Most readers will know of Wheelsmith, purveyors of steel wheels, aluminum artillery wheels, wires, and even their new range of big-inch billet wheels that look like steelies, in various styles. The company, however, also manufactures steel wheels for land speed racing.
SCTA rules dictate that wheel centers on steel wheels have to be welded for the full 360-degree area where the center touches the rim, or the total area where they meet on steel wheels with windows, a la ’40 Ford, rather than just plug welded. Fully welded wheels are not recommended for street use though, as if a crack appears, it will travel the full circumference of the wheel in short order. We should mention these same wheels are more than adequate for street use if they’re not fully welded though, and indeed that’s how they’re usually manufactured!
With calculations based on final overdrive ratio, differential ratio, engine rpm, and targeted top speed, a 30-inch-tall tire in the rear was required for this application, which in turn meant a 16-inch wheel diameter to allow for the best options when it came to rubber choice. We settled on 16x6 rears and 15x4.5 fronts.
Pulling the selected rim sizes from their inventory, Wheelsmith machined the centers for a perfect fit before pressing them into the rims and welding the two pieces together. They also installed the tabs for Moon discs, as they have the necessary jigs in-house. Mooneyes have the jigs too, should you wish to weld your own tabs in place. Wheelsmith offers a powdercoating service on their wheels as well, though these wheels were supplied raw and later painted.
