Technical Why do so many ‘32 fords run ‘40 rims?

LOL steelies coming out of my ears. I got this instant image in my head.



I got an idea that the '40s wheels were/are an upgrade. The thing to remember is that until we came along cutting edge was the real deal if you were a hot rodder.

 

Well, if you have an outer metal circle connected by spokes to a central hub, then I'll grant you "rim" vs "wheel". But, if the entire outer rim, disc and hub are one piece/welded together then I would argue there is no difference between this "rim" and "wheel". Semantics.

 

For those who can't accept the term "rim" for the whole metal part of an automobile wheel...well, you technically can't call that metal part a "wheel" either.

Wheel
NOUN;
A circular object that revolves on an axle and is fixed below a vehicle or other object to give a mechanical advantage and enable it to move easily over the ground.

In general, it would be the sum of ALL the parts (including a tire) that actually meets the definition of a wheel.

 

Hey Ben, Just having some fun. Please don't take me too seriously

But, while I'm at it...probably a more accurate term for a rim/wheel would be a "tire adapter" as it's ONLY real purpose is to allow a soft, flexible rubber tire to be firmly mounted to a stable axle/hub. I doubt the term "tire adapter" will catch on...so we have to call it something...

 

Wire's will crack on a 40 brake drum, better brakes made the swap nearly mandatory. These days you can buy support rings of the shelf to either fit your wires or slip onto the 40 drums.

 

I’m using ‘41 brakes and ‘35 wires. Can you explain better why the wires will break with my combo.

 

On the 35 & earlier cars there are nubs on the drums that support the wire wheels when bolted down. On the later hubs without the nubs, the wheels aren’t fully supported and will crack, you need the support rings.


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I'd say that between them they hit it pretty close. You didn't need to fiddle with the spacers to use wires on the 40 hubs if you ran 40 wheels. Plus for a lot of guys it was probably "More Modern" Remember, there were no "traditional" hot rods then, just hot rods.

 

He's talking about using wire wheel rings to support the wheel centers on the juice brakes so they have a flat surface to sit against.

They look like this:

 

I use them on wires always!


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'cause it was a step up from grandpa's wire wheels, soon to be followed with OHV mills.

 

Are these hub centric rings so the weight is supported on the hub instead of the lugs?

 

If you look at the wheels, the stamping only goes around the outer side of the lug hole. On a 35 drum there is a corresponding raised section on the inside of the lug, thus supporting the wheel all around the lug hole when you tighten the nuts down.

On later brakes, without support lumps, you deform the wheel on one side of the lug hole because it is no longer supported. This leads to cracking etc. The rings reinstate this support.

 

Thanks everyone. I understand completely now about the need for support rings.

 

Good wire wheels are getting hard to find. The 16" wire wheel was one year only, 1935 (not counting the handful of very early '36s that left the factory on '35 wire wheels). The '32 wheels were 18" and '33-'34 were 17" I have a pair of '33-'34 wheels that are too rusty to use on a car (both have rust penetration all the way through on the rim). I use one to roll up my air hose on and one to roll up electrical cords on. One has a '33 cap on it and one has a '34 cap. If you can find a set of '35 wheels, it's a matter of preference. I think a Model A looks good on '35 wheels, prefer '40-'48 wheels with baby moons or a Ford cap ('42 is my favorite) on '32-'35. On wires or solids, I prefer powder coating to paint.

 

40 rims= HOT ROD!
35,34,33,32 wires= antique looking hot rod

 

I will gladly use ‘40 wheels as long as I can use these V8 hubcaps. Bob Drake says these are 1940 caps? If these fit, I will go with the 1940 wheels.

 

Bob Drake knows better than that. Those aren't 1940 caps. Model "40" doesn't mean 1940, it means Ford's designation of a 1933-34.

None of these wheels are hub centric. That concept wasn't even thought of for decades.

 

Those caps as noted are for model 40. 33-34 wire wheels. Look up caps for a 40 Ford standard, they have the V8 logo on them.


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Because they look so darn good.

 

Dedsoto just did, think physics, greater clamping force on a weaker wheel. the same reason drum brakes have one set of linings longer than the other.

 

I picked up five ‘40-‘48 Ford wheels and five ‘36-‘39 wide 5 wheels. The wheels came with 6.00-16 tires, but those aren’t going to work. I’m thinking 7.50s on rear and 4.50s or 5.00s on the front. Plan on using the ‘40 wheels unless I come across the wide five hubs and drums to use the ‘36-‘39 rims.

 

you make a valid point, - something I also had noticed looking at old hot rod magazines, - yet no one today seems to follow that particular traditional trend in their quest to be traditional...........

 

What's your tire and wheel sizing?

 

'32s ran 18" tires, one year run... not many size options...
'35 to '48 car and '35 to '57 trucks ran 16" tires...
the other makes ran similar sizes to year... many more 16" options...
getting a good used 18" was tough but finding a 16" tire was much easier because of the multi year run...

 

Hot rod upgrade "no mag wheels yet for triditional" plus set your car apart from the others.

Dad told me on his Black 39 Chevy he painted the rims red, also he had a long whip antenna that mounted on the back bumper that was long enough to tie down on the front bumper. Was this a trend in the 40s ?
My uncle totaled it out while Dad was in the Philippines 1944-45

 

Adam401 :
Front- Ford 16”x4”
Rear. - Zephyr 16”x5”
Nailed It

 

The simple fact of the whole discussion is back in the day just as this very day we tend to run what we have at hand, what we're able to find, & often times even if not our first choice we can develop a preference for it.

 

16 inch wheels / 1940 front, 48 rear. 5.50 x 16 on 16 x 4's, 7.50 x 16,s on 16 x 4.5's.

 

The reason: Because they look so damn good.