Author Topic: 18" billet wheels  (Read 18863 times)

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Offline kiwi belly tank

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18" billet wheels
« on: May 28, 2011, 09:43:47 AM »
Can anybody point me in the right direction for 18" billet wheels. My liner has 90's 8 lug chevy hubs & is configured around stock dimension wheels. Off the shelf or custom, either way.
  Sid.

Offline Dave Haller

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2011, 10:56:48 AM »
Try Mike Cook out of Norco California.

Offline NathanStewart

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2011, 12:45:27 PM »
Not billet but nice aluminum wheels nonetheless: Ken Huff Racing Wheels 310-943-6877
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Offline jimmy six

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2011, 12:01:04 AM »
A few years back wheel vintiques in Fresno made me some 18" forged Aluminum wheels. At the time they did have 8 lug centers on other wheels.....They are worth a try.................................Good Luck
First GMC 6 powered Fuel roadster over 200, with 2 red hats. Pit crew for Patrick Tone's Super Stock #49 Camaro

Offline Stainless1

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2011, 08:21:24 AM »
Kiwi, google that... 18 chevy 6 lug, you get thousands of hits, a lot of them ebay... 18 x 9 seems to be common.  I would think off the shelf would be considerably cheaper than custom.... Just bought custom steel and they were not cheap, but about a 1/4 of the custom billets that I looked at, even from the manufacturer that I talked to at SEMA that was willing to cut me a deal.
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2011, 12:17:48 PM »
 Stainless, 6 lug is going to be a couple of lugs short.
 I don't think I could trust the integrity of a wheel from ebay, it would likely be a piece of 'fine china' if you know what I mean!
 My car is a 4WD AA/BFS, so you know where I hoping to go with this thing.
 I've yet to see a steel wheel with a close tolerance remain the same after it's been run so I don't see that as an option. If there is a steel wheel available now that starts out 'round' & stays 'round' after being run, I'd like to know about it.
 Forged or Billet, what's the pros n cons? How do I tell which I have when it's in my hands??
 In this day of C&C it should only be a matter of having the right hunk of material & hitting the start button. I remember the Arfons wheels we tried on Betsy back in the day, some one did a whole lotta whittlin on those babies!
  Sid.

Offline maguromic

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2011, 01:39:27 PM »
We are building billet wheels for the roadster and when you are done buying the blanks and whittling the part it does get a little costly, and that doesn’t include doing the drawing and running the FEA on it.  But the good thing is you get a wheel the way you want it. Tony
“If you haven’t seen the future, you are not going fast enough”

Offline Stainless1

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2011, 11:16:29 PM »
Kiwi, my bad, poor typing skills.... google 8 lug... you get the stuff I saw, seems like one of the ebay items was a set of alcoa wheels.  The custom billets I mentioned were about $800 EA, and several manufacturers were willing to make our odd bolt pattern, but we were looking at 15X4s, not 18x9.  I think the chunk is a tad higher priced.

Maybe Tony will whittle out a couple of extras. 
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline jimmy six

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #8 on: May 29, 2011, 11:48:51 PM »
My forged aluminum 18" x 7" Wheel Vintiques were the truest wheels I have ever checked. The welding of the centers to the rims was excellant. I had a special off set requested. They were pricey but what isn't these days......Good Luck..JD
First GMC 6 powered Fuel roadster over 200, with 2 red hats. Pit crew for Patrick Tone's Super Stock #49 Camaro

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2011, 01:53:09 AM »
 7" is the max recommended width for the 900x18 Mickey's, I'd prefer to run a 6 1/2" to get a little more growth on the top end. Any narrower than that & the Mickeys tend to pop cords. Perfect rolling stock is an absolute must in my opinion so I'm prepared to pay the $$$. If I have to bend over to get it, then so be it.
  Sid.
 My old mate Google isn't helping me out much on this one, musta peed him off!
« Last Edit: May 30, 2011, 02:10:28 AM by kiwi belly tank »

Offline maguromic

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2011, 02:17:49 AM »
Sid, What is the max wheel RPM and max tire pressure you are looking at?  I will ask my friend if he can do them, the roadster is built around 15" wheels and they are no problem for him.  Do you have a drawing for the wheel? Tony
“If you haven’t seen the future, you are not going fast enough”

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2011, 03:24:06 PM »
Tony, the standard tire pressure for mickeys 100psi & I have enough gearing options to turn them to 5800rpm with 7500 eng rpm.
  Sid.

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2011, 10:50:42 AM »
 I spent the best part of yesterday on the phone.
 Vintiques declined to build 18" 8 lug wheels, I guess they dont need the business.
 Correct phone # for Ken Huff is 562-943-6877, left a message, no reply yet.
 It seems like "leave me a message" is a popular way of doing business these days, I did that a lot yesterday, frustrating!
 Mike Cook was the only person I spoke with yesterday who had good attitude, no surprise there.
 Need to pm Tony.
    Sid.

Offline thundersalt

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2011, 11:08:08 AM »
I had mine (18" X 7") made in 2008 by Colorado Customs in so cal. They use their "blank" (billet wheel before cutting design) to make them to my specs. Fully welded with requested back spacing and bolt pattern.
http://www.coloradocustom.com/?antiCache=77394
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Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: 18" billet wheels
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2011, 11:11:39 AM »
Thanks, I'll be on the phone.
  Sid.