Thoughts on Machining Surface...Help!

[polarisman14]

Hey,

I'm getting some pretty aggressive wheels soon and I want to take the offset back up a bit. To do this I was planning on machining away some of the mating surface where the inside of the rim meets the outside of the brake disc/drum...

Question: Is there any hard and fast rule as to how much (in mm, inch, or percentage) you can safely remove from a rim?

I want to take somewhere in the 5-10mm range off and while I don't yet have the rims in my posession I'm fairly sure there's a good deal of meat on the hub area as they are RWD rims with a reasonable positive offset and minimal dish. Sorry for being vague, but I don't want to give the rims away in the midst of getting my question answered.

Thanks!

[Spatakula]

I don't know of any percentage or number that would be safe because rims are made from different materials, designs, sizes, widths, etc. To me, it seems like it would be a dice roll. A few mm's would make them weaker but I doubt it would be enough to seriously alter the structural integrity of the wheel.

Just make sure you do not take too much off or you will have clearance issues with the calipers and you would need a spacer to make up for the difference that you took off, thus putting you back where you started with less material. Also, take into consideration the back spacing of the wheel so that you will clear your struts/coils.

Pics would definitely help. What are the specs of the wheels now... or is that all hush hush?

-spatakula

[REVSWIN]

Weldcraft wheels here in MI, and well known wheel repairer nationally... Told me the MOST they would be willing to take off of a wheel would be 5mm, and that would be pushing it. You'll be cutting into the taper of the lug holes if you cut too much off, so the lug holes will have to be reworked/strengthened some how.

I personally have given up on trying to get aggressive wheels to fit. If they fit, they fit... If they don't, don't spend money trying. I now am a firm believer in paying for custom wheels in the sizes you want.

Look up Weldcraft wheels and email them to see what they say.

[polarisman14]

Originally Posted by Spatakula

Pics would definitely help. What are the specs of the wheels now... or is that all hush hush?

-spatakula

Yeah I'm keeping them on the DL for now, they should fit pretty nasty once done--think similar to Moula's car, at least the fronts .

Thanks for the suggestions so far--I just want the offset to be a little more reasonable for the front. I'll be running coilovers or bags so clearances aren't that big of a deal, plus even with the machine work the inside of the rim will be within 10mm of stock SVT wheel fitment so I think I'm set there. I just know the stock fenders don't have a ton of give to them so I would rather do as much as I safely can with the wheels first. The wheels are one-piece and the wheel material is alloy. Once I get them I can post up some measurements from the inside mating surface to the part where the lug holes start to taper out for the lugs--that'll be a useful piece of information IMO.

Keep the info coming, thanks! I'll give them a call.