Abstract:
A method for assembling a rim and a disc together to produce a wheel comprising the steps of: (a) providing a rim including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a well portion, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange including a first inner surface, the outboard tire bead seat including a second inner surface, the well portion including a third inner surface, a fourth inner surface, a fifth inner surface, and a sixth inner surface, the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange including a seventh inner surface; (b) providing a disc having a generally centrally located inner wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion which terminates in an outer annular flange including an endmost surface; (c) supporting the rim between at least a portion of the third inner surface and at least a portion of one of the fifth and seventh inner surfaces; (d) supporting the disc between the inboard mounting surface and the outboard mounting surface; (e) selectively moving at least one of the rim and the disc toward one another to cause the outer annular disc flange to engage the wheel rim fourth inner surface in a press fit engagement therewith; and (f) subsequent to step (e), welding the disc to the rim to thereby permanently join the rim and disc together and produce the vehicle wheel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to vehicle wheels and in particular to an improved method and apparatus for producing a vehicle wheel. 
     A conventional vehicle wheel is typically of a two-piece construction and includes an inner wheel disc and an outer “full” wheel rim. The wheel disc can be cast, forged, or fabricated from steel, aluminum, or other alloys, and includes an inner annular wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion. The wheel mounting portion of the wheel disc defines an inboard mounting surface and includes a center pilot or hub hole, and a plurality of lug receiving holes formed therethrough for mounting the vehicle wheel to an axle of the vehicle. The wheel rim is fabricated from steel, aluminum, or other alloys, and includes an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, an axially extending well, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange. In some instances, a three-piece wheel construction having a mounting cup secured to the wheel disc is used. In both types of constructions, the outer annular portion of the wheel disc is secured to the wheel rim by welding. 
     In the above vehicle wheel constructions, after the wheel disc and the wheel rim have been assembled and welded together several finishing operations may be required to produce a wheel having the desired specifications. First, at least one of the inboard and outboard tire bead seats and/or at least one of the inboard and outboard tire bead seat retaining flanges may have to be generally be processed so that the tire bead seats are oriented and located concentric with the wheel axis (commonly referred to as “radial runout”), and the tire bead seat retaining flanges are oriented in a parallel relationship relative to an inboard mounting surface of the wheel disc (commonly referred to as “lateral” or “axial” runout”). Following this, the location of center pilot hole, the lug receiving holes, or both may have to be corrected by an appropriate method, such as reboring the center pilot hole and repunching the lug receiving holes, so that an axis of the center pilot hole is oriented in a concentric relationship relative to the wheel axis and the tire bead seats and the axes of the lug receiving holes are oriented parallel to the wheel axis. 
     One example of a prior art wheel assembly tooling apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,385 to Daniels. As disclosed in the Daniels patent, the prior art wheel assembly tooling apparatus is effective to force fit a wheel disc within a wheel rim. The prior art wheel assembly tooling apparatus accomplishes this by fixedly locating the wheel rim, fixing the relationship of a center portion and flange portions of the wheel disc to each other, and applying a uniform force to such portions of the wheel disc to force fit the flange portions within the drop center flange of the wheel rim while maintaining the center portion of the wheel disc in a plane parallel to a plane of the terminal flange of the wheel rim. As a result of this, the vehicle wheel is provided with minimum lateral runout. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus and method for assembling a wheel rim and a wheel disc together to produce a vehicle wheel The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a wheel rim defining an axis and including an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, a well portion, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange, the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange including a generally radially extending first inner surface, the outboard tire bead seat including a generally axially extending second inner surface, the well portion including a generally radially extending third inner surface adjacent the second inner surface, a generally axially extending fourth inner surface, a generally radially extending fifth inner surface, and a generally axially extending sixth inner surface, the third through the sixth inner surfaces of the well portion extending in succession from the outboard tire bead seat to the inboard tire bead seat, the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange including a generally radially extending seventh inner surface; (b) providing a wheel disc having a generally centrally located inner wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion which terminates in a generally axially extending outer annular flange including an endmost surface, the inner wheel mounting portion including an inboard mounting surface and an outboard mounting surface; (c) supporting the wheel rim between at least a portion of the third inner surface and at least a portion of one of the fifth inner surface and the seventh inner surface; (d) supporting the wheel disc between the inboard mounting surface and the outboard mounting surface of the inner wheel mounting portion; (e) selectively moving at least one of the wheel rim and the wheel disc toward one another to cause the outer annular flange of the wheel disc to engage the fourth inner surface of the wheel rim in a press fit engagement therewith while supporting the wheel rim and the wheel disc as recited in steps (c) and (d), the wheel rim and the wheel disc being selectively moved to produce a desired lateral runout dimension defined between the inboard mounting surface of the wheel disc and the seventh inner surface of the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel rim; and (f) subsequent to step (e), welding the wheel disc to the wheel rim to thereby permanently join the wheel rim and the wheel disc together and produce the vehicle wheel. 
