Rebuilding SSR Professors

[Crankey]

I've talked to machine shops about working on wheels, I haven't found one that is willing to take the liability of the work, like to change PCD or open up a center bore....I haven't asked about cutting lips off though, but I don't need to go there.

I dropped one Professor off yesterday to fix some small bends and was told, unless the screws have obvious damage like galled threads then just re use them. the torque isn't huge, just 15-20 lbs. this was at Seattle Wheel Service and they have done good work for me in the past.

APR seems to be engine control stuff, you mean ARP hardware ? I don't see anything that matches the style of bolt head. I did see at McMaster-Carr, a high torque torx drive button head, thats as close as I've seen, but again I'm going with re using original unless I twist off a head...if I do I'll find some spares somewhere.

[KarlSpackler]

So my question is if you split the wheels and put the new lip on can you just seal it up rather than welding it back?

My rule of thumb as I am no engineer, if it was welded from the factory, you should probably re-weld it

so long as we are talking SSR Professors, anyone have a source for fresh screws ?

as far as the barrel / lip questions, why not look for a wider barrel / lip already welded and sell/trade what you have ? cutting them apart seems like it's best done by a machine shop to do a precise job avoiding cutting into the lip or barrel material. I know it can be done by hand but it's alot of cash to risk destroying.

Screws can come from APR or others.
It is really hard to sell OEM barrel/lip combinations and if a machine shop can separate them they aren't worth talking to. It is a pretty simple process.

[Crankey]

so long as we are talking SSR Professors, anyone have a source for fresh screws ?

as far as the barrel / lip questions, why not look for a wider barrel / lip already welded and sell/trade what you have ? cutting them apart seems like it's best done by a machine shop to do a precise job avoiding cutting into the lip or barrel material. I know it can be done by hand but it's alot of cash to risk destroying.

[240sx]

So my question is if you split the wheels and put the new lip on can you just seal it up rather than welding it back?

[babowc]

I put mine on a lathe. Didn't cost me anything but I'm guessing around 30$ per wheel. Any machine shop can do it.

Or get out a grinder

How big of a lathe do you need to do a 18" wheel?

[KarlSpackler]

Thread revive from the grave.. but how did you cut the weld?
And if you took it somewhere, how much was it? (if you don't mind)

I put mine on a lathe. Didn't cost me anything but I'm guessing around 30$ per wheel. Any machine shop can do it.

Or get out a grinder

[babowc]

Thread revive from the grave.. but how did you cut the weld?
And if you took it somewhere, how much was it? (if you don't mind)

[Katyboi]

This is dumb arguing about if these wheels are 2piece or 3 piece wheels......heres a lending hand to OP


OP message me and i can give you a step by step on how to rebuild your 2piece SSRs , breaking them down to 3-piece, and how to polish them when you order the lips to save you the money. Vrwheels charges for the lips to be already polish, cheaper to get them unpolished.

heres a few after I had broken down my SSRs a few months back. I bought weak offset SP1's and threw the rears into the fronts. I ordered 5.5'' rear lips unpolished and polished them myself. Then just 2 months later i decided to flip the faces and move up to 6.5" triple step lip.

heres a few pictures to demonstrate the process: **NOTE** YOU WILL HAVE TO BREAK THE WELD AND RESEAL IT YOURSELF. resealing it can be done at a local tire shop or you can do it yourself. it will take 24 hours to let the silicone dry.

I HOPE THIS HELPS OP

a picture of the 6.5" rear lip vs the already PREVIOUS POLISHED 5.5" rear lip next to each other. **it only takes about 45minutes-an Hour to get them fully polished! ** PS THATS NOT ME IN THE PICTURE LOL





END RESULT!!

[electricalbox]

rabble rabble rabble!

This thread is giving me a headache, people trying to justify/clarify what is already common knowledge on here lol.

ROFL @ Karl's 29pc wheels comment.

[Katyboi]

SSR sp1 is a 3 piece wheel. I know because I own a set myself. I broke the weld myself and rebuilt my SSRs . My specs are 19x10 +9 front 19x12 -13 rear with a 4" inch double step lip front n 6.5" triple step lip rear .

