Model AA wheel

i thought some of the 1950's military dodge stuff was the same pattern but not sure if they are lock rings or not...

why do you ask?
 
"why do you ask?" I have always called the split ring wheels widow makers. I would prefer a rim that looks the same but has a conventional bead, like modern Budd wheels.
 
check into forktruck rims - i stumbled upon some awhile back when looking for AA rims myself.

I doubt your going to find a non split rim that will look correct...
 
Split rim problems are caused by the people that work on them.If the parts are rusty,and if either the wheel or ring has edges that are rounded off by rust they need to be thrown away.If the ring is oblong from somebody prying it off the wheel without the bead broken down enough the ring is ruined.Blowing the tire up standing on edge is not a good idea either.The weight of the wheel on the bead lets it try to blow up off center.The tire needs to be flat on it's back to center and seat the beads on initial blowup.I've always thought those upright cages that you roll the tire into one of the most stupid ideas I've seen.They can create the exact issue that causes the rings to blow off.New rings are fairly cheap,When you pry one of those on and hear that loud snap when it seats,you know you're gonna be good to air it up.Use good parts,soap it good,and pay attention to what is happening as you air it up,and you will be fine.I've done a few hundred of them.When I was 17-18 I could break down and replace a 10.00X20 tire on a rim in 15 minutes.I was changing them faster than the guys could R&R them on the trucks.
 
holdover said:
"why do you ask?" I have always called the split ring wheels widow makers. I would prefer a rim that looks the same but has a conventional bead, like modern Budd wheels.
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The Model AA wheel is not what is called a Widow Maker, the picture shows a Widow Maker rim.

Bob
 

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Bob,I haven't seen one of those since the mid-70's.Those were a nightmare to mount.Each half of the wheels had two sections of the locking edges skived out,and you kind of slid them together at an angle,like mounting a tire.Then,you turned one half of the the wheel 1/4 of a turn,putting the four skived out sections 90 degrees from each other.The problem was that you couldn't tell if the two halves were seated until you put some air in it.There was a plate steel guage that you held between the outside,or bead flange of the rim,to the mating flange in the center of the rim.If it touched the inside part but not the outside it was not seated.I can't think of any drop center rim bigger than 16 inch that is made to take straight bead tires.Everything now has gone to tubeless half sizes,,with tapered beads.17.5,19.5,22.5,24.5,etc.
 
Kieth True
"New rings are fairly cheap" Do you or anyone else have a source for new rings??

thanks for any help
 
Truck tire people always had them,they were not made just for the Model A.I would just hand the salesman that used to come in an old ring and a week later he would walk in with new ones.With all the millions of truck wheels made there were a couple of different profiles of ring.They were made by Budd,Firestone,Borman,and others.Over-the-road tire shops most likely won't have them,nobody uses tube type tires on the road anymore.Places that service trucks used off road still mount them,but lots of guys don't even know how to change a tube type tire.
 
Keith True said:
Truck tire people always had them,they were not made just for the Model A.I would just hand the salesman that used to come in an old ring and a week later he would walk in with new ones.With all the millions of truck wheels made there were a couple of different profiles of ring.They were made by Budd,Firestone,Borman,and others.Over-the-road tire shops most likely won't have them,nobody uses tube type tires on the road anymore.Places that service trucks used off road still mount them,but lots of guys don't even know how to change a tube type tire.
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careful with slapping rings on willy nilly, fords have to be beveled not straight or they can fly off... they MUST fit the contour of the rim not just the diameter of the rim...

i sandblasted mine and while they were pitted and I had to straighten them alot they are being used. I had the tire shop that inflated them inspect them and the owner himself said he thought he would never see a split ring again but said they looked good and seated correctly. They aired em up just fine in their safety cage.
 
The five hole wheels (Budd) lasted nearly to WWII. There are a lot of them around.

Price around here runs about $150 per wheel. There was a guy on Facebook Marketplace who was selling.

Varying the search terms can vary results: "Model AA wheel", "Ford Truck Wheel, "20 Inch Model A wheel" (it's not, but description is the challenge of the seller.) Model AA Rim, split rim wheel, etc, etc. Even under "Antique Wheels" I've seen AA wheels.

OBTW, the "Bolt pattern" for Model A wheels is 5 x 5-1/2 inch. (i.e. distance between non adjacent wheel studs) The "Bolt pattern" for Model AA wheels is 5 x 6-1/2 inch.

https://helpcenter.kmcwheels.com/hc...What-is-a-bolt-pattern-and-how-is-it-measured

One should take note that the early "spoked" wheels and the 6 hole 1929 wheels are structured with specialized "hub cones" that center the wheel into the hub. Later wheels will fit (Bolt Pattern agrees) but the smaller studs/nuts may be challenged and without the centering of the hub the wheel holes may "wallow out."

Someone on Facebook Marketplace was recently selling Chevrolet split rims which he had welded the snap ring making a non-split wheel of it.

Joe K
 
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Lock ring wheels are not a problem if in good condition and assembled correctly.Split rims are another story.I've cut the rims off the centers,and mounted different rims before.They are really only spot welded on.John Deere tag trailers used 5 lug.solid center wheels,but the rim welded to the center was a 14.5 UTG rim,some call them mobil home wheels.They're no longer available,so I had fix a bunch of damaged ones by slicing the rim off the center,and welding a new UTG rim onto the old center.
 
Ralph- I have several sets of Budd wheels available One set at least has been sandblasted and have decent old tires mounted. I also have a AA spare tire carrier avaialble. Located in Oakland Ca. can ship if necessary.
dmcgearsATyahooDOTcom.
 

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I saw your pictures. Are those the 6" wide wheels. Mine is a 1929 dual wheel truck. I don't need tires. what will you take for 2 of them? Do they have any date stamped on them? Thank you
 
My July 28 Spoke wheels are 6.00 x 20 on the front, and 6.50 x 20 on the rear. Spoke single rear wheels of course.

A seller online has a similar spoke wheel/tire for sale in the 6.00 x 20 size.

Neil Wilson does not detail tire sizes but instead defers to the Judging Standards.

Initially AA trucks used high pressure type tires with 30x5 on the front and 32x6 on the rear. 6.00 x 20 "Balloon Tires" became standard on the front in July 1929. In January 1930 6.00x 20 Balloon were used on the rear in dual wheel applications only. Trucks with single rear wheels continued to use the 32x6 high pressure rear tires. Beginning July 1931, with the release of factory optional special equipment 18" rear wheels, 32x7 tires were used.
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Today, of course, tire sizing is by the ID - you probably can't even buy 32x7 sized tires. So expect to use 6.00 x 20 for Budd wheels.

I don't remember the tire size of a basketcase truck I picked up out of Amherst, NH about 2005. The tires were rotted anyway and would not be used. I did have an interest to save the five hole Budd rims - and it was set up for "Double Rear." IIRC, the right and left sides used corresponding R and L marked nuts - with special spacer nuts between the double wheels. Neil does detail the various nuts https://aafords.com/aa-chassis/aa-1000-wheels/ and their markings. IIRC, that "inner" nut was a bear to remove. I ended up borrowing a 1" pneumatic impact wrench from work for their removal including the special 13/16 "square" driver.

That basketcase was interesting in that the frame had been overloaded at some point in its life and someone spent a LOT of time straightening and "sistering" the frame with pieces of 3/4" steel plate and bolts. It also started and ended life with a 3 speed transmission, but the rear and wheels had all been upgraded to 30-31 parts.

He did a really nice job. At that time I scrapped the frame having another truck frame with only 26K original miles, but should I have it today, I would keep it.

Hope this helps.

Joe K
 
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