When wire wheels (1928-35 Ford and aftermarket Kelsey and Motor Rim and Wheel, I am not sure about AR wheels) are installed on drums designed for hydraulic brakes it is necessary to use a spacer to make the wheels have full contact (support) and avoid cracking when they are installed. The reason for this can be seen by looking at a Model A brake drum (photo 1). There is a raised area in the center that contacts the wheel when it is bolted onto the hub/drum. This same raised area was replaced with individual cast in/machined raised areas on the 1932-35 wheels (photo 2). The 1940-48 drums were flat in this area (photo 4). Photo 3 shows the aftermarket spacer necessary to provide the raised area setting on top of the brake drum waiting for the tire and rim to be installed (make sure your studs are long enough) These spacers are available from MT Car Products as part # 5000, Speedway as part # 91065470, and Sacramento Vintage Ford Parts as part # 05199-8 as well as many other sources. This addresses the problems most likely to be encountered by the Model A Ford owner but there a few other related problems that might be encountered. Check your mechanical brake drums as some people grind of the ring (or individual cast in raised areas on the later drums) to run solid rims. If you want to run wire wheels on these modified drums you would need a spacer. The opposite (but even more serious) problem is encountered when running 1940-48 solid rims on stock mechanical brake drums where a different spacer is required to make up for the fact that the solid rims expect to be mounted to a flat drum.
Just went through all this! They will not work, there is not enough material on the model a hub to machine.They become to thin and it will not be safe! Run 35 wheels until you round up 40 brakes.
Just had a similar problem fitting some mercury steel wheels, re drilled the hubs for longer studs and made/ fitted a thin spacer as in the photos, works a treat!
There was an old steel aftermarket wheel that is correctly shaped to go on the early mechanical brakes. I've got a few, give me a call at 559-322-2128 if you're interested Thanks Jimmy
Here's a picture of a wheel that was on a model A for a number of years without a spacer. You can see it is cracked at each lug hole and the lug seat is actually torn away.
I was talking to a friend who does a lot of builds. He said you need to put in longer bolts. You will have to open up hub holes. Here is what you need Use Dorman studs # 610=234. Use a 19/32 drill to open holes. Center of old drums were like sheetmetal. The spacer takes up some room. Pretty soon you have lost 5/16 of an inch.
A--'34 type hub needs a spacer OUTSIDE the studs to support '40 type wheel or they will crack from lack of support. Due to location of the stresses, cracking is much more likely and more destructive than that caused by the opposite mess, wires on late hubs. This used to be a standard catalog item sold via all speed or Model A parts catalogs...I think this old hotrod may be commercially extinct, as current fashion is wires on later drums, requiring that extra support inside the studs...
Another problem is that the 40 wheels have a rounded inner edge. The rounded portion does not line up with the raised tabs on the early drums. You would need a plate that covers the tabs so the inside of the wheel is supported. I recommend machining off the tabs as stated.
My dad and I dealt with this last summer. I forget the dimensions, but we made spacer rings out of approximately 1/4" steel plate. They were cut with a plasma torch, then turned smooth on a lathe. Lug holes were drilled and tapped. Old studs were removed and longer bolts threaded in through the hubs. The bolt heads need to be machined a little on the inside to avoid clearance issues with the brake internals. As far as I can remember, the only difference between doing the fronts and rears was the inside diameter of the openings.
I have an extra new set of these that have never been used. I will be bringing them to sell at Hershey. Location C4J-36
That's a pretty good idea; tapping the plate and using bolts for studs cures the too short original stud problem.
I guess I'd have to see it because what I'm visualizing sounds like a real bad idea. The plate would need to be at least as thick as the diameter of the bolts at minimum, that just doesn't sound right. A photo or two would help.
How i did it.... also helps the cap clear the spindle nut which is marginal if you use a simple thin spacer.
The bolts go thru from inside the hub & drum; then thread into the spacer plate. The spacer plate only serves as a jam nut for the bolts.
Another issue is on the model A the hubs and drums have a 5/8 hole whereas the wheels are 1/2 so it would need special bolts or sleeves to fit the drums to the hub. Tightening the lug nuts will tend to try and wind the bolts out of the threaded spacer. And if that happens wheel will be clamped ro the spacer not the hub
Guess nobody has ever used an aftermarket rear axle that use bolts threaded thru the flange as studs. How about Pete&Jakes, Walden's, or Wilson Welding/B*** hubs that use bolts as studs. How about '42-'48 hubs tapped and used with bolts thru Buick drums as studs. The 5/8" holes vs 1/2" bolts on Model A hubs as well as the 37/64" or so holes in later hubs would be easily solved with a bushing.
Guess the OP may have actual pictures; but this is how it would work. You would not be relying on the threaded spacer to carry any load.
That helps, thanks. I just could not picture what was being described. Sometime I'm kind of dense like that.....
I used to sell these. They fit in the depression in 40-48 wheels. They were just glued in. Worked for 32-35 drums.
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