Dually Dilemma

[Axekicker]

Guys!



Took my '90 1-ton dually to the wheel-n-tire shop for a set of American Eagle five-spoke aluminum rims two weeks ago... They still have my truck. They say the wheels that came from A. E. won't work with my stock inner-steel rims because they (the stock steel wheels) have a raised flange around the bolt holes that prevent the rims from a tight face-to-face mating. They've tried everything they can think of and... they're stumped. You guys runnin' dually's... Did you have this problem when you went to aluminum rims? Wha'd ya do? :{

 

["Mad Max"]

okay - here's my experience with the same thing -



The raised bumps are what actually center the wheel on the hub. The area just 'below' the lug studs, just beneath the surface of the hub (where the wheel actually touches the hub) has corresponding 'wells' for the bumps in the wheel to fit into. The lug nuts also have the recesses in them to match the outside of the wheel. These are what center the wheel on the hub, and are crucial to the wheel being mounted right.



Okay, to go aluminum you have a couple options. First off - they'll tell you that you can't go aluminum on the inside because of safety (translation - no way to center the wheel because no bumps). That is a true fact. But, there is another thing to consider. Aluminum wheels are centered by the lug nut, but the lug nuts for aluminum are different than for steel. Aluminum lug nuts are shanked, meaning there is the nut portion plus about a 3/4" shank that fits perfectly between the lug stud and the opening in the wheel for the lug shank - this is what centers aluminum wheels.



Now, to go aluminum on the outside and steel on the inside you'll have to grind off the outer bumps of the steel wheel so the aluminum wheel will lay flat against the inner steel wheel. The inner steels will still center because of the inner bumps on the steel wheel, and the tire shop will have to get aluminum lug nuts to center the outer aluminum wheel. Been there, done that, works great.



BUT, here is the real way to go . Pull both rear wheels off. Get two sets of aluminum lug nuts. Grab a death wheel (4" angle grinder with a narrow cutting disc) and cut the shanks off 16 of them. Thread the shanks (one-each per stud) all the way till they bottom out right next to the hub face. This is what will center your inner aluminum wheel. Safety concern becomes null and void :-laf . Then, with the inner wheel centered and happy, slap on the second aluminum wheel, blast on 8 standard shank aluminum lug nuts, and your outer wheel is also centered, and you got you a set of 6 purty aluminum wheels and everything is hunky dory. Oo.

- Max

 

[Axekicker]

Wow! Thanks for the quick turn-around! I asked the tire-guys about using 4-rear aluminum rims on the rear and they said "NO"!!! They told me that it's strictly prohibited by most aluminum wheel manufacturers to put aluminum-to-aluminum on "duallies" EXCEPT... They said there is one manufacturer that has a wheel that's approved for that type of install... but... here's the catch... It's "4" times more expensive than the wheel I'm going to use. I think I'll use your suggestion to grind my existing rims. There's a wheel-repair-shop here in town that said they'd do it proper-and-quick if I dropped them off tomorrow. Since I've got a 14-hour day at work tomorrow... I think I'll go that route. Again... thanks for the quick reply-guy! I really appreciate it.

 

[Philip]

You could also take them to a tool shop and have the coins machined into the rims.



My self I used a die grinder and made the coins on my rims.



If you go this way. Make sure you use the locating pins as a reference. You only need to releave 4 lug holes. If you index wrong. You end up doing 8. LOL

 

[1stgen4evr]

wheels

I would be more inclined to relieve the aluminum than grind the steel. I have also run a flat Chevy wheel as the inside wheel and the aluminum will not require anything. You will have to drill one locating pin hole in each chevy wheel. I did not have a balance problem or anything else negative. Some chevy wheel don't have a big enough center hole. You have to be absolutely sure that you enlarge the center hole in the precise center of rotation. Properly sized, the chevy wheel centers on the hub and not the l ugs. This stuff is easier for me since I have a complete machine shop to do whatever I want.



Lots of ways to solve this problem.



James