[Kevan]

Proxies nearly always require wheel inserts if you're using plain alloys, here's what I do...

• Don't throw plastic wheels away, one day they'll be useful
  

   

• I chopped an old axle shorter to fit in my dremel type grinder
  

   

• Push a wheel onto the knurled axle as square as you can so it runs true...it'll hold well enough
  

   

• Grind the wheel down to size on a big bastard file (that's their real name - honest)
  

   

• Grind it down to just fit inside your alloy wheel...you may find a lot of the wheel will disappear as you grind it really thinly
  

   

• Cut the front face of the insert with a razor saw, it's easier to do this whilst it's spinning in the dremel machine but run it slowly or it'll fly off into hiding
  

   

• Try the first one so you have the right thickness, you can cut it short but not push it into the wheel so far
  

   

• All 4 fitted and look much better than plain wheels
  

   

...and there's one nearly finished proxy car (just need to skim a few thou' off the tyres to width)

[KensRedZed]

Nice work Kevan. 

Inserts aren't usually expensive. I'll spend $4 before converting static wheels.

However. Every once in a while you get a static kit with inserts that are just out of this world! Those are often worth converting. 

   

[Kevan]

I have dozens of plastic wheels, they'll never get used as wheels so a bit of elbow grease and there's 4 less taking up space in a box.

I'm the opposite to you Ken, I'd rather save the £4 to something I didn't already have...and I love making stuff anyway, any excuse to get into my hidey-hole under the stairs and spend an hour or so working on a car or two.

[StuBeeDoo]

I've done something remarkably similar recently.  

But I went one step further and made moulds of the cut-down wheels so that I can cast resin copies.

[Kevan]

Good idea Stu

[Nonfractal]

Cutting wheels versus off-theshelf inserts

I have time and no other use for plastic wheels, so I do cut wheels into inserts using the same method as Kev.
Also, an exact size and style match in the right colour is often not available. 
The plastic wheels sit in bags in a box of very rarely needed items, factory fit tyres  full interiors, etc.

The last set I cut for for a revell shelby cobra daytona. Off the shelf Inserts were not available. 
The NSR gt40 Inserts were close but not close enough.
I used exactly the same technique as Kev.

However, often,  I'll just stick in whichever inserts I have lying around if compelled to.
My last conversion was an SCX Sunoco  Camaro (£20 from a swap meet) and I was going to chop those wheels but Instead used a lovely seat of four STAFFS alloys in metallic red.

Unless rules comply me to, I never fit inserts. Happy to see naked, deep dish alloys on my cars. 
However, for DiSCA racing, a realistic wheel face is mandatory so my good buddy Mark Long (LongRoadRacing) designs and 3d prints the inserts for the GasMonkeySRT cars, saving precious grams of rotating mass in the process. 
It also allows us to have matching wheel inserts for the various rear wheel sizes we use ( depending of the status of the various moving targets of car tuning for endurance racing) 

The idea was born when I raced Disca  the LeMans with Alibaba Slot Racing team.
The sister team (the  Italian "a" team) "Posilipo" raced and won that year. 
By chance , their car shed a wheel insert just at my Marshall post and I had the opportunity to have a good look before handing it back to their chief tech, Claudio. 

AlanW

[Kevan]

Yep I've done that too Alan, designed and resin 3D printed inserts and with time and effort you can create unique looking wheels.

[KensRedZed]

3D inserts are very cool. A good friend printed these up for me (Slot.It wheels). I showed the guys in my club.

   

I was told by everyone in the club to lose the Chip Foose wheels, or I can't race classic stock car. So I had to install these boring steel wheels. Bleh!

   

Thankfully the decals help pull your eyes away from the ugly wheels.

   

[Kevan]

Inserts done for my other proxy entry...

   

...a set of Fly wheels, gold looked better than white

[AlexisGaitanis]

I prefer doing things my way