Hot Rods LET'S CRITIQUE WHEELS - New Repro Wheels that do or don't

"I foresee terrible trouble, but I stay here just the same...."

 

I think some of the design people that are calling the shots at the wheel companies, went to the same design schools as the people designing the sidewalks on most of the modern radial tires. Barf.

 

I'm ok without the 15x5, if I want a skinny I would run the round spoke ET's, but I sure wish someone would make a nice 15x6 with a 2" backspace, like they were back when. These were the most common size/configuration back then, and NO ONE makes one nowadays... I need a pair for the front of my T-bucket, and I am having a HELL of a time finding a pair the vintage ones are getting EXPENSIVE.
I don't get it, these guys are all trying to make a wheel that looks like old ones, how hard is it to keep your own ideas out of it, and JUST COPY THEM? Its not rocket science.

 

I bought a new set a few years ago (2011) and thought they seemed a little different than my previous (all used) sets I had,had before but thought it was maybe just because they were new or I just didnt care because I think they still looked great and I dont think the minimal difference would bother me as long as all 4 were the same.
However I have ran this style (used) fenton etc. and old cragars together 2 and 2 many times in years past but usually tried to have matching caps, sometimes compromise is more of a necessity than the wheels themselves verses not having cool wheels at all when you dont have the money or cant find a good used matching set I dont know how I found so many sets of different wheels back then, before the internet They were obviously more plentiful then, than I realized

 

I rate wheels on a distance scale. 10 spoke bolt on "spindle mounts" vs magnesium American spindle mounts, 250 yards. Raiders vs Raders, 100 yds, TTO's and sharp spoke ET's vs sixties tork thrusts and vintage copies, across the street, new Cragars vs old and US mags five spokes with the caps swapped, about 10', ten feet is not too bad.

 

This one might be the golden goose, but here goes...

Not a specific manufacture's wheel that just doesn't do it, but what in hell is with all these "artillery" wheels on "traditional" hot rods in the last decade? Artillery wheels belong on cannons, circus wagons, and Chevys...

 

Only problem is those were discontinued a few years ago.

 

I'm with you Squirrel.

I need to get different caps or remove em completely but yeah, they need to dull down a bit. Overall, happy and there's not a lot of stuff in 5x5.5 anymore.

 

There was a company in Kansas reopoping halibrands supposedly off the original molds. The problem was that they were using a modern aluminum alloy and they just didn't look right. They were the right shape just the wrong color.

 

Too early in the morning for me... I fell for it.
First thought.. WTF..
Second thought...awesome ride !!!
Last thought..
NOTHING beats the real ones..
Here are mine...
ET's on the back, and Crestline 11's on the front

 

Oh man, don't get me started...

 

Well, for what it's worth, a lot of them ARE on "circus wagons".....

 

A lot of them are "new"stalgia instead of nostalgia.

 

^^^^^^^^
Now there is one oxymoron if I ever heard one!
"Don't get me started".
Echo Echo

 

ROFL!

 

Pretty funny isn't it? I cant tell a '66 chevelle from a '67 at that distance, but I can spot those damned wheels from there!!

 

I'm with you wholeheartedly on this Mark.
Famous last words "maybe no one will notice", guess what, we noticed.
They will look perfect on cars that have only two of those ugly flat spoke Appliance copies of the SS wheel.
Cripes, I hated those, even as a kid those things reminded me of how a model car Cragar wheel looked, with the chrome plastic flashing on the side of the spokes.

 

I couldn't agree more with this. They're all over the place around here, must be the 'go-to' wheel in these parts. I just flat don't care for 'em. (No offense to those who happen to run 'em)

 

That is a point that too many guys miss when they put a car together. They go out and buy a cheap set of after market wheels just to have "custom" wheels when a decent set of steel wheels with a good spray bomb paint job and some small hubcaps and nice tires would look a hell of a lot better. That goes clear back to a 41Chevy sedan that was obviously a fresh home build with presentable new paint at the 73 Street rod nationals that was running white spokes because they were probably the only six lug wheels the tire store had when he went to get wheels and tires.

Still the wheels should never dominate the car no matter what car and what wheels you run. If they are right for the build you first see the whole package and then sort out the details. If they are wrong for the build you usually see the wheels and then find the car around them or have to stop and ponder why the car just misses the mark for some reason when the wheels are so bland that they are lost in the picture as in the case of some flat black wheels on dark cars.

 

I never cared for the original D spokes, much less the 'modern' version in the larger sizes. And people forget that these were designed for the '65 Corvettes initially (to clear the new-for-'65 disc brakes) and weren't all that common 'back in the day' so to me they're more than a bit iffy to be considered a 'traditional' wheel, being much more of a late-60s/70s wheel.

I've got a set of D spokes on my avatar, and the only reason they're not gone is I'm contemplating a suspension change and don't want to have to buy a second set after the change...

But I also remember a set of ET five spokes (that I loved the looks of) that leaked right through the castings; had to squirt some 'fix-a-flat' goo into them to get them to seal.

 

Well I have my slicks mounted on a 20 year oln set of american D spokes, and my street tires on a set of rockets, yea not the greatest ,but all I can do right now.

 

I feel for ya. I wasn't going to mention my rockets on the front. I just can't bring myself to shell out crazy money for the ones I want. I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking I have spindle mounts, I just liked them and they were in my budget. Besides, I just figured that if I ever ran into George I would try and stay at least 260yds away.

 

I had a set of ET's that did the same thing, had a friend use some type of epoxy paint on the inside and never leaked again.

 

That's probably not a bad idea anyway, especially if I have just eaten. Do NOT approach from downwind...

 

As a general ruleI agree, but you know its funny, when these Rockets first came out I rolled my eyes. Now lets be clear, they don't look ANYTHING like the Fenton Hawks they are supposed to be riffing on, and IMO they don't have any place on any traditional hot rod, or car that is going for a period look, but they are starting to grow on me in their own right...


And no, this isn't my '67 Falcon, I am probably going to put magnum 500's on mine when I put it back on the road, but I think these look pretty good on here.

 

I ran painted wheels with baby moons for about 16 years, then decided to to change the look in 2003 to Salt Flats. Always liked the kidney slot style halibrands, but not very common, and hadn't come across any vintage wheels that would work.
.

 

My AR tq's use the lug nut you speak of coupe man. I don't see how you could use lug nuts that " go 1/2 way in the wheel with threads" as jimmy six said. I know he is a smart guy so I hope to learn something.

 

I'm running Rocket Fires on my Model A and Rocket Strikes on my Plymouth wagon. I like them, they are decent and the price was right and they suit the look I was going for. I have to say though, that nothing ruins a a cars look then the wrong wheels, I am amazed at how many cars I have seen with those cheap Pep Boys wheels that just ruin an otherwise good looking car.

 

All this Yaky-Yak about Reproduction wheels is trivial. There's more important matters to be concern about like: Should I get In-N-Out or Tommy's