How can I use these wheels with other tires?

[Monty]

I recently traded for two sets of the front wheels and tires from Revell's Big John Mazmanian Willys kit because I wanted a full set of these wheels for a pending project.

I'm very happy with the appearance of the wheels, but the car they're intended for will require larger tires, and that's where I run into a problem. Upon receiving the wheels, I discovered they don't "mount" like a standard AMT or MPC wheel. These have a raised, centered ring that goes around the outside of the wheel and fits into a recessed groove molded into the inside of the tire.

If you've figured out a way to use these wheels with other tires, please let me know how.

[Qwit Pushin]

I haven't tried to use them for anything else, but couldn't you just grind off the center ring, thus allowing them to seat properly within any equal inside diameter tire?

[Mercman]

I haven't tried to use them for anything else, but couldn't you just grind off the center ring, thus allowing them to seat properly within any equal inside diameter tire?

That is what I would do also. Or you could trim the inside of the tire if need be.

[Casey]

You need to sand off the raised ring.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Casey

[Monty]

I put a set of hollow tires on the wheels I have. I have a build that I first put a set of the hollow Good Year Polyglas that comes in some of the AMT kits. I later changed them out for a set of hollow Firestones that come in the stock '66 Nova because the Good Years looked a little too big for the type of model they were on. Both tires fit well and required no mods to the wheels. I'm sure there are a few other hollow tires out there that will fit these wheels.

I could see those hollow Firestones fitting well because the raised ring on the wheel would fit right inside the empty space between the sidewalls (pretty much like the Revell tires). However, the hollow AMT Firestones and the Revell tires from the Willys kit are too small for the car I'm building. If someone could show one of these wheels mounted on one of AMT's hollow Goodyear Polyglas tires, I'd love to see it.

[Monty]

I haven't tried to use them for anything else, but couldn't you just grind off the center ring, thus allowing them to seat properly within any equal inside diameter tire?

That's why I mentioned they were different from old AMT/MPC wheels, which, when assembled with the "backing ring", are closer to 1:1 steel wheels in that they have an inside and an outside flange to hold the tire in place. This Revell wheel relies on the inner cavity of the tire to "trap" the raised center ring & hold everthing in place. Grinding off the center ring might allow it to fit inside another tire but there is nothing to keep the wheel from just pulling through.

Also, lacking a true outside flange like most wheels (model or 1:1), I'd be concerned about how they would actually look.

Challenge: (similar to the one in my reply above) Show me a picture of this wheel mounted on an MPC tire roughly the size of the ones that would've come in the Impala kit.

[Monty]

OK, looks like Roger was more than up to the challenge. Did you end up gluing the tire to the outside of the rim? If so, what do you recommend for that?