Aluminum Wheel Question!

[danny124]

I have wheel covers on steel rims now and want to replace them with polished aluminum wheels. Tires are 275/80/22.5, so I know I will need a 22.5 x 8.25 wheel but then there is the issue of bolt pattern and hub bore. Is there a standard wheel size for a 2004 Spartan chassis? Or is it more difficult than that?

[Steve fromCJ]

what you need to know is how many bolts you have (8 or 10) and whether you have hub pilot or ball and socket rims. given the age of your rv i believe it probably has hub pilot rims. an easy way to tell is if you look at the lugnut, a hub pilot lugnut has a integrated flat washer on it, a ball and socket lugnut has one rounded end like a car's lugnut. also a hub piloted hub has raised tangs on the hub to center the rim.

[mdshedman]

Have you looked into polishing them real good and then clear coating them. The biggest cost if you do it yourself would be having the tires removed from the rims!

[DD788Snipe]

Steve fromCJ is correct. Look online refurbished can be a great deal. I did my 2006 KStar for under $1500 complete.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by danny124

I have wheel covers on steel rims now and want to replace them with polished aluminum wheels. Tires are 275/80/22.5, so I know I will need a 22.5 x 8.25 wheel but then there is the issue of bolt pattern and hub bore. Is there a standard wheel size for a 2004 Spartan chassis? Or is it more difficult than that?

danny,
Steve fromCJ is pretty correct in an explanation of sort of, what you need. The terms "Hub piloted" or, "Stud piloted", in case you're not sure of, mean, just how the wheel is concentrically centered, on the hub. On some coaches/chassis/axles, when the wheel/tire assembly is placed onto the hub, the center of the axle hub "centers" the wheel so that it's not off center and going down the road like an egg.

On others, the wheel studs, center the assembly and, the hole in the wheel is quite larger than the hub diameter. And, as he stated, you need to count your lug studs to make sure you're looking for the right replacements.

In the brand "Accuride" which, supplies many wheels for chassis in multiple brand coaches, there's a few different models of wheels. There's a "satin" finish, a polished finish, a polished and coated finish and more. I myself am not a fan of coated wheels. Those are usually coated with a clear coat made of poly-urethane or other chemicals. They can chip or, sometimes that clear coat can peel but, not very often.

I don't mind taking the time to polish mine. It's kind of a "labor of love" type thing. Besides, once they're all done to a mirror finish, they last for a long time that way and when a touch up service is required, it takes maybe 20 minutes to a half hour, per wheel, to bring them back to mirror shine.

It's a preference thing. Some like the clear coats so they don't have to do the labor of polishing every now and then. Your choice. Good luck.
Scott