Cragar ss 15 X 4 5-4.75 direct bolt pattern on Ebay

[big gear head]

I've been a TIG welder for more than 30 years. I was DOD aircraft certified for about 10 years and I've welded most materials that can be welded. I was wondering how the Cragar wheels were welded together, and now I know. Steel and aluminum still can not be welded together. There is a guy who has been working on a process to do this, I think in Australia, but as far as I know it's still not perfected, and it's very expensive. He's trying to develop it for the auto manufacturers where it would be very useful. As far as I can tell the Alumi Steel rod is just a brazing rod that allows steel to be TIG brazed to aluminum. Welding is where the parent metal is melted along with the filler and both flow together. From what I can see with the Alumi Steel rod only the rod is being melted and it flows onto the surface of the parent metal, which is brazing.

[whitetop]

The other major probem with rechroming old Cragars is finding the right color chrome. Due to EPA the old Cragar white hexavelant chrome is getting hard to find..

Most of the chrome today has a blue or brown cast and the wheels come out looking horrible.

[Bernhard]

Originally Posted by whitetop

The other major probem with rechroming old Cragars is finding the right color chrome. Due to EPA the old Cragar white hexavelant chrome is getting hard to find..

Most of the chrome today has a blue or brown cast and the wheels come out looking horrible.

Its not ideal from a purest point of view, but I don't think it looks horrible its just different.
Back in the 80's the blue or brown tint chrome was a sign of quality "show chrome".