Weld-Up Fuchs Idea Question

[scotricker]

If I find a nice pair of 16 X 8 Fuchs used for sale someday, that will be great.
But then I'll have a nice pair of 6 X 16's just sitting around in my garage.

So instead, could I have the 6's cut and welded and made into 8's?
Would they look right and be safe?

Just thinking....

[WPOZZZ]

Yes you could. I have 7s and 9.5s on my car.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by scotricker

If I find a nice pair of 16 X 8 Fuchs used for sale someday, that will be great.
But then I'll have a nice pair of 6 X 16's just sitting around in my garage.

So instead, could I have the 6's cut and welded and made into 8's?
Would they look right and be safe?

Just thinking....

Yes, Gary Stratton (Sonjay) has been doing that for years, also adding the back of the Sixes to 7s..

[PeterRT]

Originally Posted by scotricker

Would they look right and be safe?

Depends what you consider right, but genuine 8s look quite a bit different in any case.

[Racerbvd]

Course you can buy brand new 8s & 9s from Porsche again..

[aston@ultrasw.c]

Talk to the folks at true design wheel.

They did an outstanding job for me!!!

True Design Wheel

[JeremyD]

+1 on Jim at True Design. I'd do 17" while you are at it. and yes - you can do 17" rears and 16" fronts until you have the mula...

[Racerbvd]

Another +1!!

[Joe Bob]

Sonjay quoted me, $1500+4 supplied by me (7x16s) to come up with 2 (8s and 9s). I assume that he welds/adds 1 & 2 inches on the inboard side but he hasn't PM'd me to confirm.

[aston@ultrasw.c]

For my wheels True Design machined out the Fuchs centers and pressed them into a brand new barrels.

[Joe Bob]

'Pressed'? Usually they are bolted to a set of barrels (1 or two pieces) or welded. Interesting, got pics?

[Jack Olsen]

Lindsey Racing in Oklahoma does it, too. I've had 6x16s converted to 8x17, 9x17, 9.5x17 and 11x17.

Are they as safe as unmolested Fuchs? Well, I think the issue is whether the donor Fuchs you're using are safe. Any metal has a lifespan -- a certain number of times (or amount) it can be stressed before it fails. Wider wheels and stickier tires are going to increase the stress on the wheel. I have no idea of how 'old' the 6x16s I used were (in terms of use, rather than years), but they're subjected to a lot more stress now that I'm tracking the car with modern tires and their dimensions are significantly wider.

I've never heard of an instance where the weld failed on this type of wheel.

If safety is a concern, then all Fuchs have potential downsides. Even ones that came off a 1989 car are now close to 23 years old. 1966 Fuchs are now close to 46 years old. And of course those years might have involved a lot of stress or a little. It's always hard to say.

The newer Fuchs replacement wheels and the forged replicas are probably the strongest option available if you want the five-spoke design.

[aston@ultrasw.c]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

'Pressed'? Usually they are bolted to a set of barrels (1 or two pieces) or welded. Interesting, got pics?

I think we are talking an interference fit here and a big honking press!

The two parts are welded together as a secondary op.

The point is that dimensions, alignment and pressure integrity are independent of the weld.

[TT Oversteer]

Harvey Weidman made a set of custom offset 16x8's to fit under my narrow body 77 rear flares. I provided a pair of 7's and he provided the donor "inner half" of the wheel. Cut in half down the middle and a new inner wheel half welded on. Came out nice but was about $800 with me providing the donor 7's.