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1921 Buick Rim Repair Question


IFDPete

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OK PreWar Gang - 

I need help in parts finding so i can repair the rim for my spare tire on my 1921 Model 46 Coupe.

I pulled the spare off of the back carrier of my car and found that the lock is missing off of the split rim.  Pictures are below of what I found and what another good rim off of the car looks like.  

I need a new lock to replace the missing one from the rim.  I could probably fashion one from a strip of metal - but I thought if someone knew of a parts source where I could get the part, or had one lying around that would be easier.  And yes - I do see that the rim locking strap has already been welded in a repair prior to my getting the car.  The weld looks like it will hold and be safe.  Thanks in advance for any help or direction - Pete

 

20230206_183912.jpg

20230206_183815.jpg

Edited by IFDPete
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Pete,

Are the wheels and rims on your car Jaxon?  Our '16 has Baker wheels and the '20 and '22 have Jaxon wheels.  I have never seen a split rim locking mechanism like what you have before.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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Terry - I do not know the manufacturer.  How can I tell?  Would it be stamped on them?  My tire & tube are still on the rim.  Would the info be on the inside edge? Is that how you identified the Jaxon and Bakers?

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Pete,

The rim wedges have the names cast into them.  Our 1916 has BAKER cast into them.  Our 1920 and 1922 have BUICK cast into them.  There was also a company by the name of PERLMAN that supplied

wheels to Buick and possibly other General Motors divisions at this same time period.  I don't think that this lasted very long though.  I'm sure that there are others who are more knowledgeable about this

than I am.  My thinking is that if you know which wheels you have it may be helpful in trying to get that particular split rim for your particular wheel.  There is a fellow by the name of Layden Butler who frequents

the forums a lot and he has a bunch of the old wheel and wheel parts catalogs that he helps folks out with information on here.  He is in California and is an HCCA member.  If you will send me a PM I will

give you his phone number.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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Pete,

         The rims are the correct rims. The 21 used a jaxon #21 and it is a pin drive and used only on 21 Buick.

        You will have to have a piece made

 

      Terry , I have some catalogs Like Layden, and they say the 21 is only used on the 21 Buick tire size 34x341/2

             The 1922 Buick used a Jaxon # 27and uses a different drive( bolt drive ??)

 

     The catalogs I have are Oakcrest machine shop , Elster Hayes ,and Jacob Mattern and sons

 

    I have extra copies If you want one , The Jacob  Mattern , I may have an extra one of Oakcrest Machine

 

      

 

       John

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Larry thanks for the referral.  I may contact him if needed.  But I may have to work with what I have.  See the four dreaded words below.

 

Terry - my rim wedges have BUICK cast into them. 

 

John - thanks for the information.  "used only on 21 Buick" similar to four other dreaded words when looking for 100+ year old parts...."One year only part."  I will look into creating the lock and welding a pin to hold it on the rim.  

 

That is unless anyone else has a part or an idea.  Thanks to all - Pete

 

 

 

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Never mind the wedges, they have nothing to do with it. The rim locking mechanism is the question. 


The locking mechanism has a pivot side and a locking side. Looks like your pivot side is welded in place because it broke long ago, and the weld is ready to break again because of the rust. The locking side, the locking part is missing completely. It looks to me like you're in deep doo doo. 

 

I would mount the tire and tube, and then weld the locking mechanism, and let the guy 20 years from now worry about it when the tires need to be replaced. We'll be gone by then.

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Grind off all the old stuff,  punch out the rivets,  get some new pieces made(it's amazing what a machine shop can do),  attach the new pieces so the function like they're supposed to.   Or just find a good rim.

Don't compromise safety.

 

Good luck and "take care".

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I had one badly rusted rim so I went in search of a new one.  Vin Cassidy helped me find another Jaxon Type 21 rim which came on my 1922 Buick.  I do believe they were original on 21 Buicks but my car is a very early car (#602 built in 22 year) and I have a 21 engine in it as well.  I believe they had parts left over from 21 when they started 22 production and they used the leftovers first.

 

But the rim I got from Vin did not have the locking tab on it so I had a local machine shop make the tab and rivet.  Works like a champ.

Here are a couple of before and after pictures of cleaning up my rims and getting new tires.

wheel closeup2.jpg

wheel closeup.jpg

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