Thread: Old Wire wheels and radial tires

Tweet

Hi, There must be a thread about this, but couldn't find it. I have 1935 Kelsey Hayes 16" Ford pattern wire wheels I want to run on my Rat Rod I'm building. Does anybody know how to run Radials on these old wheels? I can picture gluing on a rubber liner and/or running inner tubes, but somebody out there must know the scoop. Thanks TerryOMT

If no one here has the answer, call Coker Tire and ask. They have a new line of radials that look very close to bias plies (Excelsior). They do require a tube, but with 35 Ford wires you want tubes anyway (leakage).

My Son Dan is talking about replacing the 16 inch bias plies on this rpu with these as we have been waiting for someone to come out with radials that look old timey, and these are the closest we have seen.

BTW, you probably already know, but make sure you run wheel adapters that are designed to properly center the 35 wires on your brake drums. Otherwise, the only thing centering the wheels are the studs, and these wheels are not designed for that.

Don

Thanks Don, I actually have a set of Coker radials for the front that I've never mounted. So a tube will run OK with radials? Is a tube for a radial different from a regular inner tube? When I talk to the youngsters at the tire shop, they go blank about this subject. I'll call Coker - good idea.
I think these old wheels also had a rubber liner against the actual spoke bases inside the wheel - at least one had a partial remains of one. I guess I could make one from an old inner tube, then a tube, then the tire.
Do you know where to get the adapter rings? I see Speedway has something like that but the description diesn'r really say that is what they are for. Thanks again :-) T omt

Yep, Speedway carries them:

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Early-...port,5846.html

Ask Coker about what tubes to use, I think radial tubes are different and specific, but I always trust their suggestions. Also ask them how to line the inside of the rim to prevent abrasion on the tube from the bumps caused by each wire terminating in the rim.

Don

Hi Don, The reason that I am confused about the Speedway adaptors is: They look like they would center the wheels correctly, but the early wire wheels have flat "landing" spots outboard of the lugnuts, and the early brake drums that matched those wheels have "landing" spots inboard of the lugnuts. Later brakedrums do not have the landings inboard of the lugnuts. I read once that without the proper adaptors that support the inboard part of the wheel in absence of the original brake drum "landings" the lugnuts will distort the wheels in that area as they are torqued down. Makes sense, but I know folks that have run these wheels sucessfully without the adaptor that seems to be unavailable anywhere. What do you know about that? TJ omt

That Speedway adapter is the same design as others like Rally America are selling. They are pretty simple in design, but do the trick. DO NOT run them without the spacers, regardless of what your buddies tell you.

Rally America also sells these spacers if you want to run 35 wires on a newer rear.



$60.00 Each
Kelsey Hayes Spacer/Adapters

Used to put '28-'35 Ford Wire Wheels and Kelsey Hayes Wire Wheels on newer brake setups.


Don

Just remember if you are running tubes, unless it is a leaking valve core, there is almost no such thing as a slow leak; which is one of the advantages to tubeless tires.

To answer the inner tube question... Yes, there is a style of inner tubes for radials, and another for bias ply / belted tires. Now just to make things more complicated, you can run a radial style inner tube in a bias / belted tired, but you should not use a bias tire inner tube in a radial. Short version of all this is a bias ply style inner tube gets fatigued quickly on the side by the radial sidewall flex, leading to catastrophic blowouts. Inner tubes should be clearly marked as to what type they are, even if the teenager working at NTB or where ever just gives you a blank stare when you ask for the inner tubes.

Before those adapters were available, the hot trick was to cut a piece of large tubing the size of the center hole and about 1/4" long, and spot weld it to the wheel to support the center. As said above, don't just tighten the wheels without some support there, the wheels will crack eventually.

I knew dang well there was an old school solution, thanks. TerryOMT

Hi, I'm back. I finally get it. The Speedway type adaptors are described as "centering the wheel" which clouded the fact in my brain that the inner raised lip was there to support the wire wheel inside of the bolt pattern as the original hub's raised landings did.Wheel Adaptor.jpg

Hi Guys, I've studied up on this some and bought a pair of 1955 F100 front brakes complete, with new hoses and cylinders for $50. Cool huh ! I' ve read things here and there about the F1 spindles and it seems they will work on a '34 front axle and with the F100 brakes, but I'am not at all sure. Anybody done this ?