Hot Rods 18 Inch Early Ford Style Steelies.

18 teen inch wheels...wow.. i have 17 inch wheel on my car and they deleted my post...oh well

 

Jim: 32 Fords had 18 inch wheels. Ford also made a high clearance 18 inch wheel I think? I've had Bruce's Rod Shop widen 2 pairs of 32 Ford wires so I could use 700-18 Excelsiors. One pair ended up on Dale Grau's 32 Lakester, The Green Hornet. The other pair is going on a 32 Highboy I'm working on. I have 18's on the back of my deuce highboy roadster. 16,17& 18 wheels and tires are very much a part of the old car tradition. The style of wheel might be off topic on here?

 

Found a manufacturer…but can’t find their website. Pretty sure they are 18” with Early Ford bolt pattern.

 

That's an oldee but a goldee. Been on line for years. I think it's in either India or ****stan? Good for a laugh. Thanks for thinking of me.

 

Where are the dies that were used in the recent past to make these 18” wheel centers? Finding/purchasing the dies for the wheel centers would be the first step to solving this dilemma.

 

When I talked to Wheel Kid the other day he said he was getting centers from Wheel Vintiques and that source dried up when they sold to Coker. I gathered that was where he got them when he did some for Steadfast?

 

Anyone on here that works at Coker Tires?

 

I used 18” spare-saver wheels from a 90s Astro van and ran Firestone on them. Now this was 20+ years ago. I used wheel adapters to make them work. Now that I’m older and wiser (?), I’d cut the center out and weld the hub from a Ford wheel on to correct the bolt pattern.

 

I went to the farm yesterday a dug up a 16 inch early Ford steelie. The rim inside diameter of the 16 inch rim is approx 13.50 while the 18X5.5 hoops I find have an inside diameter of 15.70. That's quite a gap to fill?

 

I think Pete meant to make a fresh cut through the body of the center, not at the joint.

 

Love the way the tread looks on those tires. Real hotrod...Keep it up!!!

 

I think that’s the shop that made the 22.5 wheels for my 1974 C65 . They are heavy and thick .

 

Machining the16 inch centers out of the rim to the size that fits the 18 inch hoops is not a problem. Then the centers need welded in on both sides and the front weld dressed down so it doesn't show. A very labor intense job. Plus that much intense heat might cause some warp age?

 

Checked another stamping company that makes steel wheel centers and the numbers/$ needed to make the blanking and stamping dies were staggering plus the number of centers needed to be stamped with each run just makes it financially unfeasible for me. Last time I talked to Steadfast they were searching for a short run stamping company to do centers. I have no idea of they've had any success? Talked so someone else who was going to meet with Coker/Wheel Vintiques to see if they could buy the dies to make 18 inch centers but I have no idea how that turned out?