21 inch Kelsey - Ford wheel lugs

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: 21 inch Kelsey - Ford wheel lugs
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Eaton on Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 07:01 am:

I would like to put 21 inch Ford wheels with attached lugs on the car in place of the 21 inch Kelsey wheels. I am sure this has been on the forum before however I am not good at searching the archives. Will there be any problems- can I just drill the fellow for the valve stem and how should I handle the unused valve stem hole? Can I just plug it with a rubber grommet? I will need to use a Kelsey wheel for a spare as I only have 4 Ford wheels.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 08:46 am:

If the valve stem hole does not line up your wheels are not for a Ford. They may be off another brand car.

Show us some photo's so we can tell what you have.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker on Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 08:49 am:

John,

From the 5 sentences you shared and the information from your profile it actually depends on what car and what wheels you are really asking about. Recommend you provide additional details and some photos.

Initial guess: You probably have Chevy or some other make of fixed lug rim that you are trying to mount on the Ford wheels. The Chevy and some of the other rims were also produced by Hayes or Hayes “look-a-likes” but the valve stem does not line up with the wheels supplied by Ford. Caution – not only did Chevy have the valve stem in a different location they also had different widths of 21 inch balloon rims. So you also want the correct width. The proper width (and diameter) Chevy or similar rim can be used on the Ford wheel. Recommend re-drilling the valve stem hole in the rim rather than the felloe. Why? It is not only easier to hide the fix, if you need another rim later, then any proper Ford rim still fits. If you modify the felloe then you cannot mount the Ford rim on the wheel (assuming you fill the original valve stem hole on the felloe). Note for some of the fixed lug rim to be properly mounted on the original loose lug style felloes you will need to put an indent on the felloe so the foot on the lug does not keep the rim from seating properly against the felloe.

I am not nearly as familiar with the later balloon tires and wheels as I am with the 30 x 3 ˝ demountables. But for the 30 x 3 ˝ both the Hayes and the Kelsey have the valve stem in the same location. Ford stated “Do not interchange the fixed lug and the loose lug rims.” And they went to a lot of trouble to stock the parts so dealers could supply the same type of rim and equipment to the owner. But several reports on the forum indicate that while the fixed lug rims appear to work ok on the loose lug felloes the loose lug rims on the fixed lug felloes results in cut valve stems and flat tires (especially on the rear wheels).

Please clarify if you are asking about doing that on a 1925 Canadian Fordor? Which might be the car in your profile photo? In that case I would suspect the Kelsey loose lug 21 inch balloon tires and wheels possibly came on the car and you might want to retain them to keep the car more original. But it looks like on the Fordor in your profile you already have the fixed lug Hayes style (which were produced by more than one company and also by Ford USA) on that car. Note the Canadian 21 inch balloon rims had four holes near the split in the rim for the Canadian tire tool and the USA produced 21 inch balloon rims did not have those four holes.

Note most of the information I have is about the 30 x 3 1/2 inch rims which may or may not also apply to the 21 inch balloon wheels. For those rims they were supplied in a loose lug configuration by Kelsey, Ford, Cleveland, and Firestone in three different configurations and they were not necessarily interchangeable. And they all were installed on new Fords from the factory. The fixed lugs were a Hayes style that was also produced by all of those same manufactures starting around Mar 7 1924 see: that date at: http://mtfca.com/encyclo/U-Z.htm#wheels . Also mounting the Hayes style 21 fixed lug rims [which in the USA were produced probably by Ford, Hayes, Kelsey, Motor Wheel, Cleveland, and Firestone

Please see:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/148328.html?1278076240 discussion of different makes that used 21 inch balloon tire rims.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50893/70290.html
which has 12 additional links on 21 inch wheels. Also search on Chevy rims .

I think if you review those and add some more details to your question it will give you a better answer. Or someone who is more familiar with the 21 inch balloon tires and rims may be able to answer the question based on the information you have already provided.
Respectfully submitted,

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Eaton on Thursday, July 26, 2012 - 09:30 pm:

Thanks for the information. I appreciate the help. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker on Friday, July 27, 2012 - 08:12 am:

John,

There are some good photos of one of the Hayes Chevy (or other make) 21 inch style split rim at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/244227.html?1323379048 Again -- they came in different widths also.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


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