     Other advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when read in light of the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a first embodiment of a wheel assembly tooling apparatus according to this invention, with the wheel assembly tooling apparatus being shown in the initial position of the assembly process in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a wheel assembly tooling apparatus according to this invention, with the wheel assembly tooling apparatus being shown in an intermediate position of the assembly process in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a wheel assembly tooling apparatus according to this invention, with the wheel assembly tooling apparatus being shown in a further intermediate position of the assembly process in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a wheel assembly tooling apparatus according to this invention, with the wheel assembly tooling apparatus being shown in the final position of the assembly process in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a sequence of steps for producing the vehicle wheel in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of a second embodiment of a wheel assembly tooling apparatus according to this invention, with the wheel assembly tooling apparatus being shown in the final position of the assembly process in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a wheel assembly tooling apparatus, indicated generally at  100 , for producing a vehicle wheel, indicated generally at  10  in FIG. 6, in accordance with this invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle wheel  10  is illustrated as being a “well attached” vehicle wheel, and includes a wheel disc  20  and a wheel rim  40  which are joined together by a weld  60  and which define a generally horizontal vehicle wheel axis X. Although the present invention is illustrated and described in conjunction with the particular vehicle wheel construction disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that the invention can be used in conjunction with other types of vehicle wheel constructions. For example, the vehicle wheel can be a “bead seat attached” vehicle wheel, similar to that shown in FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,429 to Heck et al. or FIG. 30 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,687 to Coleman, or a “bimetal” vehicle wheel construction, similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,642 to Wei et al., the disclosures of the Heck et al., Coleman, and Wei et al. patents incorporated herein by reference. 
     As best shown in FIG. 6, the wheel disc  20  is forged, cast, fabricated, or otherwise formed from a suitable material, such as for example, steel, magnesium, titanium, aluminum or other alloys materials. The wheel disc  20  includes a generally centrally located inner wheel mounting portion  22 , and an outer annular portion  24  which terminates in a generally axially extending outer annular flange  26 . The wheel mounting portion  22  is provided with a centrally located pilot aperture  28 , and a plurality of lug bolt receiving holes  30  (only one lug bolt receiving holed  30  is illustrated in FIG.  6 ), spaced equidistantly from the pilot aperture  28 . The lug bolt receiving holes  30  are adapted to receive lug bolts and nuts (not shown) for securing the vehicle wheel  10  on a stationary component (not shown) of a vehicle, such as an axle. The wheel mounting portion  22  of the wheel disc  20  further includes an inboard wheel mounting surface  22 A which defines a vertical axis Y which is generally perpendicular to the vehicle wheel axis X, and an outboard wheel mounting surface  22 B. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the outer annular portion  24  of the wheel disc  20  is provided with a plurality of decorative windows or openings  32  provided therein (only one of such decorative windows  32  illustrated in FIG.  6 ). The outer annular portion  24  of the wheel disc  20  further includes an inboard surface  24 A and an outboard surface  24 B. The outer annular flange  26  of the wheel disc  20  includes an inner axially extending cylindrical surface  26 A and an outer axially extending cylindrical surface  26 B which is substantially parallel to the outer cylindrical surface  26 A so as to define a generally constant thickness throughout the entire length of the outer annular flange  26  of the wheel disc  20 . The outer annular flange  26  of the wheel disc  20  terminates at a generally radially extending end surface  26 C which defines an axial endmost surface. 
     The wheel rim  40  is a fabricated rim constructed of steel, magnesium, titanium, aluminum, or other alloy materials. The wheel rim  40  includes an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange  42 , an inboard tire bead seat  44 , a generally axially extending well  46 , an outboard tire bead seat  48 , and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange  50 . The inboard tire bead seat retaining flange  42  includes a generally radially extending inboard surface  42 A, and a section of the well  46  includes a generally radially extending inboard surface  46 A, and a section of the well includes a generally axially extending surface  46 B. The outboard tire bead seat  48  includes a generally axially extending inboard surface  48 A, and the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange  50  includes an inboard surface  50 A. 
