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

I have a bent rim and was going to replace it with one of my two spare tires/wheels.

After I swapped it out and started to replace the trim rings I notices there is a very slight difference in the wheel/rim and there are two slots that are missing on the spares so the outside trim ring doesn't fit.

It this normal? Seems crazy that Packard would have different wheels for the spares.

Thanks,
Gar

Have you checked the parts list? If not, you really should familiarize yourself with it, its a great asset. As I read it, road and spare wheels are the same.

Thanks. I saw the same thing, but BOTH of my spares are missing the additional openings so I was thinking that the parts list was incorrect.

During WWII, I understand that people had to turn in their spares so that the material could go into the war effort. Many hid their cars until after the war but maybe yours was one of the unfortunate ones and they were replaced later with something different.

Don, my understanding is a little different. I heard or read that cars with dual spares (for example, dual sidemounts) were obligated to turn in one of them (but not both) to the war effort. Some indirect support for that is the number of dual sidemounted cars that were "discovered" in the '50s and were missing one spare. Interesting question, maybe someone will take up the challenge and find some authoritative documentation on just what action was required.

Hey Gar,

Not sure what the nature of the 'bend' in your rim is, but I had the same issue and, of the two spare rims I had, one was different, as you say, and would not accept the hubcaps and trim rings as would the original, and the second spare, while being identical - was bent too!! Probably why it became a spare, right!?!? Anyway, I have had rims straightened in the past and depending on the complexity of the straightening machine and the expertise of the operator, a pretty distorted rim CAN be made perfectly true again. I found a place here in BC that does nothing else but deal with wheel straightening and dropped both rims off. For $120 they fixed both of them and when my tire shop guy spun them on his balancing machine, he commented on how true they were. Might be an option. Chris.

your spare wheels are wrong...you've figured that out already.
Stockton Wheel can correct most steel wheel issues.
Stockton, California....quick google search should pop them up.

I use one in Bend, OR and they did a great job on straightening and powder coating the wheels of my 1956 Clipper Custom. Point is, wheel straitening companies are all over so do a Google search of your area to see what comes up!