'26-27 Wire wheel hubs

[southfork]

I have some wire wheels that I'm pretty sure are for a later Model T. In order to put these wire wheels on a 26 open-cab pickup chassis, I understand that I will need to have the correct hubs. Which vendors can supply this hubs? If they are not available in the aftermarket, can you convert 26/27 Model T wood spoke wheels and hubs to the wire wheels? How difficult is that to do?

I thought that I had found a complete set of 26/27 wire hubs a couple of years ago on a T chassis headed for the scrapper, but the wire wheels and hubs turned out to be Model A that had been adapted to Model T axles. Bummer!

 

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

Snyders sell the new hubs for the wire wheels. I bought a pair after cleaning up 3 pairs of orginals and finding them all cracked.
I called one of my t friends and asked what was going on after finding my third pair cracked. He said you shouldnt have cleaned them up that good!!!!!

 

[tmodelman]

Check for T style by the bolt pattern and the thin narrow drum, A's wires are different.

Used T wire front hubs are prone to cracking at the bearing nose, and wire hubs sometimes have loose lug studs or worn out drums, but can be replaced. Good used wire hubs can run $100 ea.

 

[van Dyck]

While we're on this topic, has anyone successfully adapted later model 5-on-5 drum brake hubs (minus the drums) to Model T front spindles?

 

[tmodelman]

Sounds tough. If you mean rear hubs that fit to the rear axle shaft. How would you ever put inner and outer bearings in such rear hubs?

 

[van Dyck]

No. Just the front spindles.

 

[Steve Jelf]

If you're not sure whether the wire wheels before you are T or A, the most obvious and easy way to tell the difference is this: A wheels have ribs pressed into them between the holes, and T wheels don't. The easiest place to see this is on the inside of the wheel.

 

[redmodelt]

Ether Lang's or Snyder's (or both) carry wire wheel adapters for use on wood wheel hubs that depending on which set you get, can use Model T or Model A wire wheels. If you have the Model T wire wheels you are ahead in the game. If you don't I would opt out for the Model A setup as there are lot more wheels in the 21 inch size then T 21 inchers, and they cost a heck of lot less.

 

[southfork]

I checked, and my wheels are defineately Model T wires. Then I went through the barn where I keep my Model A and early V8 wheels and found a few more 21 inch Model T wire wheels, so the wheels are not a problem. Thanks for the input on the adapters being sold by Langs and Snyders.

Maybe the cracks found in the nose of some original 26/27 front wheel hubs aren't that serious.?. If I paid up to $100 for a front hub and after cleaning it found some show-stopper cracks, that would really be discouraging.