Abstract: A vehicle wheel assembly and method and apparatus for making the assembly in which an outer tire rim and wheel center are fabricated into a secure one-piece unit. Secure attachment and restraint of the two components into one unit are accomplished through a dimpling process in which both components are nested together at a plurality of points through stamping. While very applicable to a steel rim or steel center wheel construction, the invention is adapted for use on several metallic wheel constructions to avoid pneumatic leakage associated with riveting or problems arising from welding of the two components. A fixture and hydraulically operated tool construction utilizes male and female tooling to accomplish the dimpling process in which regions of the wheel rim and center are deformed by force to nest together.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacture of an inflatable tire supporting rim and spider apparatus wherein portions of the rim is cold worked into depressions formed in the spider, thereby forming an integral unit.

Abstract: A machining apparatus to locate a plurality of the depressions within the periphery of a spider in a vehicle wheel assembly, the depressions being divided into a plurality of groups of depressions, the spider being fixedly positioned by its mounting holes upon an indexing plate, a plurality of separate drilling units to form the depressions, each drilling unit to form a particular depression within each depression group.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel manufacturing apparatus to connect a wheel rim and a spider by accurately press fitting the spider into the rim and then cold working portions of the rim into a plurality of depressions within the periphery of the spider. The cold working is accomplished by a separate actuator for each portion with the manifold assembly connecting together all of the actuators so the actuators will all act simultaneously.