Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

What's the best reproduction chrome wire wheel to buy for a 50's Packard?

I have installed two sets of wheel vintiques for customers and have found that although the spokes and hubs seem OK the chrome on the rims holds up about as well as the fenders on the $30 Wizard bicycle I got for my 7th birthday. Oh, and don't hit a pothole.

That's probably because they are getting a nickel chloride bath and not chrome. For a while GM was doing that and the rims wouldn't hold air.

Another reason I prefer painted wire wheels.

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Do not know if they are the best, but Roadster Wire Wheel makes one with stainless spikes that seems okay.
I had a set on a Street Rod 26 Chrysler that were on the car when I bought it. They held up well for the 10-12:years that I owned the car.
I ended up buying a set for the 55 Caribbean based on that experience and have been happy with the looks and road feel over the 6 years and under 1000 miles I have driven the car since. The chrome seems to be okay but hard to judge how long they will hold up on a car more regularly driven.
I think they are the wheels offered by Coker and Summit racing for the Caribbean.
I had looked at .Vintage Wire wheels....painted ... for the 39 six and had even had Summit send one for fit. The wheel would not clear the center hub and the lug holes were too small diameter to use the lug bolts ( Summit thought they would fit and promptly sent return shippping label and promised refund to my card.
I am still looking for a painted wire wheel that will fit. ( the bolt pattern for the 39 and the Caribbean are both 5x5. The hub hole is 3.3” and back space for the 39 is around 3.5 “)
I am sorry to hear the chrome on the Vintage wheel is not more rust resistant than Ross’s bike.
Their cost was significantly less than the price listed for same sized wheel from Coker for Roadster wheel by almost $200/ wheel.
If anyone has a source for a safe painted wire wheel for the 39.....let me know. There are no bargains but there are also few / any offerings for a wheel that will fit the newer Packards.
Why should it be easy?

I have a friend that has new wire wheels and they make the car shimmy. He found out they are made in China.

I have two sets of wires on my Packards that were bought from Coker. Vintiques might be a division of Coker, they are in the same building in California. I only have experience using these wheels in Arizona, and they have not had any degradation of the chrome in 7 + years, and no wobble or run-out issues. I understand the issue of corrosion in cold weather climates having a set of chrome OEM wheels on a pick-up truck that degraded in maybe 2-3 years. I’ve also had motorcycles with chrome rims and those wheels did not degrade. If you drive on roads that have been treated with salt let the buyer beware when buying chrome rims/wheels.

dp

Randy had a set of wirewheels in his stash of parts which his daughter still has. She will sell them not sure what they are but he preferred oem and had them rebuilt with stainless spokes and rechromed. If interested I could give anyone interested her contact info