What the heck is that?

34fordy

34fordy

Well-known member
I stopped in a local tire shop that has been here for at least 75 years. No one is over 50 years old and most under 30. I had a 1936-39 wide 5 rim in my hand. The oldest fellow was quick to expound on his great wisdom. "That is a Volkswagon wheel". It appears to me I will be dismounting and mounting tires. Maybe I will buy one of those HF changers and make an adapter. Always like a new project. Keeps me young (and sore) I guess. LOL
 
I believe that the old bugs did have the same bolt pattern as the wide fives. My neighbor has a trailer with a 36/37 rear end and VW wheels.

Red
 
34fordy said:
I stopped in a local tire shop that has been here for at least 75 years. No one is over 50 years old and most under 30. I had a 1936-39 wide 5 rim in my hand. The oldest fellow was quick to expound on his great wisdom. "That is a Volkswagon wheel". It appears to me I will be dismounting and mounting tires. Maybe I will buy one of those HF changers and make an adapter. Always like a new project. Keeps me young (and sore) I guess. LOL
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I mounted a set of 17" a couple of years ago. I placed a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag over the rim. Pushed the tire down (by hand), inserted the tube, filled with a bit of air, then pushed the other bead down.
Remove the bag.
The first one took about 15 minutes. After that, I did the remaining four in about 45 minutes.
 
I bought a cheap imported manual tire changer from Northern Hydraulics about 20 years ago. It is probably the same as the one HF sells. It took a bunch of modifications to work well, but I finally got it right and it turned out to be very useful.

It's very convenient to have your own machine; just be careful who you tell or you will have a constant stream of visitors.
 
I have an old Coates Tireman. All manual, but it makes the job almost effortless after doing so many on my knees with tire irons. I paid 80 bucks at the portland swap meet and it came with all the tools. On Thursday a couple of friends came by and used it as one guy wanted the tires, other the rims. For me living at the far end of a remote place, it's a social benefit as well. Mine won't do the dually offset wheels so Gonna try the Kube's garbage bag trick as I do them on the shop floor. Get us a pic of the wide 5 adapter when it's done.
 
If you are making a wide 5 adaptor the Bolt circle is 10-1/4". I made one and thought it was 10" and wondered why the wheel wouldn't go on.
 
my son works for firestone/bridgestone and they have a tire machine that clamps the rim, not the center-is uses a plastic shoe so it does not make the rim--also they have sort of a clamp system to break down the bead
 
I bought a Coats 10-10 air operated machine for $80 at a swap meet from a guy who dismantled gas stations many years ago. He had a whole trailer load of them. Still works great and I bought a couple of plastic accessory tools for using on chrome or aluminum wheels. In this state, studs have to be off by April 1 so twice each year I hear from friends needing to switch. I told them to buy a pair of extra wheels and we won't have to dismount/mount/balance all the time!
 
34fordy said:
I stopped in a local tire shop that has been here for at least 75 years. No one is over 50 years old and most under 30. I had a 1936-39 wide 5 rim in my hand. The oldest fellow was quick to expound on his great wisdom. "That is a Volkswagon wheel". It appears to me I will be dismounting and mounting tires. Maybe I will buy one of those HF changers and make an adapter. Always like a new project. Keeps me young (and sore) I guess. LOL
Click to expand...

I'm sure they can still change a tyre, even if they don't know what the wheel is off.
The machine they use doesn't know what the wheel came off.
Martin.
 
Speedway sells an adapter - I just gave my local tire shop mine to borrow when I had them do my wheels/tires on the 36.
it worked really well and they were able to use it to balance them too.

Pat
 
scooder said:
I'm sure they can still change a tyre, even if they don't know what the wheel is off.
The machine they use doesn't know what the wheel came off.
Martin.
Click to expand...

Most "they" do not have the right equipment to hold the rim with such a large center hole. "They" do not have adapters to hold the wheel for balancing. That is why you have to come up with an adapter. The newer machines will hold the rim but not the balancers. IMHO
 
Adapters were sold by Dick Spadro. The speedway ect. adapters have 5/8" lug studs for circle track wheels, but will work. Old topic here. Newc
 
Easy way to determine if it's a VW or wide five wheel. A wide five will go over your head but a VW won't. Of course some heads may vary.:cool:
 
34fordy, Have the Dick Spadaro adapter for you to use to use free of charge. My shipping to you at no charge and return to me on your dime. My new tires are are being mounted and balanced by my local guys this week. Always willing to help a fellow 'Barner.
 
34fordy said:
Most "they" do not have the right equipment to hold the rim with such a large center hole. "They" do not have adapters to hold the wheel for balancing. That is why you have to come up with an adapter. The newer machines will hold the rim but not the balancers. IMHO
Click to expand...

Its true. When I owned early VWs, nobody could balance the wide five VW wheels. They could mount them, but not balance them.
 
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