Hot Rods Cast or Forged???

I have a question: does anyone know if real old Ford wheel hubs are cast or forged?

Let's say anything in our target years for beam axle cars (pre-49). Just curious, as I have never used these parts. I have either used later model hubs or Safety Racing 3/4 ton spindle adapters to use Frankland wide 5 race hubs.

 

I would vote for cast.

 

All that I can think of are cast... most likely not grey iron, rather “ductile” iron or some blend of semi steel

 

I was guessing cast steel of some sort. So how/can they be redrilled for different bolt circles? Those bolt bosses on the backside seem to preclude redrilling, yet I seem to remember reading in old HR and other magazines that people sometimes changed thebolt circle. I can't imagine anyone trying to weld on cast iron, either black or nodular, and cast steel is weldable, but not really advisable,as it still has a cast grain structure.

Marty, do you know if the Lincoln hubs also have those cast in lug bosses, and if they are even cast?

 

Usually when they drilled the wheel bolt pattern, they drilled the new holes in the area between the existing wheel lugs for the new pattern and press in new studs, then remove the original studs. Gene

 

In the past month my machinist buddy has chucked a dozen of my old Ford hubs of the 42-48 variety in his CNC and redrilled and tapped them for screw in studs. They drilled like they were steel. He says they must be ductile or nodular iron. Sure acted like forged, but they are cast.

We also did a half dozen 40 style hubs which we opened up the original holes for some new press in studs. Again, they drilled like steel.