FABRICATED VEHICLE WHEEL, WHEEL RIM FOR USE IN SUCH A VEHICLE WHEEL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

摘要

A method for producing a fabricated vehicle wheel comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rim blank; (b) providing a first tooling fixture for subjecting the rim blank to a preforming operation wherein the cylindrical shape is reshaped to produce a rim preform; (c) providing a second tooling fixture defining a sealed internal chamber and having a tooling member having a predetermined inner surface contour, the sealed internal chamber in fluid communication with a source of high pressurize hydraulic fluid; (d) positioning the rim preform in the internal chamber with an outer surface thereof adjacent the inner surface contour of the tooling member; (e) supplying the high pressure hydraulic fluid to the internal chamber whereby the rim preform is pressed against the adjacent inner surface contour of the tooling member so as to produce a wheel rim having a contour which matches that of the inner surface contour of the tooling member; (f) removing the wheel rim from the second tooling fixture; and (g) securing the wheel rim to a wheel disc to produce the fabricated vehicle wheel.