An improved wheel assembly is provided for motor vehicles, and the like, and which includes a central spider formed of any appropriate material, for example, of cast aluminum alloy or other nonferrous material, and a rim of any suitable material, such as steel or equivalent material; and in which a portion of the peripheral surface of the rim is depressed into a cavity in the outer edge of the spider so as to hold the two components of the wheel in a rigid assembly. An improved method for fabricating such a wheel assembly is also provided.