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The Rocket Racing Wheels Flare is a new bright spot in the custom wheel universe, delivering stout construction, multiple face-angle options to clear big-brake upgrades, knurled bead seats to reduce tire slippage, and an impressive 2,000-pound load rating for use on practically any vehicle in any environment. Made from a unique flow form manufacturing process, these wheels are designed to look great while enduring the punishment of hardcore competition. The secret is in the way the wheels are built, which gives them advantages that ordinary cast wheels can't match.
Cast wheels are made from molten aluminum poured into a sand mold, removed, then machined to spec. In contrast, flow forming starts with a wheel casting too – but being removed from the mold is the first step of the process not the last. Where a cast wheel is sent off for machining, the flow formed wheel is positioned in a fixture. The flow form process starts with a width that’s narrower than the final design spec. Once in the fixture, the wheel is spun at high speed and the barrel is heated. Then a roller die applies pressure to the barrel which shapes or extrudes it to its intended width and design. This process tightens the molecular grain structure of the material, resulting in a uniform alignment that provides superior tensile strength and shock resistance while also being lighter than a gravity cast or pressure cast wheel. The enhanced grain structure in a flow formed wheel, which is also referred to as rotary forged, is up to 30% stronger than traditional cast wheels.
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Rocket has designed the Flare with four face angles, to accommodate large 4- or 6-piston calipers that are offered in today’s big-brake upgrade kits. This attractive 5-spoke wheel can be ordered with 3°, 15°, 25°, and 37° face angles to generate that concave, deep dish look that will really set off your ride. Along with the face angle, Rocket has engineered the barrel profile and drop center to further maximize strength and brake clearance, making the Flare a win-win for performance-oriented enthusiasts.
These wheels are built right. Rocket starts the process with a high-grade A-356 aluminum, and then the barrel is flow formed to specs that include inner and outer knurled bead seats. This approach to securing the tire has many advantages. “Knurled bead seats work into the bead of the tire and reduce tire slippage on the wheel,” says Darrin Djernes of Holley. “So if you were to look at a drag car, a lot of times you'll see guys that have bead locks that clamp the bead to the tire via bolts. But you’re not supposed to run those on the street, whereas with these knurls in the bead seat area there’s a ribbing that produces a gripping effect that helps lock the tire. This provides better than OE protection from slippage when the wheel absorbs load under hard acceleration or deceleration at the strip or on a road course.” On the road, the knurled seats also help maintain bead integrity if the wheel endures moderate curb hits.
The inherent light weight and strength built into the Flare make it an ideal double duty wheel that’s just as at-home on the track as it is prowling the streets. Djernes says that the Flare’s primary focus is vintage muscle cars, especially those in the pro-touring world. “It’s just a clean five-spoke wheel. For sure, five-spoke wheels have been around a long time, in designs like the classic Torque Thrust, but they’re not really modernized styles. So we wanted to take a fresh approach with the super concave faces that open the door to more extreme brake fitment and more extreme performance.”
Engineered to exceed SAE J2530 and DOT standards, Rocket offers the Flare in 45 fitments, spanning sizes from 18x8 through 18x12 in a variety of backspaces and offsets. The wheels feature a premium machined face finish, billet O-ring center cap, and 60° conical-seat lug holes. Note, if more clearance is needed under the center cap, the standard dome style cap Rocket offers on the Attack wheel will snap in and give you an additional inch of clearance.
