Been running Americans since 1967. Have a set on my '34 right now... Irwindale Drag Strip, Jan. 1, 1968
1959 is NOT the correct year; as already stated, it was 1956. From Steven Farber, an expert on vintage wheels and author of several articles about vintage wheels: "American Racing’s Torq-Thrust Original Series 309 is a 1-piece painted/machined alloy custom rim that has been around for a long time. In 1956 this wheel started a trend with American hot rod and muscle car enthusiast. The original magnesium five spoke American Racing Torq-Thrust with its unique tapered curve form spoke design is considered by many to be the most famous custom wheel of all time and one that changed world of racing on the strip and the street."
That is the 200S (a.k.a. Daisy) sand cast. Personally never liked that wheel. But I did like the 4 spoke version known as the Libre
Hey thanks for the pictures of your Team 3 wheels, they look awesome. I've looked at them on their site, but it's not quite the same as seeing them mounted up. What sizes are you running?
Keep in mind that even though their availability goes way back, they were always a premium piece, and lots more people wanted them than actually had them. There are certainly detectable differences between the originals and the current production wheels, but the current castings are pretty nice items. Not to mention that the current straight spoke wheels will fit most cars with disk brakes. If you are offended by the (tiny, I think) differences between the current production and the older parts, by all means let the game of hide and seek begin. You might feel cooler than all of us who run later wheels, and if so, it's worth the extra effort.
Rumor mill has it that ET Wheels has an American TT 15x4 skinny front wheel in the works that is supposedly spot on. I hear it will be aluminum and not mag, but other than that it should be *****en. Does anyone have any more info, timeline, or pictures?
I have had them on many different cars...29 Tudor Sedan, 49 Pontiac coupe, 53 f100 and the list goes on...alot of wheels don't look good on all cars but the torg Thrust looks good on almost every car...
The newer 90's curved spoke polished americans to me are not traditional (nor are the newer painted versions (had a pair of the painted version on my 57 and hated them). the straight spoke I think are a 60's look nothing wrong with running the newer versions but dont believe folks will think they are traditional. my buddy runs them on everything, to him they are the best wheel ever. (he had a set on a 49). Not sure I have seen a set of cast 5 spokes on one but I think it would look good if you have a rake
I have a torq thrust addiction and think the old ones look great on anything. If anyone is looking for some reasonable 15x6 4.5" pattern magnesium TT's check this out. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=304599 I was looking for some cheap Ford/Mopar pattern torq thrusts for my 59 Plymouth suburban and fell into these magnesium wheels. The wagon sure doesn't need real mags, although if they don't sell I'll probably run them.
What do you guys think of the new T71r? I know they're a new design, but I think that the T71r looks more like a vintage wheel than the supposed 'original' TT wheel that American sells.
Not really a "new" design- it's a copy of the early 70's T-70. It would be nice if the BOTH made these wheels in a wide variety of widths- AND kept an inventory so that you don't need to wait two-plus years for a set of wheels.
I believe the Ansens five spokes were called Top Eliminator and were notable for their round spoke in aluminum. I have the same wheels. Back to ARE Torq Thrusts, I have just mounted a pair of original 15 x 6 Torq Thrusts (must be original as they do not make that size in repro) and they are all marked 'Speed Sport' with a very shallow 2 3/8 backspace to a disc brake setup and they clear the calipers - just. Also U.S. Indy made a really cool 16" x 8 1/2" aluminum Torq Thrust clone. They make for a really subtle Big 'n Little combo with plenty of clearance for disc brakes.
Like these? Some guy had these made up a couple of years back - 15 x 4 aluminum. ARE (or should that be CRE) already have 15 x 3 1/2 spindle mounts in aluminum in their Professional Series.
I've always loved the Torque Thrust wheel and I had to find mine at the swap meets because they had stopped making them back in the early 80's when I was looking for them. I like them polished too because that's how most of the race cars of the 60's ran them, so I scrounged up a set and had them polished and have been running them ever since. But when American Racing reintroduced the TT 2's two piece wheel, everyone bought them. They came already polished too so my wheels kind of blend right in with the m***es now, even though they are an old set. So I decided to try something a little different for a while. They are growing on me......
50 chevy with Americans on it? Sure..no problem. Mine was a sedan alright...sedan delivery. If you want to use the same 15X8.5's I did. [they have a 1.5" offset] you'll need to use a narrow rearend and "m***age' the inner wheelwells and slice the outer lips very thin...even then mine rubbed a little with a full tank of gas around sharp corners. I used an 83 Olds gutl*** rear axle under mine. Photo with no paint has early non-offset americans on the front....primer photos have an inch offset and are an inch wider........I liked them better.
Should look fine, will give the car a '60s vibe. Traditional? Not Traditional? As long as they don't have those damn spinner things on them, or are 22" with tires 2" wide, who ****ing cares.
The complete Steven Farber article can be found HERE ... and another article claiming the 1956 date can be found HERE. However, there are several other websites that state that American Racing Equipment started in 1959 and/or that their (magnesium) Torq Thrust wheel was first introduced in 1959 ... so who knows the really story? Here's what the American Racing website has to say about their own history: Re-inventing the Wheel. We at American Racing trace our roots back more than 50 years, and continue to reinvent ourselves and, quite literally, the wheel. Today’s American Racing still prides ourselves on the mission that began when drag racing innovator Romeo Palamides teamed up with J.O. Ellison, a San Francisco machine shop owner, to design and craft high strength-to-weight ratio racing wheels for his dragster. Palamides and Ellison, along with engineering innovator Tom Griffith formed the pioneering company in aftermarket wheels. From the golden age of hot rodding to today’s street enthusiast, American Racing is reinventing the way wheels are viewed from our cl***ics to new trend-setting styles. The Wheel that Started a Craze. In the late 50s, when European racing wheel companies were focused on semi-solid modular designs, designer Tom Griffith conceived the tapered parabolic contour spoked American Racing "Torq Thrust®" which reduced wheel weight and promoted brake cooling. Considered by many to be the most famous wheel of all time, the Torq Thrust® started the custom wheel craze, making the conversion from strip to street. Today authentic "old school" Torq Thrusts are highly collectible and sold around the world. Often imitated, never duplicated, the Torq Thrust® is the signature wheel for performance and custom purists.
The Jalopy Journal
