Hot Rods Straight vs Bent spokes

I recently bought a car with sixteen inch wires on it. Two have straight spokes, and Two have bent spokes. So being as I have to buy two more rims to match them up is there a noticeable improvement in either one? Which came first? When did the other appear?
Inquiring minds need to know.

 

The bent spokes are Kelsey Hayes and are more desirable and there were a lot more of the straight spoke wheels made by Ford. I prefer the look of the Kelsey Hayes but they generally sell for more.

 

Bent spokes should be aftermarket like "Kelsey Hayes" they were stronger than the stock 1935 Ford straight spokes.

Problem solved, put bent spokes on one side, and straight spokes on the other side of the car. It would throw some folks off for sure!

 

IIRC, bent spokes-40 spokes. Ford wheels-36 spoke. Stronger? They just look cool

 

I'm a straight spoke 1935 Ford wheel kind of guy, But everybody claims that the Kelsey Hayes 40 spoke 16" bent wires are a little stronger and they are considered the holy Grail of wire wheels for the traditional hot rod world That being said to me they look busy and they also are really expensive, a nice set can be around a thousand bucks or more, on the other hand a nice set of 1935 Ford wires I literally sold some 48ish hours ago that were painted red and it took me a few weeks to get 200 bucks... Sometimes you can find 1935 Ford 16-inch wires for as little as 20 bucks each in usable condition, The going rate is usually about 40 to $50 a wheel that needs sandblasting but looks to be usable A Kelsey on the other hand if you only have one is probably around a hundred bucks some people will ask $200- (to future readers This is 2025 pricing and my prices are from Southern California And my love for swap meets and old wheels).
Here is my almost Model A/HupMobile jalopy with its 1935 Ford wires.

 

Ford Vintage Wire Spoke Wheels Guide (1928-1935)

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/the-...O3hHwKm8MEuYTtv3PtiePVh1ojc311v49wH0FYq42bhVs

 

I like the straight spoke '35 wheels better than the bent spoke but maybe I'm just cheap!'

Dave

 

Straight spoke ford wheels have welded spokes. Makes a very neat spoke profile. Bent spokes tend to have seperate bolt in spokes that can look a bit more cluttered at the rim when the spokes are very short. Just my observation.

 

The Kelsey wheels are prone to cracking around the spokes so look at them closely. I have seen a lot of them welded

 

Different spokes for different folks, Personally I prefer the bent spoke Kelsey Hayes.

16" Kelsey - Hayes bent spoke.


16" Ford straight spoke.

 

Always felt that wire wheels are obsolete and any self respecting hot rodder would have switched to disc wheels as soon as the '40 Fords came out.

 

I have been known to color outside the lines, Both of these '32 Fords were powered by Flatheads, nothing strong enough to damage a wire wheel, I also believe the Kelsey - Hayes are a much stronger wheel. HRP

 

Hell I like them all

 

don't forget the special spacers to prevent damaging them when tightening them to a drum with a flat mounting surface

 

They're both cool. I've never seen a lot of difference between the two of them, so when I decided I wanted wires on my Tub, it was an easy choice to go with the regular Ford wheels. Most people couldn't tell the difference if they tried.

 

If a bent spoke crosses another once it’s a Motor Wheel brand. If it crosses twice it’s a Kelsey Hayes brand. Both of those are the welded spoke type.

Then, KH also made an adjustable spoke wheel for Fords in 16” that looks very similar but has the little adjustable nut thing at the base of every spoke. These are worth twice what the welded bent spokes cost. They have the 5.5” bolt pattern and take regular Ford hubcaps.

 

Aren't Motor Wheels 36 spoke and Kelsey Hayes 40 spoke?

 

I apparently have Motor wheels but I'd rather have Buffalo wires....

...an inconsistent position, because 1. Buffalo wires are retro as compared with any of these wire choices and 2. I also agree with RichB above...

 

I pprefer the bent spokes over the straight. Some pics of my roads ter with bent and straight.

 

Good enough for Jake’s coupe, good enough for me.

 

I like wires, have had a few sets on the road. If you are a hillbilly like me and drive gravel roads, they are a bitch to wash, and the center hub sticks out further than the tire so within a thousand miles the paint around that front hub is all beat up from gravel off the back wheels

 

I've had both here and if i remember you are correct.

 

I agree and I AM cheap!

 

Funny swap story. I was selling some NOS Kelsey's and a guy wanted to know if they were straight, I told him they were never on a car. He started rolling them across the bumpy dirt isle to check them. He would roll and roll and he could not determine if they were straight. They were bouncing up and down in the dirt. He passed.

 

My bent spokes are welded.