How To Reverse Steel Wheels

The new chrome wheels available today are a little different than the old “chrome-reverse” wheels of days gone by.

The outer portion of a normal steel wheel generally has a distinct step where it goes from the tire bead seating area to the middle part where the center is welded on, then going from the center over to the inner tire bead seat, it is angled or “cone-shaped” and there is a bit more distance (the wheel center does not weld to a point exactly between the rim beads but instead toward the outside). Thus, with that shape, the tire mounts from the outside.

Sixties chrome-reverse wheels had the rim literally reversed on the center disc when they were assembled, and the tire mounted from the inside.

What you originally got from this was a more positive wheel offset making for a smoother, deeper appearance while still building from the “stock”-type wheel components.

Since they don’t have to make custom wheels out of OEM ones these days, the chrome wheels available are the normal non-reversed-type assembly with whatever size and offset. So from that, you can tell a new wheel from a sixties one.

There’s more; wheel centers now have some obvious different designs to the center bolt-circle portion which gets covered when you put on a moon cap. Without the cap, you can see if it’s really old, or just the new type.

So, if you really want the old school look and run ’em without caps, you either gotta find nice “original” chrome-reverse wheels, or make your own from a set of 1960s steel wheels…

Watch Old School Tech: How To Reverse Steel Wheels