disassembling 3 piece wheels?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
disassembling 3 piece wheels?
does anybody have any info or links on this topic?? I know it should be done by a professional but that costs $$. and it shouldnt be that difficult unless i need some kind of press. I bought some blitz type03's and they had a bit of curb rash so i thought i'd polish it out, but they have a coating on them (not really sure what it is) so the polished part and the coating dont blend together. polishing the entire lip would be tough cause of the spokes so i thought if i could take them apart, polishing would be simple.
charles
charles
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Was SoCal
Posts: 464
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't have experience with this, but here are some thoughts anyway
If the wheel is assembled as a center section sandwiched between two rim halves, then unless Blitz uses some type of unusual fasteners, it should be pretty easy to take the wheel apart.
It seems to me that the tougher part would be assembling the wheel. If the fasteners don't automatically keep the components concentric, then you have to find a way keep them concentric while you tighten the fasteners (i.e., some type of jig). Aside from that, you need to determine the torque values for the fasteners and a proper tightening sequence. Finally, you may need to put sealant between the pieces.
Fikse or Kinesis used to show the assembly of a three piece wheel on their site. If I can find the page, I'll post a link.
If the wheel is assembled as a center section sandwiched between two rim halves, then unless Blitz uses some type of unusual fasteners, it should be pretty easy to take the wheel apart.
It seems to me that the tougher part would be assembling the wheel. If the fasteners don't automatically keep the components concentric, then you have to find a way keep them concentric while you tighten the fasteners (i.e., some type of jig). Aside from that, you need to determine the torque values for the fasteners and a proper tightening sequence. Finally, you may need to put sealant between the pieces.
Fikse or Kinesis used to show the assembly of a three piece wheel on their site. If I can find the page, I'll post a link.
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i sent blitz an email but they still have yet to respond, but it is the weekend. I doubt i will hear from them, i dont have much success emailing large companies. plus i cant see blitz encouraging people to take apart their wheels, they would only reccomend me to take it to a professional or send it back to them.
I dont exactly know what you mean by the fastners keeping the wheel concentric. they do not but i am pretty sure the center section will stay true by the way it is designed.
I dont exactly know what you mean by the fastners keeping the wheel concentric. they do not but i am pretty sure the center section will stay true by the way it is designed.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Was SoCal
Posts: 464
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by CTEK4LIFE ...I dont exactly know what you mean by the fastners keeping the wheel concentric. they do not but i am pretty sure the center section will stay true by the way it is designed.
I've been assuming that the rim halves and center section mate with flat surfaces, but if they are formed in such a way that when they are sandwiched, they are concentric (e.g., recesses in each rim half are sized exactly to fit around the center), then you can forget the crap I've been spewing about the bolts & the jig. You would be left with the the torque, sequence, and sealant questions to figure out.
Last edited by artowar2; 03-09-03 at 03:27 AM.
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thats what i thought u were talking about, yes they are made in such a way that the center section is sandwiched in so that it is always going to be concentric. I actually dont think there should be any sealant issues at all. the centerpiece bolts to a flange from the outer forged part. The outer part is completely sealed with a weld.
Trending Topics
#8
Lurking..................
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: PA
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You should pm the seller in this post(supraeater)https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...ght=supraeater , he had the centers of his z1's paint black so he might know something about taking apart blitz rims.
#9
Perpetual Project
iTrader: (4)
No direct experience, but worth contacting for more info. They have a very good rep for all their other custom work:
http://www.sabsconversions.com/wheels.html
DO NOT go to Wheel America. They are not geared to do 3 piece wheels n(at least not their Houston office). I had the exact same problem with an old set of Enkei RS-E 3-piece wheels - a little curb rash that sanded/buffed out myself, but left a distinct line between the clear coat and the bare aluminum. The spokes curved over the lip too, making refinishing without disassembling impossible.
They took my $125, told me what I wanted to hear (disassemble, polish, etc), and basically put it on a lathe and machined out the line - and turning the lip into 1/2 machine lip and the other half (under the spokes) original polished. Grrr.
Check the ads in the back of Car&Driver, R&T, etc. for other places.
http://www.sabsconversions.com/wheels.html
DO NOT go to Wheel America. They are not geared to do 3 piece wheels n(at least not their Houston office). I had the exact same problem with an old set of Enkei RS-E 3-piece wheels - a little curb rash that sanded/buffed out myself, but left a distinct line between the clear coat and the bare aluminum. The spokes curved over the lip too, making refinishing without disassembling impossible.
They took my $125, told me what I wanted to hear (disassemble, polish, etc), and basically put it on a lathe and machined out the line - and turning the lip into 1/2 machine lip and the other half (under the spokes) original polished. Grrr.
Check the ads in the back of Car&Driver, R&T, etc. for other places.
#10
Senior Member
I have had my 3 pc. wheels apart once. I was putting on a wider outer shell to change the width from 8" to 10".
The wheels are by a company called "Real Racing" and the design is "Pro 6". I would show you a picture but their website has been down for months.
The way these wheels are designed there was NO way to assemble them where they would be out of balance. There was a groove in the back of the wheel face that forced the back shell to center on the wheel and the same style of groove on the front for the front shell to center.
The only warning from the company about doing the conversion myself was to be sure that I used plenty of silicon sealant between the wheel parts and the resulting groove on the inside.
Any reputable wheel company is probably going to have centering grooves to keep the three pieces in the proper alignment. Just take your time and do one wheel at a time. You should have no problem.
FYI: use locktite on the bolts/nuts that hold the wheels together !! I have found a few loose on every wheel I own (6 of them)
The wheels are by a company called "Real Racing" and the design is "Pro 6". I would show you a picture but their website has been down for months.
The way these wheels are designed there was NO way to assemble them where they would be out of balance. There was a groove in the back of the wheel face that forced the back shell to center on the wheel and the same style of groove on the front for the front shell to center.
The only warning from the company about doing the conversion myself was to be sure that I used plenty of silicon sealant between the wheel parts and the resulting groove on the inside.
Any reputable wheel company is probably going to have centering grooves to keep the three pieces in the proper alignment. Just take your time and do one wheel at a time. You should have no problem.
FYI: use locktite on the bolts/nuts that hold the wheels together !! I have found a few loose on every wheel I own (6 of them)
#11
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thanks partstrader, yea these wheels have a similar centering design to them. do they come apart easily or did u have to tap out the center section at all?
#12
Senior Member
Originally posted by CTEK4LIFE
thanks partstrader, yea these wheels have a similar centering design to them. do they come apart easily or did u have to tap out the center section at all?
thanks partstrader, yea these wheels have a similar centering design to them. do they come apart easily or did u have to tap out the center section at all?
#13
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i took out all the bolts and the wheels are still firmly in there, its almost like they were pressed in, (their centering design), so i'm not sure what i'm gonna do.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post