Hot Rods Who is your "Go to" manufacturer of steel wheels?

For years I have used Wheel Vintiques, but I have always been plagued with balance issues. They usually require a ton of weight. This last round, I ended up having to replace the wheels completely.
I am looking for chrome steelies with a single bolt pattern, so that I can run spider caps.

I have thought about using the stock Ford wheels but by the time I spent the money on reversing and chroming, it's not cost effective at this point. I don't mind paying for quality, I just think they should run out true and not have 15# of weight on them, when new.

I am currently looking at Wheelsmith, but I don't know anything about them. Never owned a set.

 

I've heard of balance issues with WV but have never had them myself, so I only have experience with them. Mine I spin up on a balancer when they're new out of the box before doing anything to make sure they're straight and round.

 

I just bought a pair of 15 x 10 steel wheels from US WHEEL. They run true and balanced fine with the tires mounted. I did not check them for balance without tires. Plus they are single bolt pattern.https://www.uswheel.com/

 

x2 for US Wheel.

 

I did look into US wheel, they are a definite possibility.

 

I have WV on my car, zero balance issues. They all took a very reasonable amount of not much weight.

 

Ive gotten several sets of wheels from The Wheelsmith, extremely satisfied.http://thewheelsmith.net/.

 

The Wheelsmith (thewheelsmith.net) has always done excellent work and provided great wheels of all kinds for me and many of my fellow club members.
Great guys... and Bob Sage has a fantastic 1936 Ford!
Treated me and my co-pilot to a beer when we drove out there for LARS in 2016... on wheels I got from him.

We toured his shop while there and met everyone and were treated to great lunch of pizza and misc goodies!
Thanks again, Bob. It was good to also meet Chris, Rex, and the very pleasant Michelle.

 

Good to know. Thanks guys.

 

Every pair of wheel vintiques wheels I have had issues with. Either balance problems or slag spatter from welding stuck all over the inside. Had one set that the lateral runout was so bad they never got tires mounted.


I only use Wheelsmith wheels for the last few years. Very high quality. Very nice finish and welding. If I can’t use OG ford wheels. It’s Wheelsmith.

 

Always OE. Although they’re getting harder to find.

 

I use Wheel Smith as well. Balance extremely well top notch service easy to order. Getting ready to order another set shortly. Joe

 

If I Don't have what I need in the barn I am not too picky, if the well will take a early Ford hub cap I'll use it, I have used Wheel Vintiques on both our cars, the Deuce and Brenda's Ranch Wagon. HRP

 

I agree with OE. The stampings are much crisper with originals.

 

Chrome is stupid expensive now. That's the drawback.

 

Coker:
https://www.cokertire.com/media/cat...g-color=255,255,255&fit=bounds&height=&width=

 

These are Chromed 15 x 5 early ford style wheels from Wheel Smith. The chrome is very nice, plus it is the only ones that I am aware of that have a single bolt pattern for the 5 on 5.5 inch pattern and not the stupid dual pattern. I believe I paid $230 each for the wheels chromed from Wheel Smith, not cheap, but certainly didn't break the bank.

 

There ya go....just what I am looking for.

 

DEPENDS ON THE WHEEL, BUT I GET ALL MY STEEL WHEELS FROM WHEELSMITH.

 

Sometimes you can get them in stock through speedway, Otherwise you can order direct from Wheel Smith. They really are a great looking wheel, and I love how they pair up with spider caps!

 

There's your problem right there...

 

There was a period of time when Wheels Vintique had a very real quality control problem. I bought two from them during this period and they were junk, runout was terrible, dangerous really. I bought two more recently (I say recently, it may have been 10 yrs. now) and got them through Summit. I told the salesperson of my issue with previous WV wheels and told him in no uncertain terms that I would put them on a tire machine and if they were out of round they were coming back. He assured me that they knew about the problems and that the QC issues had been corrected. Thankfully they turned out great. Just a word of warning: Be sure to check any wheel you purchase for runout before mounting a tire or painting or powdercoating a bare wheel. Once you do any of the above, they are yours!

 

What Spider caps did you end up with?

 

It depends on what kind of wheel you want and the bolt pattern needed. If you're after a OE-style '50s/60s style chrome wheel like what's on Mark's Corvette, Wheel Vintiques is your choice (and Coker, who recently bought them out so I'm pretty sure is selling those re-branded). US wheel has a similar wheel but the four vent detail isn't quite right. No one else sells that style with both the four vents and the three hubcap nubs. Wheelsmith (and others) sells a 'three nub' center style wheel but no vents. They do sell the early Ford style with 'inny' hubcap nubs and the vents though with the early Ford pattern.

With the exception of their 'OE' series wheels which are only available in 4.5 or 4.75 patterns, the majority of Wheel Vintiques offerings are dual pattern.

I tried ordering a set of Wheel Vintique wheels in the OE style last year, but after they kept moving the delivery date further and further into the future, I canceled and ordered these... Store 1 — Pavement Equipped. Haven't got them on yet, but I must say I'm very happy with their appearance.

 

My question is who makes new hoops for 16 x 4 so we can fix our real steelies that are always bent so badly? The ultimate would be who makes steel hoops in 16 x 3/2 ?

 

That would explain why the 2 hubcaps I ordered 6 months ago are still back ordered…..if Coker did indeed buy them out.

 

After wheel Vintiques pissed me off for the umpteenth time with poor quality and arguments I called Pete at SoCal and asked him which wheel manufacturer he used. He had also had problems with WV. He got fed up and went to WheelSmith. I followed his lead and have bought several steel wheels in various widths over the years and NEVER a problem. I recommend them to anyone that asks me and they have never complained either.