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Modern Magnum 500 wheel strength |
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545CJ 
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Joined: 19-January-2024 Location: Nevada Status: Offline Points: 12 |
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 Topic: Modern Magnum 500 wheel strengthPosted: 24-January-2025 at 8:49AM |
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I’m building a ‘70 Torino with a 557 cubic inch big block that will be in the 750-800hp range. This will be a street car, but with good suspension and very sticky tires. I want to run some Legendary Wheel 17x8 Magnum 500s, (LW50-70854D), but they say these wheels are only rated to 500hp. I was planning on running M&H Racemaster 275-50-17 tires, which are an aggressively sticky drag radial basically. Thus, these wheels will indeed be subjected to most or all of the available power at times. That said, this won’t be a drag car, and it won’t be doing hard launches, just aggressive street driving, with maybe a couple trips to the drag strip.
Does anyone have any experience running these wheels with this kind of power? These are by FAR the best looking wheel I can find for this car, and LOVE the way it looks.. just not sure I want to find out the hard way that the wheels can’t take it. |
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72 RS 351
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Joined: 04-September-2014 Location: Knoxville TN Status: Offline Points: 3443 |
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Posted: 24-January-2025 at 11:44AM |
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I like those wheels also, but I went with the steel 15x8's as looking the closest to OEM. I wouldn't have thought of the power and the wheel strength. I would have probably tried them, but it is a great question. I would ask like you apparently already did. The $260 price level would make me worry, I am wary about a lot of lower cost, cast AL wheels. My other Ranchero will have 17x8 OEM 1998 Mustang wheels, hopefully in that same 275/50 size. I'm not worried about the late OEM wheels, they are fairly strong. I don't like many aftermarket wheels at all, usually I select some OEM version for my projects. So I can't think of another wheel to suggest for another choice.
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Don
73 Ranchero "Sport 72 front end", floor shift/console, planning EFI 7000 rpm 351 stroker 73 Ranchero GT 351C-4V &4R70W for sale later. 92 Lincoln Mark VII SE GTC, OBDII 347/4R70W |
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pyntre
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Joined: 29-March-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 275 |
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Posted: 24-January-2025 at 1:57PM |
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I’ve never seen a horsepower rating / limit on a rim before .
Nor have I ever seen a rim fail before a tire bead will let lose , or an axle / driveshaft fail . Can you post the actual literature from the rim manufacturer, would like to see that !!!
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545CJ
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Posted: 24-January-2025 at 3:11PM |
That’s what I was told by the tech on the phone when I called them today. I asked if that info was available anywhere online (to aid in my search), but he said it’s just in their system there. The only wheel I can recall seeing outright fail was a 17” Cragar S/S on the rear of a Chevelle, going around an autocross track. It failed right where the center section is essentially tack welded to the rim, under heavy side load. Other than that, I’ve seen some cast aluminum wheels oblong some lug holes on powerful cars, but it’s possible those weren’t torqued properly, or who knows. I’ve never had any kind of wheel failures on anything I’ve had my hands on.
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72FordGTS
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GTS.org Admin Joined: 06-September-2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Status: Offline Points: 6780 |
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Posted: 25-January-2025 at 3:05AM |
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I've never heard of a power limit on wheel either, but I'd say you'd be pushing it on those wheels based on the power your are expecting. Having sticky tires and planning to do hard launches sounds like it might push the wheels to the limit. Have you seen these wheels by American Racing: They are similar and more money. So maybe they are better quality/stronger?
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Vince
1972 Ford GTS Sportsroof - Survivor, One Family car GTS.org Admin |
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pyntre
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Posted: 25-January-2025 at 4:28AM |
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I sure wouldn’t base a wheel selection on how much they cost
meaning they are stronger because you spent a ton of money on them ! |
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72FordGTS
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Posted: 25-January-2025 at 5:06AM |
I think you missed the operative word - "maybe." You often get what you paid for, but not always. I was trying to provide a helpful suggestion, but never stated this is the solution. Its up to the OP to research if these wheels actually are stronger.
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Vince
1972 Ford GTS Sportsroof - Survivor, One Family car GTS.org Admin |
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Rockatansky
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Posted: 25-January-2025 at 8:22AM |
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Vintage VN501 is a 1 piece cast alloy like the Legendary LW50-70854D
FWIW i'd feel better about a 1 piece wheel over a 2 piece |
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72 GT Ute
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pyntre wrote: