rebuilding snow track cast wheels

[JimVT]

I scoured the bone yard today and found a 16inch donut tire and am going to cut the center out and weld it in place of the cast aluminum centers that are broken. the cast centers are riveted to the steel rims.
one broken wheel tire is foamed and not sure about the heat from welding. The other has a crack in the cast that you can see.
i'll need to get the offset correct and the bolt pattern matches fine.

 

[Cidertom]

Jim, Do you know what brand of car the spare came from?

 

[zekeusa]

Wow what luck!....and with the same bolt pattern too! We don't have any boneyards left around here that will let you walk around and pick like the old days. I have heard of race car wheel shops that take your center and weld whatever shell and offset you want.

 

[JimVT]

we'll see "what luck" if it works. I did an old jd spoke tractor wheel that I welded the spokes in a vw rim and it came out good.

the yard gave it to me and didn't know what it was off of. but I had my hub and noticed Volvo and vw will fit but you need a 16" wheel to get the center large enough. mine could be a chev . it is a t125/70 D 16.
I am doing two of them . so if it works i'll be digging for a second.

 

[300 H and H]

I think if you do a search here you may find Nikos has been there done that. I do believe he knows of a space saver spare for a BMW that will bolt on..

If I remember right anyway...

Regards, Kirk

 

[Sno-Surfer]

I see your wheels have an st parts stamp on them. I think mine are a later style with the reinforced outer rim, no st stamp on them. I think mine are steel though and thinner walled maybe.
Is cracking like this a common thing and anything particular cause this? Was there a crossover period where the wheels went from aluminum to steel?
Hope this works out for you, it sure looks worth a shot.

 

[nikos]

I think if you do a search here you may find Nikos has been there done that. I do believe he knows of a space saver spare for a BMW that will bolt on..

If I remember right anyway...

Regards, Kirk

The tyre is from BMW, But the BMW rim have different dimensions than the original ST4 . Also i remember that it was to difficult to set the BMW rim on the cast centers of the ST4, even thought there are 5 cast centers. I replace the new BMW tyre, and its works very well until now on the ST4 ( in the cold winter with the snow and in the summer when the ST4 it is not moving with the high temperatures and some times the tyre is just in one position - park in the garage) .
All my bogie wheels, are foamed filled. I am thinking also, to foam fill the rear too, but the biggest pressure are on the front big wheels. ( I dont know what to do ).
Another think is that. In the BMW tyre there is not any inner tube, just the tyre, that is pressed on the rim by the air, which is comming inside, from the external rubber valve . If someone want to try this without the inner tube its ok. I use it for 2 and half year without any serious problem.

Nikos

 

[JimVT]

I see your wheels have an st parts stamp on them. I think mine are a later style with the reinforced outer rim, no st stamp on them. I think mine are steel though and thinner walled maybe.
Is cracking like this a common thing and anything particular cause this? Was there a crossover period where the wheels went from aluminum to steel?
Hope this works out for you, it sure looks worth a shot.

they made the switch to steel because of breakage . I don't know when.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

cracking was a never ending problem I have had some good luck with the 5 hole cast wheels, and not so good luck with the 5 hole steel wheels. the last of the 3 band models had a 6 hole wheel with a flanged nut and hub pilot system rather than the stud pilot system of the older wheels.