     To assemble the wheel disc  20  and the wheel rim  40  to produce the vehicle wheel  10  of the present invention, the press fit wheel assembly tooling apparatus  100  of the present invention is used. As will be discussed below, the wheel press fit tooling apparatus  100  of the present invention includes a plurality tooling members which are moveable between an intermediate working or initial actuated position, shown in FIG. 1, and a final working or final actuated position, shown in FIG. 4, wherein the associated tooling members thereof are operative to support the wheel rim  40  at or near the opposed ends thereof and to support the wheel disc at the outer annular flange  26  thereof prior to or concurrently with the assembling of the wheel disc  20  and the wheel rim  40 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, the vehicle wheel assembly press fit tooling apparatus  100  and the method for producing the vehicle wheel  10  in accordance with the present invention will be discussed. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel assembly tooling apparatus  100  includes a press bed  102 , a press ram, indicated generally at  104 , a wheel rim tooling support station, indicated generally at  106 , and a wheel disc tooling support station, indicated generally at  108 . 
     The wheel rim tooling support station  106  includes an upper wheel rim support tooling member  110  and a lower wheel rim support tooling member  112 . In the illustrated embodiment, the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110  is fixed, and the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  is moveably supported on the press bed  102 . The press bed  102 , and therefore the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112 , is selectively moveable by a pair of associated wheel rim lift cylinders C 1 . The cylinders C 1  are actuated by suitable means, such as by hydraulic, pneumatic, or other suitable means. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110  includes a pair of upper support tooling members  114  and  116  which are connected together by a suitable means (such as for example, by a plurality of bolts (not shown). The tooling members  114  and  116  are preferably uninterrupted continuous annular tooling members. As a result, as will be discussed below, the tooling member  114  of the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110  is effective to engage and support the generally radially extending inboard surface  42 A of the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange  42  of the wheel rim  40  around the entire periphery thereof. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  is a unitary tooling member and is secured to the press bed  102  by a suitable means, such as for example, by a plurality of bolts (not shown). The tooling member  112  is preferably an uninterrupted continuous annular tooling member. As a result, as will be discussed below, the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  is effective to engage and support the generally radially outwardly extending inboard surface  46 A of a section of the well  46  of the wheel rim  40  around the entire periphery thereof. Also, there may be some contact between the tooling member  112  and a generally axially extending inboard surface  48 A of the outboard tire bead seat  48  of the wheel rim  40 . In addition, the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  is preferably provided with a locating member (not shown) which is adapted to extend through a valve stem opening (not shown) provided in the wheel rim  40  for locating purposes. Alternatively, the structure of the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110  and/or the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  can be other than illustrated and described if desired. For example, the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110  and/or the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  can include segmented tooling member(s) (i.e., not an uninterrupted continuous tooling member(s), so as not to provide full (i.e., 360 degree) contact and support at the associated surface(s). 
     The wheel disc  20  is supported in the assembly tooling apparatus  100  by a lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120 , an upper wheel disc center support tooling member, indicated generally at  122 , a wheel disc outer flange support tooling member  124 , and a fixed center pilot plug  126 . The lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120  is operatively connected to an associated wheel disc lift cylinder C 2  via a wheel disc lift piston rod  130 . The piston rod  130  extends upwardly through an opening  102 A provided in the press bed  102  and is connected to the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120  by suitable means, such as for example, by a threaded connection. The lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120  is selectively moveable by the piston rod  130  in the direction of the double headed arrow X 1 . The wheel disc lift cylinder C 2  is actuated by suitable means, such as by hydraulic, pneumatic, or other suitable means. 
