Fabricated vehicle wheel and method for producing the same

A method for producing a fabricated vehicle wheel comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a full wheel rim defining a rim axis and including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a generally axially extending well portion, an outboard tire bead seat and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange;
• (b) providing a wheel disc blank;
• (c) subjecting the wheel disc blank to a metal forming operation to produce a partially formed wheel disc having a plurality of individual spaced apart outwardly extending spoke portions which are spaced circumferentially about the disc blank;
• (d) subjecting the partially formed wheel disc to a metal forming operation to produce a generally bubble shaped wheel disc preform, the wheel disc preform including an inner mounting portion, a plurality of individual spaced apart outer spoke portions, and an intermediate spoke portion defined in the region between the inner mounting portion and outer spoke portions, the intermediate spoke portion including a plurality of generally globe shaped spoke portions having a generally semi-spherical shape;
• (e) subjecting the wheel disc preform to one or more metal forming operations to produce a finished wheel disc, the finished wheel disc including a centrally located wheel mounting surface and a plurality of individual spaced apart finish formed outwardly extending spokes having a generally non globe shaped shape, the centrally located wheel mounting surface having a center hub hole and plurality of lug bolt receiving holes formed therein and each of the spokes having at least one window formed;
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• (f) securing the wheel disc and the wheel rim together to produce the fabricated vehicle wheel.

A method for producing a fabricated bead-seat attached vehicle wheel comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a full wheel rim defining a rim axis and including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a generally axially extending well portion, an outboard tire bead seat and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange;
• (b) providing a wheel disc blank;
• (c) subjecting the wheel disc blank to a metal forming operation to produce a partially formed wheel disc having a plurality of individual spaced apart outwardly extending spoke portions which are spaced circumferentially about the disc blank;
• (d) subjecting the partially formed wheel disc to a metal forming operation to produce a generally bubble shaped wheel disc preform, the wheel disc preform including an inner mounting portion, a plurality of individual spaced apart outer spoke portions, and an intermediate spoke portion defined in the region between the inner mounting portion and outer spoke portions, the intermediate spoke portion including a plurality of generally globe shaped spoke portions having a generally semi-spherical shape;
• (e) subjecting the wheel disc preform to one or more metal forming operations to produce a finished wheel disc, the finished wheel disc including a centrally located wheel mounting surface and a plurality of individual spaced apart finish formed outwardly extending spokes having a generally non globe shaped shape, the centrally located wheel mounting surface having a center hub hole, a plurality of lug bolt receiving holes, and a plurality of embossed ribs, each spoke including a generally flat rear wall having at least one window formed therein, a pair of opposed side walls extending from the rear wall and operative to connect the associated spoke to the wheel mounting surface, and an outermost end wall extending from the rear wall which defines a mounting flange;
• (f) forming a plurality of holes in the wheel rim and at least one hole in each mounting flange of each spoke of the finished wheel disc;
• (g) aligning the wheel rim holes and the wheel disc spoke holes;
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• (h) installing a fastener in the aligned holes to secure the wheel rim and the wheel disc together to produce the fabricated bead seat attached vehicle wheel.