Talk:Steel wheel

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The United States International Trade Commission defined steel wheels in 1988 for their purposes as follows:

~~The steel wheels and parts thereof subject to these investigations are w~~ Wheels made of steel in wheel diameter sizes ranging between 13 inches and 16.5 inches, inclusive. These wheels consist of a steel center (also referred to as a "disc" or "spider") and a steel rim that are welded or riveted together to form a single unit. The steel disc component centers the rim about the axle. Once assembled into a wheel, the steel center and rim are inseparable. The subject products are for use with both tube-type and tubeless-type tires, and are used on passenger automobiles, light-to-heavy duty pickup trucks, vans, step vans, and similar vehicles collectively referred to in the industry as "light trucks" ( up to 14,000 pounds)~~(GVW classification Nos. 1, 2, and 3) 1/~~ and are capable of use on other vehicles such as mobile homes, trailers, and farm equipment.

Manufacturing process

Steel wheel production occurs in three stages: (1) center or disc production; (2) rim production; and (3) assembly and finishing.

The center or disc

is produced from a hot-rolled steel sheet or strip, usually grade SAE 1010 to 1015 low-carbon, high-strength low alloy, or a similar grade. Centers are stamped, which involves the cold forming of a round or nearly round blank to shape the basic contour of the wheel center. The centers then undergo stamping processes that produce the final configuration and are punched to form the vent, stud, and center holes. The discs are stamped with the manufacturer's identification code, part identification number, and date of manufacture. The centers are then washed, inspected, and stored.

Rim production

begins on a separate production line with coiled low carbon, hot-rolled steel in the form of either in-house slit-to-width coils or master coils that have been slit to width and recoiled prior to delivery. The coil is processed through a series of rollers where it is flattened and cut to length, and the edges are conditioned. The strip is then stamped for identification, rollformed to rim shape, and welded into a hoop. The hoop is subjected to a series of intermediate steps: weld trim, edge trim, and planishing (smoothing). The rim is then finished by passing it through a series of press-and-roll formers, which flare and contour the rim and impart final configuration. The rims are washed before final assembly.

Assembly and finishing

are performed on a third separate line. The center and wheel are pressure fitted together, the valve-stem hole is punched, and the two pieces are permanently joined to form a wheel either by welding or riveting. Welding is the predominant method of joining the wheel. The wheels are then inspected and washed. Finally, the wheel is dipped into an electrolytically charged paint, spray painted on the front face if requested by the customer, and cured. If intended for the original-equipment customer, the wheels are packed on returnable metal racks for shipment. If shipped to distributors, the wheels are stacked horizontally and spun-wrapped on wooden pallets . The Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of the United States, Inc., classifies trucks by gross vehicle weight as follows:

Class 1 — 6,000 pounds and less,

Class 2 — 6,001 to 10,000 pounds,

~~Class 3 — 10,001 to 14,000 pounds.~~

Eddaido (talk) 09:11, 5 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Some more sources

Automotive Steel Wheels at www.autosteel.org

This brief item by a group of steel suppliers divides wheels by the material they are made of:

Wood
Steel (casting, sheet, wire)
Aluminium (casting, forging or sheet)
Magnesium
Composites (FRP)
Combinations of the above

It describes 1935—1980s as the age of the steel wheel

It provides a graph showing how in the period 1980 to 2003 aluminum wheels took the major share of the (US?) market but did not extinguish steel wheels

Association of European Wheel Manufacturers site

This item divides wheels into Car steel wheels and Car alloy wheels. It describes production methods in detail and divides car light alloy wheels into the following methods of manufacture:

Forging

High pressure die casting

Low pressure die casting

Gravity casting (for magnesium wheels in use since the early 1920s) cheap tooling allows low production runs

Pressed Steel Wheels for Pleasure Cars SAE 1915

This item from 105 years ago describes 3 types of pressed steel wheel then being made in England

the complete wheel is formed in halves and the two halves welded together
the felloe and spokes are formed in halves and the rim secured separately
(as with the early American wheel) each steel spoke is formed in halves and welded together, the spokes are then welded to the rim, two pressed steels side plates are applied to form a web between the spokes at the hub
it is noted the best known German wheel is made in halves and welded at the centre line, a socket is welded to the end of each spoke and then a rim pressed on then welded or riveted.

Twelve pages follow, of detailed descriptions of manufacture and testing of American wheels.

Cheers, Eddaido (talk) 12:33, 7 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Global Automotive Wheel Industry at Globe Newswire

Global and China Automotive Wheel Market 2018-2023 from PR Newswire

Hot Rod article about building steel wheels (background)

Tyre Size Calculator (background articles under "Wheels" tab) it speaks of petrolheads

Other wheel articles

Wheel is all about Etruscan chariots and spokes and pre-Columbian toys and aircraft undercarriages and "the wheel's importance to technology in general" but it does try to provide a portal to the subject

Alloy wheel is about wheels made of alloys of aluminum or magnesium

Composite wheel should we have an article? ***

Steel wheel should we have an article? ***

Wire wheel (obs.?)

Tire

Rim (wheel) says its about the outer edge of a wheel holding a tire

Wheelbuilding It says its about assembling wire (generally bicycle) wheels (see Wheel construction)

Bicycle wheel says its about wheels for bicycles most commonly wire wheels

Motorcycle wheel says they are made to cope with radial and axial forces

Artillery wheel (obs.) is unable to define a mid 20th century wheel of its particular kind

Wheel construction It says its about the construction of non-wire wheels (and adds) of cars and heavier vehicles (see Wheelbuilding)