Selecting Wheels

Posted by Rick Black on May 10, 1998 at 10:06:56

In Reply to: Need Tips On Buying Excellent Wheels-What To Watch Out For!
posted by Ken Smith on May 04, 1998 at 03:56:09

I prefer to locate wheels that are near perfect and not do anything but paint them (good luck!)Here are some of the things I look for when inspecting 19" wheels
1.Check for broken spokes
2.Check for bent spokes - I put the wheel on the ground standing up and look down at it, rolling it along and checking all the spokes for straightness.
3.Check roundness of bolt holes.Hint: take a lug nut and place it in position.Look at the back side of the wheel.The lug nut should not come all the way thru the hole or it will hit the brake drum and not tighten down.
4.Inspect center section for cracks.This can be tough if there are several coats of paint and/or rust or grime caked up on the back side of the wheel.
5.Spin test the wheel.Before I even sandblast a wheel, I put it on a front hub, install 5 good lug nuts and tighten it up, and then give it a spin and check it for trueness.It may look like it's nice and straight when it's off the car, but if it wobbles when I spin it, it goes into my "get rid of it" pile.
Of course, if you're willing to put a little time and effort into correcting some of these problems, it's not real complicated to straighten a spoke or two or to have someone true up the wheel (several clubs have made a fixture for wheel straightening.) If the holes are out of round or if there are broken spokes, there's a safety issue and you may want to find better candidates.
The same rules apply when inspecting a 21" wheel with a couple of additions
1.Make sure the wheel is or isn't an AR wheel - the wheels and drums must match or they won't fit properly.If you can't tell, ask a Model A buddy or check the MAFCA/MARC Judging Standards and Restoration Guidelines.
2.The 21" rims have a hollow edge that tends to rust out.Carefully inspect the entire front and back edges for any cracks or holes.
Happy driving!

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