Tom's36coupe
Well-known member
I know there are companies out there that widen wheels, has anyone done it to a stock 36 Ford wheel to fit the old style hub? 4 inches wide now looking at maybe 6-7 inches for a wider rear tire.
Wheel widening for 36 wheels
- Thread starter Tom's36coupe
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deuce lover
Well-known member
Wheelsmith in Santa Ana,CA has 6.5" wide bands ,$125 a wheel.
Tom's36coupe
Well-known member
Dumb question of the day, but what do you mean with wide bands?
blucar
Well-known member
There are two parts to a "wheel"... The hub or center and the rim or band.
I would surmise from the price that the customer supplies the hub/center and "Wheel Smith" attaches a new wide rim to the hub.
I had wheels made up for my 39 Plym conv using stock '50-52 Chevy hubs/centers on 15x7 rims with a 4.25" back-set. The interior spring clips allowed me to use my stock Plym hubcaps and 205R6015 tires.
I would surmise from the price that the customer supplies the hub/center and "Wheel Smith" attaches a new wide rim to the hub.
I had wheels made up for my 39 Plym conv using stock '50-52 Chevy hubs/centers on 15x7 rims with a 4.25" back-set. The interior spring clips allowed me to use my stock Plym hubcaps and 205R6015 tires.
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cvstl
Member
www.rallyamerica.com
If you look close at my avatar, you can see the difference. In the rear, I have 6" wide 16" rims on original wide-five centers. Excellently done by Rally America.
Nice work and good service. Call them, though, don't use email.
Stock Rims on front
Widened Rimes on stock center
On the car
I don't recall exactly what my backspacing was, but I think the center section ended up in the same relative position to the center of the rim as it is on the stock rim.
If you look close at my avatar, you can see the difference. In the rear, I have 6" wide 16" rims on original wide-five centers. Excellently done by Rally America.
Nice work and good service. Call them, though, don't use email.
Widened Rimes on stock center
On the car
I don't recall exactly what my backspacing was, but I think the center section ended up in the same relative position to the center of the rim as it is on the stock rim.
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Pete
BANNED
It was very common in the old days of hard top racing.
Back then an 8 or 10 inch wide flat band was welded in after the wheel had been split.
Now an option is to use an existing complete band from another wheel that is the width wanted.
Uncle Bob
Well-known member
Tom's36coupe
Well-known member
Now for the back spacing question, where do you start to measure from the face of the hub to the inside of the fender?
Tom's36coupe
Well-known member
Also was thinking about just going with a 650R-16 from Coker on the back and the 550R-16 for the front. That way I would not need to make any changes , just mount them and be ready to go. The rears would not be as wide as I really want but would be wider than stock and still look good. It would give me the big tire/small tire look.....
Uncle Bob
Well-known member
From the mounting face on the drum/hub in this case, yes. Make sure to watch for everything in the rotational path not just the inner fender panel and frame. Think also of spring brackets, sway bars if you've got 'em, outboard mounted shocks, anything else that is back there. Remember too, the backspace is figured to the outer most part of the wheel flange, unlike measuring the width which is typically inside the flanges. Then make sure you figure in the cross sectional bulge of the tire when mounted and inflated. Sounds tougher than it is, but all is needed to avoid costly redoing. Oh, and make sure you measure both sides, they often are different, so you need to make sure you work to the side with the least clearance to set your measurement standard. Going with the alternate sizes you mentioned is another solution, requiring less calculating, but then you also give up more of a rubber rake, and the beefier look that the larger tire gives when fully fillng out the wheel opening.
Tom's36coupe
Well-known member
Thanks for the explanation will double check everything for sure. I do love the way your white 36 looks with those big meats!!!!
Uncle Bob
Well-known member
Yours look similar to mine, though each car should be measured on it's own. Yours fills that fender nicely.
I had mine made to 3 1/8 b.s., so it's about 3/8 favored to the face from center. The tires are 215/85r x 16. But another might need something different.
blucar
Well-known member
In my posting to this topic yesterday, I failed to mention that the wheel hub must be a press fit into the new rim. The press fit allows the hub to be fitted into the rim and aligned prior to welding.
A second point to consider when using a wider than stock rim/wheel is the use of "beauty rings"... The common trim ring is approximately 1-1/4 wide, the rings used on the wider 15"/16" wheels is approx 1-5/8" wide. The wider trim rings are near impossible to find, they came on the larger cars, e.g. Buick, etc., which used 6.5 wheels on the Roadmasters.
The narrow trim rings leave a wide gap between the ring and the wheel flange.. At first glance the gap is not apparent.
A second point to consider when using a wider than stock rim/wheel is the use of "beauty rings"... The common trim ring is approximately 1-1/4 wide, the rings used on the wider 15"/16" wheels is approx 1-5/8" wide. The wider trim rings are near impossible to find, they came on the larger cars, e.g. Buick, etc., which used 6.5 wheels on the Roadmasters.
The narrow trim rings leave a wide gap between the ring and the wheel flange.. At first glance the gap is not apparent.
jerry grayson
Well-known member
If you want a wheel that is 5" wide you can round up a set of 39 3/4 ton wheels. They are just like passenger wheels except they are 5" wide.
deuce lover
Well-known member
I had a set of those but they do not have the scallopes in the centers all the way around so don't match.They only have 4 slots.They were also made in 5.5" wide.