     The upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122  includes a gear means, indicated generally at  132 , a threaded shaft  134 , a movable adjustment member  136 , and a stub shaft  142 . The adjustment member  136  is operatively connected to the gear means  132  via the threaded shaft  134 , and the gear means  132  is operatively connected to a motor means  140 . In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment member  136  has a generally conical shaped outer surface. The adjustment member  136  is connected to the fixed center pilot plug  126  via the stub shaft  142 . The opposed ends of the stub shaft  142  are connected to the adjustment member  136  and the center pilot plug  126  by suitable means. The center pilot plug  126  defines an outer diameter which is slightly less than an inner diameter defined by the center pilot hole  22 A of the wheel disc  20  so as to be received therein in a,slight interference fit therewith. As will be discussed below, the adjustment member  136  is selectively moveable via the shaft  134  in the direction of the double headed arrow X 2 . Alternatively, the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122  can be selectively moveable by other means, such as for example, by hydraulic, pneumatic, or other suitable means. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, there are four wheel disc outer flange support tooling members  124  (only two of such tooling member  124  being illustrated in FIGS. 1-4) each including a separate outer annular tooling member  150  operatively connected thereto by suitable means for movement in the direction of the double headed arrow X 3 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, cylinders C 3  are provided for moving the tooling members  150  in the direction of the arrow X 3 . Each of the tooling members  150  includes an end surface  150 A which is effective to engage and support the outer end surface  26 C of the flange  26  of the outer annular portion  24  of the wheel disc  20  around the entire periphery thereof. Each of the wheel disc outer flange support tooling members  124  includes an inner surface  152 . As will be discussed below, as shown in this embodiment, the inner surface  152  has a profile which preferably is generally complimentary to the outer profile of the adjustment member  136 . Alternatively, the profile of the inner surface  152  of the wheel disc outer flange support tooling members  124  and/or the profile of the outer surface of the adjustment member  136  can be other than illustrated if so desired. Each of the wheel disc outer flange support tooling members  124  is moveable in the direction of the double headed arrow Y 1  in response to the movement of the adjustment member  136 . Each of the tooling members  150  is connected to an associated end of a piston rod  154  in a suitable manner to allow the tooling member  150  to move in the direction of the arrows Y 1 . As a result of this, as will be discussed below, the tooling member  150  of the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122  is selectively adjustable relative to the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120  so that an end surface  150 A thereof is operative to engage an end surface  26 C of the flange  26  of the wheel disc  20  preferably without the tooling member  150  contacting an adjacent surface of the wheel rim  40  to thereby accommodate for tolerance variations in the flange  26  of the wheel disc  20 , in the wheel rim  40 , or both. Alternatively, the structure and/or the number of the wheel disc outer flange support tooling members  124  and/or tooling members  150  can be other than illustrated if desired. In the illustrated embodiment, the cylinders C 3  are preferably hydraulic fluid actuated cylinders which are supplied with fluid from a valve means, indicated generally at  156 . As will be discussed below since hydraulic fluid is incompressible, once the tooling members  150  are in a desired position, the valve means  156  is closed to thereby fix the position of each of the wheel disc outer flange support tooling members  150 . 
     Alternatively, the structure of one or more of the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120 , the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122 , the wheel disc outer flange support tooling member  150 , and the center pilot plug  126  can be other than illustrated and described if desired. For example, the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120 , the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122 , and/or the wheel disc outer flange support tooling member  124  can be segmented tooling member(s) (i.e., not uninterrupted continuous tooling member(s) so as not to provide full (i.e., 360 degree) contact and support at the associated surface(s). 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, a sequence of steps for assembling the wheel disc  20  and the wheel rim  40  together to produce the vehicle wheel  10  of the present invention using the wheel assembly tooling apparatus  100  of this invention will be discussed. Initially, in step  200 , the wheel rim  40  and the wheel disc  20  are supported by the assembly tooling apparatus  100  in the position illustrated in FIG.  1 . In particular, the wheel rim  40  is engaged and supported on the lower wheel rim tooling support member  112  at the inboard surface  46 A of a section of the well  46  around the entire periphery thereof, and the wheel disc  20  is engaged and supported on the lower wheel disc support tooling member  120  at the outboard surface  22 B of the inner wheel disc mounting portion  22  around the entire periphery thereof. Next, in step  202 , the wheel disc lift cylinder C 2  is actuated so as to raise the wheel disc  20  in the direction of the arrow X 1  causing the end surface  26 C of the flange  26  of the wheel disc  20  to contact the end surface  150 A of the wheel disc flange support tooling member  124 , as shown in FIG.  2 . During step  202 , the valve means  156  is in the open position. 
     Following this, in step  204 , the wheel disc  20  continues to be raised by the wheel disc lift piston rod  130  until the inner surface  22 A of the wheel disc  20  engages a lower fixed surface  122 A of the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122  as shown in FIG.  3 . At the same time, since the valve means  156  are in the open position, the wheel disc flange support tooling member  124  and the tooling members  150  move freely upwardly causing the pistons  154  to be moved upwardly into the associated cylinders C 3 . During such upward movement, a generally continual contact is maintained between the outer end surface  26 C of the wheel disc  20  and the associated end surface  150 A of each of the tooling members  150 . The wheel disc  20  continues to be raised by the wheel disc lift piston rod  130  until a sensor, indicated generally at  170 , senses no movement of the wheel disc  20  at which point the wheel disc  20  is firmly clamped between the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122  and the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120 , as shown in FIG.  3 . When this occurs, the tooling members  150  are selectively moveable via the cylinders C 3  and piston rod  154  to ensure that the respective end surfaces  150 A thereof is in direct contact with the outer end surface  26 C of the wheel disc  20 . Next, the valve means  156  is closed thereby preventing any further movement of the pistons  154 , and therefore, the tooling members  150 . Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the wheel mounting portion  22  of the wheel disc  20  is fixedly clamped between the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122  and the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120 , and the outer end surface  26 C of the flange  24  of the wheel disc  20  is supported and engaged by the outer end surface  150 A of the tooling member  150 . 
