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Technical What wheels are these ?

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by Model A Mark, Jan 9, 2025.

  1. Model A Mark
    Joined: Apr 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,318

    Model A Mark
    Member
    from dallas
    1. Holley 94 Group

    IMG_6797.JPG IMG_6798.JPG IMG_6799.JPG Hey guys, These are early Ford pattern bent spoke Kelsey-Hase wheels, but dang, look at the rings on the back 2.
    They look like split rims, but are not.
    How do I get the ring off them ?
    Thanks..
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2025
  2. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 21,950

    alchemy
    Member

    Has the outer half of the rim on the two different kind been welded? Looks like a weld down in the V.

    Post your pics in full size, not thumbnail.
     
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  3. Model A Mark
    Joined: Apr 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,318

    Model A Mark
    Member
    from dallas
    1. Holley 94 Group

    I dont see any welds at all

     
  4. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,279

    F&J
    Member

    Yes it's welded but not just to replace the outer half of the hoop.

    The entire hoop is a two piece lock ring type, off a truck or maybe construction equipment. Take a look at the tube side of the hoop...there is no drop center to enable a tire to be removed like the other wheels that are a one piece hoop.

    Keep looking, but from the front, there is the old drop center still there, but it doesn't show from the tube side. The other end of the spokes are in that now sealed up drop center. I sure can see what looks like a continuous backyard weld bead holding the old remnant of the drop center, to the lock ring style hoop.

    There were many types of multi piece wheels. One used the same continuous outer lock ring that has no split. To get it off, you hammer it down equally a bit, then look for a 3/4" wide notch for a special hook type tire iron tool. To be able to come off, there are two spots you should see on the ID of the ring, 180 apart, that appear to be ground away like a 2-3 inch long curved area. These allow enough reduction in the ID to be able to pry the ring off of the hidden groove in the outer edge of the hoop.

    Shit that was a lot of writing ,I should have looked for a pic online, or video.

    They are homemade and I'll bet they are crazy heavy.
     
  5. rusty valley
    Joined: Oct 25, 2014
    Posts: 4,075

    rusty valley
    Member

    Piss poor description, are we just supposed to guess, or do you want answers?

    straight spoke is Ford...what size? 16-17-18. ?
    Bent spoke Kelseys are not so rare, but yours with lock rings is odd, what size is it? The other with it seems a very wide rim...what width is it?
     
  6. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,279

    F&J
    Member

    Here is the proper video explaining the notch and the spots that look ground away...

     
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  7. Model A Mark
    Joined: Apr 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,318

    Model A Mark
    Member
    from dallas
    1. Holley 94 Group

    Damn youtube, haha I shoulda looked.
    Thanks F&J
     
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  8. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 18,038

    Squablow
    Member

    Those are SUPER weird, never saw anything quite like that. Was that to prevent the spokes from leaking? I'd also be curious to know their weight compared to the other style, and I'd like to see what they look like sandblasted clean, better view of evidence of welding that way. If someone made those, they went through an incredible amount of effort to do so. If they're a factory made part, I'd love to know what they were used on. Wild.
     
  9. TCTND
    Joined: Dec 27, 2019
    Posts: 679

    TCTND
    Member

    Don't think those are lock rings. It looks like the outer rims are one piece so there is nothing to unlock. Show us a pic of the backside.
     
  10. rusty valley
    Joined: Oct 25, 2014
    Posts: 4,075

    rusty valley
    Member

    There are one piece lock rings.
     
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  11. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,279

    F&J
    Member

    No, because look at the last picture and the picture before the last one.

    If you have a way to expand the pics, take a look at the valve stem hole on the bottom wheel in the last picture, you can see that the original stem hole of the donor hoop, was in a place that made the guy cut away a big notch in what was the drop center part of the wire wheel.

    The last pic is clearer and it looks like the clearance notch was hacked away with a oxy/acet torch. Definitely homemade, you can see the welds too, if you expand the pics.

    The hoops look to be 15"or 16", so they came off of a small truck, or heavy duty trailer, etc. They might have been a Dayton style wheel that never had a center, or they might have been a Budd wheel which have a center just like that video.

    Either way, two piece rims were made from much thicker metal so these 2 modified wheels must be very heavy
     
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  12. chaddilac
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,043

    chaddilac
    Member

    They look like Motor Wheel Co bent spokes... They should be 36 spoke if they are Motor Wheels, Kelsey Hayes bent spokes are 40 spoke.
     
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  13. Model A Mark
    Joined: Apr 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,318

    Model A Mark
    Member
    from dallas
    1. Holley 94 Group

    IMG_6819.JPG IMG_6822.JPG IMG_6823.JPG Thanks for the input everyone.
    I got em apart, actually pretty easy, their 40 spokes and 5.5 wide 16s, early Ford lug pattern, Kelseys I reckon.
     

    Attached Files:

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  14. Model A Mark
    Joined: Apr 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,318

    Model A Mark
    Member
    from dallas
    1. Holley 94 Group

    IMG_6828.JPG Also I have this pair of 36 spoke wheels.
    Their also 16s early Ford lug pattern, but 36 spoke ?
    Reckon these are Motor Wheel Co wheels ?
     

    Attached Files:

  15. TCTND
    Joined: Dec 27, 2019
    Posts: 679

    TCTND
    Member

    Well, I stand corrected. Would be interesting to know what these came off of.
     
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  16. Model A Mark
    Joined: Apr 30, 2008
    Posts: 1,318

    Model A Mark
    Member
    from dallas
    1. Holley 94 Group

    They was on the back of a 34 pickup I got, no telling where they came from, I was told the lock rims was for a Truck.

     
  17. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 5,304

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  18. wheelkid
    Joined: May 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,263

    wheelkid
    Alliance Vendor
    from Fresno, CA

    The pair is 16" bent-spoke Kelsey's a farmer welded into a flat base rim. One of the 36 spoke wheels is a "Motor Wheel", and I'd need better pictures of the last one to identify it.
     
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