TheSamba.com :: View topic - Filling holes on stock 4 bolt wheel for smoothie look

Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:15 pm

I searched and was amazed I couldnt find anything. I need to run pretty high offest wheels and stock seems to be the way to go. (already lookes at aftermarket options - to wide and/or too deep. The end result is to be a simple painted rim that looks like 5 bolt smoothies. No hub caps or trim rings.

Is there a REASONABLY easy way to do this? Obviouslye I can cut out 40 metal ovals and weld them in, grind, bondo etc. But wondering if I can do the "shortcut" like with just tiger hair and a backer? Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:21 pm

won't that make it a bitch to balance?

Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:26 pm

andk5591 wrote: .... wondering if I can do the "shortcut" like with just tiger hair and a backer? If you do that, they will all fall out. The wheel flexes a lot as you drive. Have you ever seen a hubcap on the side of the road? Flexing wheels spit off hubcaps all the time.

Weld steel.

Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:41 pm

Thats what I was wondering - Didnt think about the wheel flexing at all.

Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:46 pm

Didnt someone on here post up some pics of a red salad bowl that fit perfectly over the center section of the wheel? I believe the hubcab held it in place. didnt look too bad as a faux smoothie

Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:33 pm

Check on volksrods for that one, it looked pretty damn good for a 20/20 car

Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:50 am

Check here for pics of metal trims that cover the holes

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4873383&highlight=#4873383

Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:58 am

THATS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT - Just PM'd you. I had seen Fonzy's idea, but was not nuts about plastic and was thinking about starting to look for metal bowls. Thanks!

Tue Feb 15, 2011 1:14 pm

EXJAY wrote: Didnt someone on here post up some pics of a red salad bowl that fit perfectly over the center section of the wheel? I believe the hubcab held it in place. didnt look too bad as a faux smoothie

Yes I have been searching for it but I too can not find it, anybody...anybody?

Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:46 pm

http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24720

But the pictures are gone now - Still looking for a metal alternative - have not heard back from Spinster about their metal discs and wondering if any of you metal wizards can do it or know of a good vessel to use to cut my own?

Wed Feb 16, 2011 4:18 pm

andk5591 wrote: [url] - Still looking for a metal alternative - have not heard back from Spinster

Emailed you back yesterday. Will send info by PM this time

Thu Jun 28, 2012 5:54 pm

Anyluck on a metal replacement? im looking at getting some to reply the old stock look with the smoothies look and i dont know how well the walmart bowls will last in a vancouver winter ahha

Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:03 pm

RothenGator wrote: Anyluck on a metal replacement? im looking at getting some to reply the old stock look with the smoothies look and i dont know how well the walmart bowls will last in a vancouver winter ahha

At least they wont rust!

Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:34 am

Got these disks from Spinster -

I used seam sealer to glue them to the wheel and fill the seams around the edges. In retrospect, I really didnt need to do it. Depends on the color you pick, but the seams are pretty small. Real happy with them. There are aftermarket 4 lug smoothies, but I needed to kick my front wheels in as far as possible because of my dropped spindles. So I found a set of stock wheels with the correct offset.

Good luck.

Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:15 am

Just wondering if the holes were originally there for cooling of the brakes and hub. Or for whatever other reason...

Wheels today all seem to have holes in them, but they didn't always. Just wondering what the function of the holes is. Less weight? Better cooling?

Fri Jun 29, 2012 2:09 pm

Or C all of the above. But for how most of these are driven, it probably doesnt matter.

Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:57 pm

I'm running smoothie trim rings on my bay camper and never had a problem with brakes overheating.
Even when fully loaded with family and camping gear up in the mountains.

Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:14 pm

i got a set of spinster's rings last year, and am almost done restoring some o.g. wheels to put em on......... anyway i also was curious about the disk brake question so i asked here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=484463&highlight=

drscope dropped some great info

Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:48 pm

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!

I am really pleased with the look. the class of smoothies but the practicality of keeping it 4 lug. big props to spinster

Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:11 am

Looks great!