Wire Wheels

[jerryacheson]

Need your help and opinions.

1. I just bought a set of Cragar 470 wires (15x7) for my 62 Electra. They look very much like the 53 Skylark wheel. I don't like the Cragar center caps and want to go with a more 'Buick-like' center. Does anyone know the size of the opening at the mounting surface of the original Skylark spinners? I'm talking about the small spinner with the 3 color circle emblem. Wheel Vintiques sells these but they don't list what they fit (except their wheel). I saw a 62 Wildcat at Flint with these wheels. He had bought some sort of tri-shield emblem and bolted them over the Cragar script. That didn't look bad. Too bad I didn't get more details from him. What are your ideas and recommendations for solving this problem?

2. I know this 62 would have come with a 1" ww bias tire (800x15). I had a set of radials made with 1" ww from Diamondback. Although I like the tires, I'm not sure what a 1" ww will look like on a wire wheel. I think the ww will be too small. I'm leaning toward a 2" whitewall. What do you recommend?

3. This is my first experience with wires. Any recommendations for keeping them nice with minimal maintenance?

Thanks

Jerry

[Guest scott mich bca # 6619]

Jerry,

I have an original center spinner in my hands from my '55 Helsey Hayes Syklark style wheels.

The o.d. on the back of the spinner is 2-7/8". On the face, where is metal 3 color plaque sets in that opening is 2".

There is a fellow named Stitt, who re-manufactures the original spinner for about $100. They are the best reproductions I have seen. I have bought some.

Drop me an e mail direct if you want me to look up Stitt's number.

The Vintiques variety, which Coker Tire also sells are similar, for around $60.

I'm not sure but I think that they are plastic. The center emblems are not accurate. They would be ok if you are not going for authenticity.

On the maintenance, unless the wires you have were designed for radial tires, keep them off. Radial tires require a different type of rim weather it is spoke or steel. If you put them on your spokes they cause the spokes to flex too much and loosen up. Trust me , I have been having my spokes adjusted for 4 years until I went back to bias ply tires on them. If you use radials on a steel bias ply designed rim, it can cause the rim to seperate. This is a saftey issue.

There is a good artice on this subject in the Jan 22 Old Cars Weekly, questions & answers column.

Hope this helps.

Scott Mich BCA # 06619

scott@earlmich.com

[JohnD1956]

I bought a set of the wheel vintique wire wheels this last summer. I did put radials on them as I was unaware of any such engineering issues. I did have trouble with leaks after I drove the car 600 miles to Flint for the Centenial. I had tubes installed and drove the car 600 miles back home, with no problems. The Representative at wheel vintiques told me that most likely someone had cut the seal around the valve stem believing that todays generic stems would not seal against the silicone bead they put over the nubs holding the spokes to the rim. Sure enough, they were cut. Wheel Vintiques took the wheels back and resealed them for me, plus I had them install stems so that I didn't have to mess with this again. But now I need to look into that radial tire issue you mentioned.

As to Wide whites on wire wheels, and on a 62, My vote is DON"T DO IT!

Wide whites are for 50's cars, not 60's, and all cars came with black wall tires. My .02 is that mags of any sort ( especially wire wheels) should stand out, and they can't do that with that big white bead runing around right next to them. Go with blackwalls, it will make the wheels ( and thus the car) look much nicer.

[JohnD1956]

I called Wheel Vintiques today, and asked about the radial tire on the new Kelsey Hayes style wire wheels. They calimed to have no knowledge of their customers having trouble with the wheels they sold, due to radial tires. Scott, were you using original wheels? or the remakes?

[Centurion]

Using radial tires on the Wheel Vintiques Skylark-style wire wheels IS a problem. One of our BCA Chapter members equipped his '57 Buick Caballero Estate Wagon with the Wheel Vintiques wire wheels and the Coker Classic radial wide whitewall tires. This car was the sole '57 Caballero displayed in Flint last summer, and the car towed a vintage Airstream trailer from Seattle to Flint and back. About 300 miles out of Seattle on the return trip, one of the wire wheels suddenly failed. As I understand it, the spokes actually broke. The driver had just passed a truck and trailer at freeway speeds, and had just pulled back in front of the truck when the wheel failed. He was very fortunate that he was able to get the Buick and Airstream over to the shoulder before the truck struck them from the rear. A close inspection revealed that a second wheel was close to failure. Upon further research and following conversations with Wheel Vintiques, he learned that the problems arose because he was running the radial tires on the wire wheels. Wheel Vintiques should certainly be aware that there have been problems with the wheels when used with radials.

Another couple equipped their '57 Roadmaster convertible with the Wheels Vintique wires, but used the Coker bias ply tires. This combination seemed to work very well.

Jerry, regarding the use of wire wheels on your '62, it's a matter of taste. Personally, I think the '62 Super Deluxe (Electra 225-style) wheelcovers are absolutely beautiful.

[jerryacheson]

You're right. Those wheelcovers are nice. However, I really want wires on this car.

Would you guys/gals use the 1" radial on the wires or blackwalls? Anyone think I should go with a 2" ww?

[JohnD1956]

Boy, that does make me really disgusted! The wheels I bought are already off warranty. If they knew there was a problem I cannot understand their motivation for claiming they didn't know of it. I saw that 57, it was really nice. I sure hope the car wasn't damaged in the destruction of the wheel.

Now I wonder if my 4 flats were due to the radials I had on there as opposed to the cut area around the valve stems.

Plus I am not excited about going back to bias ply tires.