quote:Originally posted by 1topcat:
Agreed. How would one go about making these as repros in aluminum? Would a large 3d printer or just a good CAD operator be able to repro from photos of the wheels? Could they replicate them in 18" rears and 17" fronts so we can have some additional choices in rubber?
Topcat, yes it could be done. I work in the casting industry and with the tools available it may be possible to create these in aluminum at an affordable cost. If I had just one of each origional wheel I would create the wheels in these steps.
1. Using a non-contact blue light scanner (The type I use can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtMQA41Vlhs , it is pretty cool) I would scan each of the two different sized wheels. This would create two seperate CAD files for each wheel.
2. Using a CAD software program like solidworks, edit the files and scale the features up to the size desired (17"?), this is the tricky step making sure they "look right" to the eye.
3. Now your ready for the 3D printer or any other prototyping method. This is where you can really save on cost by editing the CAD files. Since the "operational envelope" of the printer is the driving force in the cost, I would split each pattern in two, the outboard half including the center and a second half for the inboard portion. I would DEFINATELY add at least two locating features (pins on one and holes on the other) to the CAD models, then just glue and seal with wax the two pattern halves.
3. Contact one of the hundreds of foundries that specialize in jobs like this. This is where the pros and cons (as well as cost) between sand cast and investment cast need to be investigated. Sand cast will be cheaper initially, but may result in a product that requires more finish machining, excess inclusions, and porosity that may result in a wheel that does not hold air well.
4. Bolt on and enjoy!