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In replying to another question, Kevin also uncovered an interesting piece of information. In the September 1953 Service Counselor on pages 40-41 there is an entry regarding balance weights not staying on the new wire wheels because they are so thick that the clip is spread too far to maintain a good grip on the rim. If they are that much thicker so that the weight clips had to be redesigned, then those of us who run radials can sleep a little more peacefully. And we now have a good response to those who warn us that our old wheels cannot handle the stress of radials. I am hazarding a guess that the rim and center is made of a thicker steel because the wire wheels have more give than a standard wheel of the time. Although I have read the 55-56 Counselors cover to cover, and read previous years also, I don't remember reading this particular bit of information.

Packard postwar chrome wire wheels had slightly thicker rims by definition. The triple plating process alone would make any rim thicker. And of course spoke wheel rims are put to stresses that ordinary disc wheels are not. So a somewhat heavier gauge of the rim itself also makes plenty of sense.

As for the matter of balancing these wheels, today in the 21st century there are so many ways to attach weights including ways to make them not look obvious or different... or visible at all in some cases. In reference to the Packard Service Counselor notes... there was-mentioned or not-the added issue of attaching (and maintaing grip) of a lead weight to a spinning, slippery new chrome rim, plus the thickness.

By the way, these wheels are so often referred to as "Kelsey-Hayes" but they were actually made by Motor Wheel Corporation. Cadillacs of the same era used K-H and you can easily see the differences by simply looking at the wheels and how they are laced. The Packard wire wheels were much stronger.

As for radial tires on these wheels, I am unsure what "stresses" radials would cause. Since bias-ply tires "squirm" down the road and radial tires "moosh" down the road, I fail to see why radials would pose undue "stresses" since they actually roll smoother! They just don't look quite as cool and beautiful as old bias-ply Firestones or Good Years or General Nygen whitewalls!

My car has modern wires from Coker. I'd be very curious to see pix of both current and original wires to see the differences......