Technical Information
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.
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.
