Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

To measure thickness at a radiusss use a steel ball from something like a ball bearing.
In absence of a micrometer the wheel can be weighed against other known good wheels. Significant metal thickness variation will result in significant weight difference.

Welding the wheel should be just fine. It must have been weldedd SOMEWHERE on the wheel when manufactured new. However the cost to weld it might not be worth the effort especialy if the wheel has any other compromises not related to the split or bend.

I weighed the damaged wheel, it weighs just shy of 27 1/2 lbs. The other spare wheel I have weighs 27 3/4 lbs., not a significant difference to me.

I visited the websites of American Arrow and Dayton Wire Wheel. Neither one mentions repairs at all. American Arrow can rebuild the wheel with a new steel rim, Dayton's site indicates that they manufacture new wire wheels.

I contacted a local welding shop, they said they could not repair the rim. I also contacted a local modern car wheel repair shop. They said they don't do steel welding at all,
on steel wheels they can only do minor straightening if the wheel is wobbly. Of course most of their work these days is with aluminum wheels.

Since American Arrow could install a new rim, I'm going to hold onto the wheel. It'd be a shame to scrap it since it is rebuildable. Thanks to everyone for your comments and advice.

The language in the Packard manual is not very appropriate for today. For one, they are talking about the tire more than the rim. Secondly, the speed limit on the Merritt Parkway was 35 mph in 1930 and there were 97% fewer cars on the road. Even in terms of blowout it takes a more than a hundred feet to stop the car from speed. So what they say only makes sense if the tire is found flat with the car stationary.

So I remain of the opinion that most likely the rim split and caused the flat. Here in Michigan I have stopped using the Interstates because they are in such unsafe condition. Twice this week they have been closed because of huge collisions. There are giant potholes opening up overnight and people crash their cars. When I lived in Oklahoma I saw dozens of fatalities due to clearance and high speed. Some were spectacular death scenes. So whatever, if I had to roll a Packard into a ditch to mitigate damage, so be it.

Yes, Tim as I think about that I'm wondering if that sentence came from Packard's engineering department or was it the legal department? It's almost like a thinly-disguised disclaimer. As you point out, stopping distance at medium speed will exceed their travel limit. It could have been Packard's way of saying that if you have tire trouble on the road, you're probably going to have to buy a tire. No way was I going to try to change a tire at that intersection. I only wish the tire had gone flat in the garage instead of seven miles out.