So yes they are 3 piece, after you you cut the weld there exactly like miester s . I've had my SSRs for over a year with no problems ,

[Gator]

rabble rabble rabble!

[Ollie]

I totally see where you're coming from, not disagreeing with you. i do see why they call them 3 piece as well though. They should be advertised as a welded 3 piece wheels. Its a some what shady play on words for sure but to be fair it was constructed from 3 separate pieces of metal. Thats the best way to seal a wheel when you think about it, sucks to un do cause you cant just slide a box cutter through the bead.



where your meisters welded lip? did the face drop out? i've never seen a 17" s1 in person but a work dealer said something about them being soldered so they can be heated and separated.




i think thats what it boils down to, these wheels where designed with performance in mind and the best way to seal it would be to weld it and throw some rtv on for micro leaks.

The barrel was 1 piece and then the face was welded to it and could be heated and dropped out. I know it can be done relatively easily

I've heard that welded wheels are stiffer, especially when the barrel is one piece. And I figure most rally cars use 1 piece wheels and they take a ton of abuse. Also I think one of the reasons 3 piece is popular is the ease of creating a custom wheel. Smaller inventory and ends up being cheaper for everyone

[Jesus Christ]

Ok Jaze, we can go round and round about this. You can do ^ to a style 5 too.

Again, just dont think they should advertise those as 3 piece wheels

I totally see where you're coming from, not disagreeing with you. i do see why they call them 3 piece as well though. They should be advertised as a welded 3 piece wheels. Its a some what shady play on words for sure but to be fair it was constructed from 3 separate pieces of metal. Thats the best way to seal a wheel when you think about it, sucks to un do cause you cant just slide a box cutter through the bead.

But Work labels their welded meisters as 2 piece.


And style 5s come with a barrel that was built as one piece, just like 2 piece Works, just w/ a bolted center disk instead of welded. Neither can have the barrel split like that. That's what jaze is saying

where your meisters welded lip? did the face drop out? i've never seen a 17" s1 in person but a work dealer said something about them being soldered so they can be heated and separated.

thats probably such a pain in the ass to do! not to mention a little risky.



i kind of agree with karl... SSR and other companies who weld 3pc wheels should at least label them as a "welded 3pc wheel" i mean i understand that they arent a 2pc wheel but i dont think they should be labeled as just a 3pc either.

edit: this is a cool little wheel company i stumbled across http://evodwheels.com/the-process/
read the manufacturing process, even they call a welded 3pc a 2pc wheel.



idk if its because its stronger... i would assume maybe to guarantee no leaks or something else.

i think thats what it boils down to, these wheels where designed with performance in mind and the best way to seal it would be to weld it and throw some rtv on for micro leaks.

[Schultz28]

you can actually still spilt the welded ones, so they arent fake splits. its just alum not RTV.

here's a an example of a wheel that was welded, then separated.

thats probably such a pain in the ass to do! not to mention a little risky.

I agree completely. I have seen a ton my self: SSR Formula Mesh, Work Equips, BBS RM's have the face and barrel welded but you can replace lips.

My problem is the above 3 wheels are advertised as 2 piece wheels.

I just think it is crazy for SSR to advertise the SP1s or any of their other "3 pcs" wheels as such.

i kind of agree with karl... SSR and other companies who weld 3pc wheels should at least label them as a "welded 3pc wheel" i mean i understand that they arent a 2pc wheel but i dont think they should be labeled as just a 3pc either.

edit: this is a cool little wheel company i stumbled across http://evodwheels.com/the-process/
read the manufacturing process, even they call a welded 3pc a 2pc wheel.

This is actually more common in the wheel world then you think. For example 17" Meister S1s are 2 piece wheels but the face is welded to the barrel making it "1 piece". Work calls them 2 piece. Bolted 3 piece wheels aren't used on race cars because they are strongest, but because part replacement is easier. A lot of street wheels start out at 3 piece and are welded for strength, they don't care whether or not the customer can put bigger lips on them in 15 years.

idk if its because its stronger... i would assume maybe to guarantee no leaks or something else.

[Ollie]

But Work labels their welded meisters as 2 piece.


And style 5s come with a barrel that was built as one piece, just like 2 piece Works, just w/ a bolted center disk instead of welded. Neither can have the barrel split like that. That's what jaze is saying