Selecting Serviceable Wire Wheels for your Model A Question

Of all the parts of our Model A, it is hard to imagine a component that takes more abuse than the wheels-except for regularly replaced parts such as brakes, the clutch, tires, and similar wear items. Unfortunately, new replacement 21″ and 19″ reproduction wire wheels, while available, are very expensive. As a result, the wheels we use today often carry many years of miles, curb scrapes, and general wear.

Common problems include poor appearance, rim wobble, flat spots in the rim, bent spokes, worn mounting-stud holes, nicks and gouges, cracked hubs, and severe rust. These are listed in decreasing order of how likely they are to be repaired successfully.

I will start with the all-time enemy: rust. Surface rust is easily removed by sandblasting, and almost all Model A wheels have some rust. The real question is how much rust is acceptable.
If the rim or hub is rusted enough that the general thickness of the metal is noticeably reduced, discard the wheel. If a wheel has spent time lying around with a rotten old tire on it, there will likely be some pitting in the tube area of the rim. Use your judgment about how much pitting is acceptable. One good place to check is the valve-stem hole. If the edge feels sharp enough to cut your finger, do not use the wheel.

Cracks are another serious concern. I must admit that I have welded and used wheels with cracked hubs, but I do not recommend the practice.
Such wheels are probably acceptable only as spares, and they may be better suited as yard ornaments.

Gouges are also a matter of severity. If a wheel has been driven extensively with a flat tire, it is probably beyond saving. Random small nicks and scrapes can usually be removed by sanding. I use a 60-grit flap disk on my four-inch grinder to smooth the edges.

Use discretion, however. If too much material must be removed from one area, the wheel may become imbalanced and appear to wobble.

Mounting holes deserve close attention. I use accessory washers behind the lug nuts even on perfect wheels because I like the way they distribute the load over a larger area. With replacement studs and cast-iron drums, there is plenty of stud length to ensure a tight fit.

Typically, the holes are only slightly worn from the nuts being tightened and loosened many times. If the mounting holes are seriously wallowed out because the wheel was run loose, discard the wheel.

~ By Richard Lorenz, Rocky Mountain Model A Club, Rumble Seat Reviewer, December 2004