Tubless tires on 40 Ford wheels

[jbc]

I have several questions on 40 Ford wheels and tires. Are the wheels 16 by 4 or 5 inch wide? Can I run my almost new bias tube type tires (Coker) tubeless on the 40 wheel after sealing the wheel rivets with RTV or J/B well? If not, how about tubeless radials. I'm sure someone on the Forum has tried this. I haven't had a flat on tubeless tires that I can remember. Two weeks after I bought this nice 40 I had a flat. Any information will help.
Thanks John 352 208 6359

[ford38v8]

John, the early Ford rims can certainly be sealed at the rivets, but it's the rim edge itself that isn't designed to seal a tubeless. Go around a turn and you risk loss of that seal and you bought the farm. Tubeless tires on an early Ford wheel should be installed with tubes.

[Lanny]

Here is a picture showing a "safety rim" and a non-safty rim.
If you look closely at the wheel on the left, you will see the raised metal
about 3/4" in from the bead. This raised metal keeps the tire from sliding to
the center of the rim, coming off the bead, when you are cornering at speed.

I think Ford came with safety wheels in about 1948 on cars and about 1955 on pickups.

Edit to clarify, Tubless tires came out in '48 as an option for Ford cars, Safety wheels
came a few years later after too many problems with tires separating off the wheel bead


Click on Picture to Enlarge.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by Lanny

Here is a picture showing a "safety rim" and a non-safty rim.
If you look closely at the wheel on the left, you will see the raised metal
about 3/4" in from the bead. This raised metal keeps the tire from sliding to
the center of the rim, coming off the bead, when you are cornering at speed.

I think Ford came with safety wheels in about 1948 on cars and about 1955 on pickups.


Click on Picture to Enlarge.

Lanny, that's good. I knew the talk, and you walked the walk. I hadn't myself seen the actual difference between the two types of wheels. Thanks!

[51 MERC-CT]

I had tubless tires on my '40 Ford back in 1956 (never had a problem)
Later had them on my '49 and '51 Merc's and currently tubeless radials on my '51 Merc. (never had a problem).
The '51 Merc. wheels are not "safety rims" and are riveted (see pic).
Safety rims had nothing to do with keeping the tire on the rim while cornering at speed.
Safety rims are intended to keep a tire on the rim for a while if run with very low air pressure, so you have a chance to drive it a little way on a nearly flat tire to get service help. There was an auto safety series show on TV some years ago demonstrating that a car might be driven up to 5 miles at 5-mph on a flat tire. The totally flat tire will eventually come loose from the rim even with a safety rim.

[296 V8]

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Originally Posted by jbc

I have several questions on 40 Ford wheels and tires. Are the wheels 16 by 4 or 5 inch wide?

Real 40 wheel will be

16 x 4 .......... V8 85
16 x 3 1/2 .... V8 60

[Butch11443]

Been running radials on 16" 35 rims for at least 10 yrs with no tubes. No problems except it handles better with radials than bias ply.
Butch

[TJ]

I know a lot of V-8 guys who are running tubeless radials on factory rims without a problem. I would definitely find a way to seal the rivets. By now those rivets have probably loosened up a little and it doesn't take much to create an air leak. All rims should be checked for cracks, loose rivets and lug holes that may be out of round or damaged in some way. Most wheels on V-8s are 60 years old or older. They should be checked.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by 296 V8

Real 40 wheel will be

16 x 4 .......... V8 85
16 x 3 1/2 .... V8 60

The 4" rim was optional and required on the 60 HP equipped '40 Ford WITH the purchase of the optional 6:00 x 16" tires. Otherwise, the 60 HP cars came with 5:50 x 16" tires and
the 3 1/2" rims.
White walls were NEVER an option on the 60 HP (1940) Fords.