Wheels, would like opinions.

[STEVE O]

Wow love it. Hope you are going to keep it all original!

 

[19Fordy]

Good decision. Save your 15 inch rims.

 

[Digger]

To me, red and green is Christmas colors. Never liked it on any car.

Not sure why you would care what everyone else thinks anyway. Do whatever look and style you really like. And change it when you want to.

 

[DMMuir]

To me, red and green is Christmas colors. Never liked it on any car.

Not sure why you would care what everyone else thinks anyway. Do whatever look and style you really like. And change it when you want to.

Biggest reason is sometimes someone will suggests something I like better than my ideas!!


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[MuskegonFlatheadFan]

For what its worth, I run 15" wheels with bias plys and tubes. I have not had any problems with the ride or handling.
I think painted wheels is the way to go. Two rattle cans and an afternoon, and you can have a completely different look. My coupe has had black wheels, red wheels, stock caps and rings, chrome bullets, and currently burnt orange wheels in SATIN, with flipper caps. Bottom line, have fun with it, and don't be afraid to change it up whenever the mood strikes.

 

[DMMuir]

DM …..On a '40 Ford, the "correct" color is what matches body color. From '41 thru '48, "correct" is body color with three white pin-stripes right outside the cap area, like this original spare (and Ford script tire) out of a '41.

Any 1940 through '48 Ford 16" wheel will bolt-on to your '40, and will also accept the stock hub caps.


ANY of these wheels WILL accept and run with TUBELESS tires....MANY guys here will attest to that. Your car will steer and drive so much better with the radials. As long as your beads are clean and smooth, the edges around the hole for the rubber air valve are solid with no pitting, and you apply a thin coat of some sort of sealer like JB WELD over each of the 12 rivets heads located down in the drop center of each wheel as a precaution, these wheels do not leak. '40 and '41 wheels are 4"-wide between beads. The '42-'48 wheels look identical outwardly, but are 4-1/2" wide between beads and make it just a little easier to fit 16" tires all the way up to 7.50-R16s. You can tell the (4-1/2"-wide) '42-'48 wheels by the angles of the two vertical surfaces that go down to meet the 'drop-center' surface where the rivets are. The '42-'48s have one VERTICAL surface toward the outside, with a somewhat SLANTED surface toward the back side of wheel, whereas on the '40 and '41 wheels, those two vertical surfaces are straight parallel with each other. Note the subtle rivet heads which you ought to seal just for insurance, although they virtually never leak. DD


………..

This is the 4.5?


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[DMMuir]

And this is the 4”?

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[Mart]

The one with square shoulders is a 4". The other one might be a 4" or a 4.5". Measuring between the beads is the only sure fire way to tell.

Oh and for what it's worth, I think it looks ok on the existing wheels. It would look good on the 16s. I agree with the comment above, the red does not suit a green car. I think maybe it might just be worth painting the 15s cream or something like that. That would tide you over until the 16s are ready.

Definitely not smoothies, but we have already established that as a given.

Mart.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

And this is the 4”?

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DMMuir .....You got it backwards, kind'a like Mart indicated above. Here's the deal. All '40 and '41 Ford wheels were 4"-wide between the beads. Virtually all of the 4"-wide wheels had the two PARALLEL, vertical surfaces like your first picture above.....ALTHOUGH a few folks contend that SOME late '41 4"-wheels have the "ONE-SIDE-SLANTED" drop-center. I have never personally seen one of these critters, but would love to see a "one-side-slanted" wheel that actually measures only 4" between beads. GENERALLY, you can count on the "one-vertical-surface-slanted" wheels as being '42-'48, and being 4-1/2" between beads. And be careful, as there are a bunch of 'similar-appearing' 15" wheels that came on '53-'56 pick-ups that had the "one-side-slanted" configuration which are 5", AND 5-1/2" wide....BUT they are ONLY15" wheels!

