32 wheels on a 39

jacob smith

jacob smith

Senior Member
I have a set of 32 wheels. My new understanding from the v8 times is that an option for the 36 was Larger 32 style wheels. My 36 has 39 juice breaks. So what hub can I change to so I can run the 18" 32 wheels. Also does anyone have the larger tire and wheel set up on there 36.

Jacob
 
I have stock '32 18" wire wheels, with tires mounted, on a '35 Ford coupe. This is just a temporary thing to allow me to move this car around/in and out of the garage because at the moment I have no other use for these '32 wheels and tires, and needed to have new tires mounted on my original '35 wheels. However, I am considering running (or at least trying) 32 18" wheels and tires on the front of a 35 tudor sedan being built as a traditional hotrod.

☆ you will need to keep in mind that if these 32 wire wheels are used on 40-48 style hubs & drums, a spacer support ring is required to prevent distorting the mounting area around the studs/lug nuts on these wire wheels.
 
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I'm not positive, but I believe a set of '35 hubs/drums will work on your '39 spindles and allow use of the '32 wheels.
 
I realize aesthetics are a very personal preference, but '32 wheels on a '39 Ford? Really?? I had '32 wheels on my late '31 coupe and loved the effect. Can't picture them on a '39. Rollers for restoration period, maybe. OK, me, out. Y'all carry on.
 
Rich
I hope you are right that would make this an easy switch. Maybe someone else can confirm.

Jm35
are 40 to 48 hubs different then 39. I know that my breaks are off a 39 because a removed them from the old hay wagon to install on my 36. Also do you know of a drum spacer that is made by someone. Can you post a photo of your car with the 32 wheels on it. The photo in the v8 times is a little hard to see

Jim
My car is a 36. From the picture in the v8 times of this se up it looked good but time will tell.
 
Can you tell us definitively which issue of the "V8 Times" you are referring to? I have received it for many years and don't remember seeing the photo you refer to. It sounds like a bad idea to me.
 
jacob smith said:
Jm35
are 40 to 48 hubs different then 39. I know that my breaks are off a 39 because a removed them from the old hay wagon to install on my 36. Also do you know of a drum spacer that is made by someone. Can you post a photo of your car with the 32 wheels on it. The photo in the v8 times is a little hard to see .
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[/CODE]Jacob, the inner configuation for bearing and seal mounting on the 37 to 48 hubs would be the same, or very similar, since the spindle part that goes inside the hubs used those same years are basically the same, but because 37 to 39 hub/drums are wide 5 configuration, and 40 to 48 hub/drums are 5 on 5-1/2" configuration, the areas of these hubs that locate and mount the drums would be different.

The spacers, or spacer rings, required to mount 32 to 35 Ford 5 on 5-1/2" wire wheels on 40 to 48 hub/drums are available from various old Ford parts suppliers. However, I make my own spacer rings for this on my lathe by using 4" ID x 1/4" wall, galvanized water pipe or black iron pipe, cut off at 0.185" +/- 0.002"

Since I was injured last Wednesday, I am not able to go out to my garage to take pictures of those 32 wire wheels and tires that are mounted on my 35 coupe. Might be a week or possibly two before I could do that for you
 
Rich-CO said:
I'm not positive, but I believe a set of '35 hubs/drums will work on your '39 spindles and allow use of the '32 wheels.
Click to expand...

No, that will not work, at least it would not work for me. I installed '37 - '40 round back spindles and '39 - ''41 backing plates on my '35 traditional hotrod. The stock '35 front drums hit the backing plates before the hubs were fully on the spindles. '40- '48 hub/drums fit and provide the 5 on 5-1/2 stud pattern that will allow 18" to 16" Ford wire wheels to be used.

Now the '35 rear drums fit perfectly on the rear of my 35 traditional hotrod when using '39 - '41 rear backing plates. No spacer rings required when using 32 to 35 wire wheels, because the stock '35 hub/drums already have the little support nubs built into their design.
 
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JM 35 Sedan said:
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[/CODE]Jacob, the inner configuation for bearing and seal mounting on the 37 to 48 hubs would be the same, or very similar, since the spindle part that goes inside the hubs used those same years are basically the same, but because 37 to 39 hub/drums are wide 5 configuration, and 40 to 48 hub/drums are 5 on 5-1/2" configuration, the areas of these hubs that locate and mount the drums would be different.

The spacers, or spacer rings, required to mount 32 to 35 Ford 5 on 5-1/2" wire wheels on 40 to 48 hub/drums are available from various old Ford parts suppliers. However, I make my own spacer rings for this on my lathe by using 4" ID x 1/4" wall, galvanized water pipe or black iron pipe, cut off at 0.185" +/- 0.002"

Since I was injured last Wednesday, I am not able to go out to my garage to take pictures of those 32 wire wheels and tires that are mounted on my 35 coupe. Might be a week or possibly two before I could do that for you
Click to expand...

JM

Thank you for the info. Take care of yourself and I hope you have a speedy recovery.
 
JM 35 Sedan said:
No, that will not work, at least it would not work for me. I installed '37 - '40 round back spindles and '39 - ''41 backing plates on my '35 traditional hot rod. The stock '35 drums hit the backing plates before the hubs were fully on the spindles. '40- '48 hub/drums fit and provide the 5 on 5-1/2 stud pattern that will allow 18" to 16" Ford wire wheels to be used.
Click to expand...

So just so I have this right. I install 40 to 48 hubs on my 39 backing plates. And then buy an adapter plate to install the 32 wheel on the 40 to 48 hubs.

Or I have to make a adapter plate to work with my 39 hub. (. No I understand this will not work)


Did I get this right?
 
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Yes, you have what I said right, but I wasn't even thinking about using an adaptor plate that might be available to mount a 5 on 5-1/2" lug pattern wire wheel on a wide 5 hub/drum configuration. If it does exist, I'm not 100% sure how it would work. I have heard of adaptors that will mount a wide 5 wheel allowing that assembly to bolt up to a 5 on 5-1/2 lug configuation for balancing a wide five wheel with a tire mounted.
 
Thank you again, now to collect and buy the parts. Can't wait for the swap meet season to start.
 
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Personally I'm not a big fan of the 18" "high clearance" wheels. I also think the unwritten rule of "newer wheels on older cars looks good, but not older wheels on newer cars".

Like I say, just personal preference, but this is aesthetics we're talking here, pure looks. Just because a wheel is rare, (high clearance) doesn't mean it is better, or better looking. People fit these things to say "look at me, I can afford the rare parts". I just think, yeah, but the car would look better with Henry's stock jobs on there.

Jeez I'm grumpy this morning.

Mart.
 
Mart said:
Personally I'm not a big fan of the 18" "high clearance" wheels. I also think the unwritten rule of "newer wheels on older cars looks good, but not older wheels on newer cars".

Like I say, just personal preference, but this is aesthetics we're talking here, pure looks. Just because a wheel is rare, (high clearance) doesn't mean it is better, or better looking. People fit these things to say "look at me, I can afford the rare parts". I just think, yeah, but the car would look better with Henry's stock jobs on there.

Jeez I'm grumpy this morning.

Mart.
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Mart

You might be right. In my case I have a pretty stock orginal car. That I want to keep original. ( I wish I had not put the 39 breaks on it in the first place) My car is at a point were I have to move to big ticket items like paint and I do not have the money for that. So collecting odd parts is just a way to have fun with the car plus do something different. Much like people hot rod there cars. Besides I have meet some great people and learned a lot about my car.
 
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