What's the difference between these wheels?

[Solo_909]

Hey guys so I'm looking for some 40's wheels for my 35 coupe. I've found that there's 16", 4" and 4.5" out there besides the width what's the difference?
Will both work on my coupe and wouldn't the wider ones be better?

Thanks!

[Mart]

Both will work, the difference is negligible.

Mart.

[alanwoodieman]

4" wide wheels are 40/41. 4 1/2" wide are later wheels. the major difference is the profile of the wheel rim itself. 40/41 rimes have a 90% angle at the center and later have 45% angle where the rim meets the center. there are also some 3 1/2" rims made for 60 hp and the 41 4 cylinder pick up

[Solo_909]

Originally Posted by alanwoodieman

4" wide wheels are 40/41. 4 1/2" wide are later wheels. the major difference is the profile of the wheel rim itself. 40/41 rimes have a 90% angle at the center and later have 45% angle where the rim meets the center. there are also some 3 1/2" rims made for 60 hp and the 41 4 cylinder pick up

Thanks ��������

[Detonator]

Originally Posted by Solo_909

So does that mean the later wheels will have a slight camber on a straight axle or will they be fine since the straight axles have a slight tilt where the spindles attach?

Where can I find a set of these wheels with the built-in camber?

[A bones]

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Originally Posted by Solo_909

So does that mean the later wheels will have a slight camber on a straight axle or will they be fine since the straight axles have a slight tilt where the spindles attach?

No. Wheels ( if true and straight ) don't affect alignment issues.

The angle referred to is in the middle of the rim. The tire trade people call it the 'drop'. The purpose of the drop is to allow the tire changer to gain some slack when working the bead over the rim edge.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Solo_909

Hey guys so I'm looking for some 40's wheels for my 35 coupe. I've found that there's 16", 4" and 4.5" out there besides the width what's the difference?
Will both work on my coupe and wouldn't the wider ones be better?

Thanks!

There are actually FOUR different varieties (widths) of 16" '40s wheels that have the INSIDE nubbies to accept the factory '40s hub caps. I will show their pictures in order of width, narrowest first. DD

3-1/2" Wide....1940 ONLY, V8-60 Cars. BOTH walls vertical.



4" Wide....1940-'41. Note that BOTH walls of "drop section" are vertical.



4-1/2"....1942-'48. Note that INBOARD wall of "drop section" is slanted.



5"....1941 Mercury ONLY

[Solo_909]

Originally Posted by Detonator

Where can I find a set of these wheels with the built-in camber?

Right here 🖕🏼 Haha

[PeterC]

Originally Posted by Solo_909

Hey guys so I'm looking for some 40's wheels for my 35 coupe. I've found that there's 16", 4" and 4.5" out there besides the width what's the difference?
Will both work on my coupe and wouldn't the wider ones be better?

Thanks!

I run 4 inch rims on my front and 4 1/2 on my rear to accommodate a slightly larger tire in the rear. Hope that helps!

[Solo_909]

V8Coopman, thanks so much!! Do the Merc wheels come in a 16"?

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Solo_909

V8Coopman, thanks so much!! Do the Merc wheels come in a 16"?

As I stated in my original post, ALL of the pictured wheels are 16", including the '41 Mercs. Don't get your hopes up, though. Those 5" Merc wheels are so sought-after, and so rare to begin with (not to mention that MOST folks never knew they existed)......you'd have better odds buying a lottery ticket. DD

[Solo_909]

Originally Posted by V8COOPMAN

As I stated in my original post, ALL of the pictured wheels are 16", including the '41 Mercs. Don't get your hopes up, though. Those 5" Merc wheels are so sought-after, and so rare to begin with (not to mention that MOST folks never knew they existed)......you'd have better odds buying a lottery ticket. DD

Gotcha, I guess I missed that detail. Challenge excepted! It would be nice to have those for the rear.

[Randy in ca]

What hubs do you have have on your '35? Stock or?

[Solo_909]

Originally Posted by Randy in ca

What hubs do you have have on your '35? Stock or?

Stock

[Lanny]

Solo, the 15" x 5" or 5 1/2" wheels are a little easier to find, as they were
used on Ford 1/2 ton pickups thru 1965. In fact, the 16" wheel was an option
up thru 1965 too, but they are also rare as hens teeth to find now.

The wheels I mention above, all have the "innie" hubcap mounting nubs, so
they will accept the earlier style hubcaps. They also have the 5.5" bolt pattern,
in case you would consider running 15's.








.

[Mart]

Just be aware that a 40 type wheel will not bolt to a wire wheel hub. There are little nubs just inboard of the studs that need to be removed to allow the later wheels to fit against a flat face. If you have 40s style brakes obviously the 40s wheels will fit, as they have a flat face. (The opposite is also true, you need a stepped spacer to fit a wire wheel on 40s brakes, to reinstate the missing nubs.)

Mart

[Solo_909]

Okay so I removed my wire wheels and found these hubs in the front.



Anyone know what they are off of? I assume they're not stock because there's no post.

Here's the rear.

[Mart]

The rears are stock 35 and you can see the 5 nubs just inboard of each stud. The fronts look like 40s repro drums, as the surface is flat. From the angle of the pic it is hard to say for sure from here.

On my roadster I run 40s steels on the drums like your original rears and cut/filed the nubs off to give a flat surface.

Has your car been converted to hydraulics?

The 40s wheels should fit the front but something needs to happen at the rear.

The centres of your front wires may have been bent a little out of shape from being fitted to the flat drum.

Mart.

[Solo_909]

Originally Posted by Mart

The rears are stock 35 and you can see the 5 nubs just inboard of each stud. The fronts look like 40s repro drums, as the surface is flat. From the angle of the pic it is hard to say for sure from here.

On my roadster I run 40s steels on the drums like your original rears and cut/filed the nubs off to give a flat surface.

Has your car been converted to hydraulics?

The 40s wheels should fit the front but something needs to happen at the rear.

The centres of your front wires may have been bent a little out of shape from being fitted to the flat drum.

Mart.

The previous owner said they converted it to hydraulic breaks but I thought that was just the master. I didn't realize they changed the drums too. The wire wheels that were on it were aftermarket.

[Randy in ca]

OK, to me the front hubs appear to be replacement 21A (1940-41) drums and as such not the best to be running your wire wheels on. The curved wear marks on the drum outside of each stud are likely the only place the wire wheels have been making contact (not a good situation). The later 40's wheels you're looking at work with this hub, so you're half way there in that regard. On the rear it appears you have the stock 1935 drums, which your wire wheels were meant for but not the later solid wheels. I've only dealt with this issue on the front axle, so others will have to comment on what's needed to mount solids on the rear. I do recall at one time Jimmy at Rally America (Wheelkid on the HAMB) stating that he had early replacement solid wheels that were originally made to fit/bolt onto the pre-36 rims - might be worth a try. Good luck.