     Next, in step  206 , the wheel rim lift cylinders C 1  are actuated to cause a plurality of associated wheel rim lift piston rods  162  to raise the wheel rim  40  upwardly via the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  toward the “stationary held” wheel disc  20  in the direction of arrows X 4 . The wheel rim  40  continues to be raised and pressed in or force fitted over the wheel disc  20  until the inner surface  42 A of the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange  42  of the wheel rim  40  engages an outer end surface  114 A of the tooling member  114  of the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110 , as shown in FIG.  4 . As shown therein, the outer end surface  114 A of the tooling member  114  is located a predetermined distance P relative to lower surface  122 A of the upper wheel disc center support tooling member  122 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the inboard mounting surface  22 A of the wheel disc  20  is precisely located a predetermined lateral distance L relative to the inner surface  42 A of the inboard tire bead seat  42  thereby minimizing the lateral runout in the wheel assembly. In step  208 , the cylinders C 1  and C 2  are actuated to move the respective pistons  162  and  130  downwardly and cause the assembled wheel  10  to be lowered along with the lower wheel rim support tooling member  112  and the lower wheel disc center support tooling member  120 . The “press fit” wheel assembly  10  is then removed from the apparatus  100  in step  208 , and a weld  60  is provided to permanently join the wheel disc  20  and the wheel rim  40  together during step  210  to thereby produce the vehicle wheel  10 . Once the vehicle wheel  10  is removed, the tooling members of the apparatus  100  are returned to the positions shown in FIG. 1 for assembling together another wheel rim and wheel disc. 
     Alternatively, the assembly of the wheel rim  40  and the wheel disc  20  can be other than illustrated if desired. For example, the wheel rim  40  can be held stationary and the wheel disc  20  moved relative thereto and pressed therein, or both the wheel rim  40  and the wheel disc  20  can be moved relative to one another. 
     Turning now to FIG.  7  and using like reference numbers to indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated a second embodiment of a wheel assembly tooling apparatus, indicated generally at  100 ′, which can be used to assemble a wheel disc  20  and a wheel rim  40  to produce the vehicle wheel  10  of the present invention. The assembly tooling apparatus  100 ′ shown in this embodiment includes a plurality tooling members which are moveable between an intermediate working position (not shown) and a final working position, shown in FIG. 4, wherein the associated tooling members thereof are operative to support the wheel rim  40  at or near sections thereof which are located adjacent the area subjected to frictional forces during the assembling of the wheel disc  20  and the wheel rim  40 . 
     As shown therein, the assembly tooling apparatus  100 ′ is similar to the assembly tooling apparatus  100  shown in FIGS. 1-4 except for the structure of an upper wheel rim support tooling member  110 ′. As shown in this embodiment, the upper wheel rim support tooling member  110 ′ includes a pair of upper support tooling members  114 ′ and  116 ′ which are connected together by a suitable means (such as for example, by a plurality of bolts (not shown). The tooling members  114 ′ is preferably an uninterrupted continuous annular tooling member. As a result, the an end surface  114 A′ of the tooling member  114 ′ is operative to engage and support a generally radially outwardly extending inboard surface  46 B′ of a section of the well  46  of the wheel rim  40  around the entire periphery thereof. Also, there may be some contact between a surface  114 B′ of the tooling member  114 ′ and a generally axially extending inboard surface  46 C′ of a section of the well  46  of the wheel rim  40 . Alternatively, the tooling member  114 ″ could also engage and support the inboard surface  42 A of a section of the well  46  of the wheel rim  40  in a manner similar to that described and illustrated above in connection with FIGS. 1-4. 
     One advantage of the wheel assembly tooling apparatus  100  and  100 ′ of the present invention is that it is operative to support the associated wheel rim and wheel disc adjacent the areas which are subjected to frictional forces during the press fit assembly process. As a result of this, the wheel assembly tooling apparatus  100  and  100 ′ of the present invention provides accurate positioning and adequate support of the wheel disc relative to the wheel rim during assembly to thereby reduce the lateral runout in the assembled vehicle wheel  10 . The lateral runout L being the distance defined between the inboard mounting surface  22 A of the wheel disc  20  and the inner surface  42 A of the inboard tire bead seat retaining flange  42  of the wheel rim  40 . 
     In accordance with the provisions of the patents statues, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been described and illustrated in its preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from the scope or spirit of the attached claims.