Fikse Wheels for RSR

Inside a FIKSE Forged Modular Wheel - When one admires a gleaming finished FIKSE forged modular wheel, it's hard to imagine its humble beginnings: a hunk of unhewn aluminum and two flat sheets of aluminum. But thanks to the capabilities of modern manufacturing - forging, spinning and CNC machining - those crude raw materials are transformed into the highest quality forged modular wheels made today.

Here's how FIKSE creates its forged modular wheels:
A FIKSE wheel begins life as a simple hunk of metal alloy - a 28-pound, 7" diameter, 8" long piece of 6061-T6 aluminum. Step one is to place the cylinder in a huge press, where thousands of tons of pressure slowly squeeze it into a 15-inch diameter disc about 1.5-inches thick.
This process is called isothermal forging, and it has several advantages over cast or billet wheel centers. First, FIKSE forged centers have a radial grain, like spokes of a wheel. This is the strongest type of aluminum internal structure for a wheel center. (Billet has a straight grain; cast, no grain at all.) The forged centers allow FIKSE to build a light yet strong wheel.

After the aluminum cylinder is pressed into a disc, it goes to the machining center and a sophisticated CNC manufacturing cell, a marvel that occupies an entire room. Guided by its computer, the machine "thinks" through its own to-do list and cuts each disc completely - spokes, hub centers, lug-bolt pattern, assembly holes, finish cut. After machining, a protective clear-coat is applied to preserve the centers' mirror-like finish. The flexibility and speed of this manufacturing approach is at the heart of the way FIKSE does business.

The rim halves are "spun" from aluminum, 5.2mm thick. Each rim half begins as a flat aluminum disc, which is CNC spun against a mandrel, shaping it into a rim half. The rim center opening is then machined to mate precisely with the wheel center. The assembly holes and valve stem hole are also cut at this time. The result. a light, strong and round rim halves.

Once the center and rim halves are completed, the final wheel is assembled at FIKSE USA's facility in Seattle. True to FIKSE's commitment to quality, the rim halves and center are a precision "pilot" fit, all three pieces fit perfectly before any bolts are installed. The assembly bolt holes that encircle the wheel are precision fit aerospace-spec body-fit bolts. These bolts fit like dowel pins and boast a material strength rating of nearly 200,000 psi. Once the wheel is assembled, a bead of silicone sealant is run around the seam, eliminating any chance for air leakage.

FIKSE wheels are tested for radial and cornering fatigue to exceed SFI and JWL requirements and are TUV approved in Germany—the world's most demanding technical standard for wheels.

	FM/5 Strong, lightweight, and made in the United States, the original Fikse FM/5 Forged Modular wheel raced to a remarkable 1st, 3rd, and 4th place in the 1994 IMSA Supercar Series.
	FM/10 The Fikse FM/10 uses a forged center and modular rim halves for maximum fitment flexibility. The result is a unique blend of American strength and European-style elegance which is rapidly gaining momentum in the wheel market.