Stock wheels

[rgreathouse]

Just picked up a 1953 3100. I’m looking for wheel options that look like the stock 16” wheels.

[joedoh]

you have a couple options, wheel vintiques makes 16" oem look wheels but you will need to run their caps. you can get them as narrow as 5" and as wide as 10". I get my wheel vintiques wheels from jegs, mostly the artilley type never bought the oem type there, but free shipping that way.

you can also try http://www.thewheelsmith.net/CustomW...cessories.html , he can make anything you want and will modify your hubcaps to fit. I dont think his wheels will use a stock cap either, but I have heard you can send him your wheels and have them rehooped to be wider

[rgreathouse]

Hmm, my main goal is to run stock caps so may be better off running stock wheels. I would like to have other bolt pattern options for ifs while keeping a stock look.

If I do keep stock wheels do I need to run bias tires with tubes?

[joedoh]

I think maybe I said it wrong, let me try again. both wheel vintiques and wheelsmith sell stock looking caps that fit on their wheels. I used the chevrolet caps on my 49 with wheel vintique artillery wheels and they are super high quality stainless.

IMG_5253 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I tried to use the wheelsmith hubcaps on my 47 GMC (the only guy who makes the stainless GMC caps that fit wheel vintiques wheels) and he wanted $160ea. so I ran just smoothie caps. when I wanted the small caps for my 41, I just got 39 chevrolet script stickers and put them on the smoothie baby moons.

IMG_0347 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


as far as someone who makes wheels that take the clip style caps I dont have any idea on that. I also dont know if you can put a tubeless valve stem in your wheels and run them without tubes. but the wheelsmith guy would know.

[1project2many]

If I do keep stock wheels do I need to run bias tires with tubes?

No. You can run radials with tubes. You have to use a tube designed for radial tires. You will also need to buy wheel liners to protect the tubes.

I also dont know if you can put a tubeless valve stem in your wheels and run them without tubes.

It is possible to run the tube-type wheels without tubes using tubeless tires. With some wheels there may be an issue with air leaking around the rivets that attach the centers. More importantly there is no raised lip to keep the tire in the bead. If the tire goes flat it may "fall into" the wheel. If the air pressure becomes low it's possible for the tire to be forced off the bead in a turn.

With that in mind, I have been successfully using tubeless tires on the stock wheels of my '36 Plymouth for at least four years and used tubeless tires on my '57 for many years.

Currently I am running horse trailer wheels with stock-ish center caps and modern trim rings. These wheels do not have internal clips. But internal clips are available separately and can be installed with rivets.