Ok, new to the HAMB, and not well versed in specifics of Ford wheels, so this may be a stupid question. I just bought an old hay wagon built from two Ford axles for the wide five wheels on the front of it. In true fashion for me, I forgot to check the wheel sizes. The one that I checked is the standard 16" diameter, but my question is on the other one, it's 14". Has anyone ever seen one of these before, because I can't find anything on them? Doesn't look obviously modified to me, but these two are my entire sample size.
What I was wondering, but why the hubcap brackets? Has a vehicle tire mounted on it to, for what it's worth.
Never seen such a thing. I have a 14" ford steelie that is unknown also. Maybe after you break it down you can see if its real or fake.
General "Jumbos"? Or possibly homemade. I made a lot of wide five wheels in my Racing days. There used to be a wide variety of of centers and shells available.
Forgive me for missing any terms, I was raised on muscle cars and only found myself getting more into hotrods and customs as the people I could ask for help around me have died.
Wheels in that era were riveted together. If you see any welds, I suspect its fake (home made). Farmers often made rims to fit more common tire sizes they had layin around
Most production (real) welded wheels were held together with large spot welds on the middle of the flange on the center. When I (and everyone else I knew) made them, we would weld them on the edge of the center (sometimes on both sides). If they are riveted, chances are pretty good they are production wheels. Since your knowledge of early Ford wheels is admittedly limited, "General Jumbos" were 14" wheels with special tires available for earlier Fords ('32?-'34) and other makes. I don't think they were made in a wide five version, but you never know.
Looking at the offset, looking at the tire spec (8.00 x 14) and obviously the diameter that goes with it, there is no way it is a Ford wheel. It may have been made from a Ford centre.
Thanks for all the info. Took a close look comparing the two, and it really looks like someone cut the mounting flange at the first flat and did a continuous weld all the way around. Looks well enough done I wouldn't mind having a set, but slows down the dreams of wide fives on the cheap.
A lot of people think that when things look similar, that they are related. It's not true in this case, just like it's not with with Phytosaurs and Crocodiles.
Based on pics of early volkswagens, they started with a fairly small 4 lug pattern in 1937 and changed to the wide 5 pattern at some later time.
Porsche began his company in 1931 and was contracted to be the lead designer and builder for VW S about 5 years later. That is where that wheel design originated from. A few years earlier then our beloved 36-39s that would wear the wide 5s.
It might be an old stock car wheel. A left front pony wheel. 14" "homemade" on the left front were not uncommon.
No, it appears to be an original non modified wheel. I posted a photo here once, but bad pic you could not clearly see the 14" tire size. Some day I will take the tire off to confirm, but I believe its a real Ford wheel.
Home made 14 inch wheel. All the wide 5s i have seen and even on pics here the valve stem is opposite a wheel lug and not random 1.5 inch off. I think all vintage Ford wheels have a valve stem on a symetrical spacing . Who else notes trivia like this
Farm job. In all likelihood this was done when 14's were cheap, and the farmer had more wheels/tires/time than money. It does not look modified, because they did a good job! Putting a wheel center in another hoop is no big thing. I do it with Wide-5's, to take the, from 16 x 4" to 16 x 6-1/2", with safety beads. I do this so that folks can run 16 x 7.50" and 16 x 8.90" tires with less deflection in corners.
A word of caution, I have a full set of 14" wide 5's nicely cut centers were welded in 14" hoops. will fit regular drum brakes but lack clearance for conventional disc brakes. Additionally, any mounted rim can be hiding serious corrosion especially those on equipment used infrequently, most are okay & slight pitting can be worked out but safer to opt for dismounted rims to verify the condition.
More Wide-5's are not hard to get, either. I would blast and paint the 14's. They would make nice hose reels.