I see that your 4" wheel above was green like the car. If you have four wheels that are green like that, had you considered ONLY blasting the inner part of the wheels (including the INNER beads) where the tire is mounted, maybe leaving the original paint and 'character' on the visible part of the wheels.....possibly more in line with matching the 'used' (yet original) look already on the car? Just a thought, although you'd be better off using 4-1/2" wheels if you have access to four of them! If you've maybe considered the 'big 'n little' tire look, you could always run two 4-1/2" wheels in rear, and two 4"-ers in the front. Many, including myself, have done that. DD

 

[paul2748]

I like the red wheels and think the wheel/tire combo looks good on your car.

 

[rustythumb]

i have a "slanted" 16x4" wheel that i bought from joe mac at ford obsolete [many years ago]. he said it was a post -war wheel sold over the parts counter.

 

[DMMuir]

I'm confused about the wheel differences. I compared in the garage today and I only have 1 with the slant. But they measure exactly the same. The caliper pics below don't show measurement, but it was not adjusted between wheels....

@V8Coopman, I may have found your uber rare 4" slant wheel makes sense I only have 1 out of my 7 wheels

 

[DMMuir]

I wish I could blast surfaces only, but the wheels are too rusted. several don't really have any paint left. I will probably have a local paint supply color match the car so they look right.

 

[Lanny]

The wheels you show that measure 5 & 3/16" (or so) outside measurement, will
measure 4" inside to inside the beads.

The '40 and '41 wheels, as in post # 26, have the flat surface around each lug hole.

Most all steel wheels, I've seen, made in '42 and newer will have the metal around
each lug hole volcano'd out which ads strength to the lug hole.

Circle track racing these old Fords back in the late 50's and early 60's, we would
not use the '40-'41 wheels as they would get cracks in the metal around
the flat lug holes.




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[Aarongriffey]

I had a green ‘40 DeLuxe like that in’53/54.bought it off a used car lot for $70.
I would keep the 15 inch wheels on a driver. Much, much cheaper and easier to buy tires for.
I bought 15 inch wheels for my ‘51 F1 and my ‘48 Nash Ambassador.
Went to Walmart n bought tires for 1/3 the price of 16” tires. And no tubes required.
And nobody points at me and laughs because I have the wrong size tires as I drive down the street.

 

[Zax40]

Wow, your '40 looks a lot like mine. I'm running black stock 16 inch wheels with standard caps and wide whites.

 

[Fred A]

Back in the sixties we called the lug holes as belly buttons. The earlier wheels through '41 were innies, while the later wheels were outies. The formerly sought after 1941 only Lincoln wheel (innies) were 16X5 where the later Lincoln wheels were 15X6 and used different caps like the Merc. Ford pickups in the sixties could be had with a 16X5 but the lug holes were outies and may have had a different offset. Rare ones? Whatever! Have fun with the color. Good Luck: Fred A

 

[V8COOPMAN]

Back in the sixties we called the lug holes as belly buttons. The earlier wheels through '41 were innies, while the later wheels were outies. The formerly sought after 1941 only Lincoln wheel (innies) were 16X5 where the later Lincoln wheels were 15X6 and used different caps like the Merc. Ford pickups in the sixties could be had with a 16X5 but the lug holes were outies and may have had a different offset. Rare ones? Whatever! Have fun with the color. Good Luck: Fred A

These wheels are NOS '41 Merc, said to also be 16 X 5. DD

 

[Lanny]

Back in the sixties we called the lug holes as belly buttons. The earlier wheels through '41 were innies, while the later wheels were outies. The formerly sought after 1941 only Lincoln wheel (innies) were 16X5 where the later Lincoln wheels were 15X6 and used different caps like the Merc. Ford pickups in the sixties could be had with a 16X5 but the lug holes were outies and may have had a different offset. Rare ones? Whatever! Have fun with the color. Good Luck: Fred A

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The description of wheels, known as "innies" or "outies" is referring
to the "hubcap mounting nubs", Not the lug holes.
The hubcap mounting nubs faced "inward" on most FoMoCo cars and
pickups thru '65 or real early '66...Then the hubcap mounting nubs
changed to larger "outward" facing hubcap mounting nubs.




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[DMMuir]

So,

I would like to find 16" wheels, preferably 6 inch or so wide. That way I can keep the original look and actually put a little bit of tire under there.

Anyone know a source? I would like the trim rings and centers I have to still work.