: Seems like a blind hole into the wheel would not give too many threads for tapping. And since it was going to be a thru hole, why was I stressing about making nice taps into aluminum when a thru bolt with locknut might do?

They are Stainless Steel bolts, and while I concede that they are rated as a 'marginal' risk to increase galvanic corrosion, it is nothing more than standard steel. Only brass, copper etc. have a more than marginal risk to make a galvanic battery when in contact with aluminum.

EDIT: Looks like galvanized steel is better with Aluminum than Stainless is? Not sure they make such small screws in galvanized, but I will have to check?

I will look once again for aluminum (or galvanized) screws just to make sure I did not miss anything locally available, but still use the SS locknut. I keep my receipts for that reason...

2nd edit: Not finding much choice in Aluminum or Galvanized small machine screws locally, or even grainger. Galvanized is mostly larger bolts for outdoor projects etc.

Gonna stick with Stainless. Should be fine? 6 of 1, half dozen of the other?

18-8 Stainless steel, 304, 316 Stainless Steel Corrosion


Not so nice stock rims...
And while I admit drilling wheels is not what I first considered, my wheels do not look nearly as pretty as the ones in the pictures, those are just internet found photos of wheels of the same design.