Should I ditch the Ford wide five drums?

I should clarify I guess... The offset of the backing plate is different so the drums will not work with hydraulic backing plates, no? The spindles have the smaller bolt pattern with later bearing dimensions... hence, the oddity.

 

http://pitstopusa.com/c-133563-whee...rt-steel-wide-5-wheels-bartwide-5-15-x-8.html


try this

Andy

 

Right....get '37-'39 front drums and '39-'48 backing plates for the front....the '36 rears drums will work w/ juice B.P.'s

 

They were pre-'53 VW 16" wheels. Hard to find, they look 'similar' to Ford wide-5's...but different pattern and stamping.

 

Thanks for the info.
We have wide 5s on our 36. Original mechanical brakes too...
Hope to convert to juice brakes some day but would like to keep the wide 5s.

 

I love em. New speedway '40style drums and adapters.

 

Here is the car in question. I should have stuck in a picture earlier but did not have one on hand. I went out last night and shot this one.

It is an older restoration, needs work but isn't far from being drivable.

Neal

 

It already has hydraulic brakes on it with the wide fives.

That is a whole another story. I ran this over at the Ford Barn already. The front brakes have the huck conversion on it and the back have the 1940 style Ford backing plates with the wide five hubs.

The huck conversion is using a 40's style Chevy brake cylinder with the original '36 Ford backing plate modified to fit/work.

Neal

 

Thank you all for the response.

I am not sure which way I will go. The wide fives are unique now but back in the day they were old style and the steel wheel with the 5 X 5 1/2 bolt pattern was the new stuff, which is probably what the rodders would have preferred to go with. At least that is my interpretation of the responses. I moved the car to the back of the shop and will see what I can find this fall at a swap meet or two.

Thanks again. Neal

 

WOW!! That's a great lookin' car. Unless you are going to make many extreme modifications (which doesn't make any sense to me), I don't know why you would want to run anything but stock wheels and tires. OK hot rodders, flame away!!

 

I have a '35 3-window that I have been leaning towards a mild custom meaning dropped rear with skirts. Nothing extreme. Saw others with more of a hot rod rake and have been wanting a roadster so if figured that I would go with lowering the front a little, maybe lower the lid a couple of inches, spice up the flathead some, and maybe do something with the rims and tires. That is how this thread got started.

As a side note, there are some great looking roadsters on this site that has been the inspiration for me. The other area of influence has been some of the cars from the Watertown S.D. area that I have seen over the years.

Neal

 

Yes, very nice car.

I say go with what you mention and leave the wide fives on it.