Okay will you guys help educate me. I am thinking about running 35 wire wheels on a build. It will have 46 backing plates converted to Bendix. What drum or spacer do I use to insure the wheel seats against the drum properly to decrease wheel flex common with wire wheels of the era. Also if I use a narrowed 9 inch from a late 60's early 70's ford pickup to keep bolt pattern the same do I need to do anything special to bolt the 35 wheels to that era rearend. I am told their is multiple ways some say rims don't have to mate others say you better at todays highway speeds. Some one please point me to a thread or help spell it out for me so I know I put all the right parts together, thanks in advance.
Good link @mkubacak . Unfortunately he is sold out. The search continues. This from speedway is quite different to the Tardel one, does it support in the same way? https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&ved=2ahUKEwiSzdb1hdDoAhVHyDgGHVBxBVEQFjALegQIBhAB&url=https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-1928-35-Ford-Wire-Wheel-Center-Support,5846.html&usg=AOvVaw3WQgNT6j12R3f0DGBU7zkQ
Use 40 Ford hubs and drums (or the nice Boling Brothers repros) on the front Lincoln style brakes. Then find a spacer like shown above to support the center hole of the wheel. I used some from Speedway recently and they work fine. You can use 48 style hubs and drums but if they have a little balancing weight welded to the outer edge of the face the weight will need to come off for clearance of the wheel. On a 9" rear you will need to use some spacers to keep the outer edge of the wheel's center from contacting the drum. The late model drums don't have enough drop from the mounting surface to the outer edge like the 40's do.
I attempted to run 35 wires on my 31 roadster. I have a 9 inch Bronco rear end and a dropped axle with 48 ford spindles with 50 Ford F1 brakes. I had 5 x 5 1/2" bolt pattern all the way around. I had to use 1 1/4" thick adapters to allow the wire wheels on the front to sit flush with the face of the drums even though the bolt pattern was correct they will not fit over the drums. So I bought 5 1/2" BP to 5 1/2" BP adapters 1 1/4" thick with the support ring on it. I added the same adapters to the rears to support the wires properly on the rear drums also. Unfortunately I had to pull them all off as I had a serious wobble in the front end and to eliminate it being wire wheels, tires, or spacers, I removed them. I put regular steel wheels that bolt straight on to the drums on the car. Got a full set of powder coated wire wheels, adapters, and 2 sets of hubcaps if anyone needs them!
On the 9" a friend mated the 9" backing plate to a '40 backing plate and runs the '40 brakes so he can use wires. Been running ok since the 90's.
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