The Ford Barn

Standing Elk · 08-01-2019, 07:08 PM

Are the reproduction wire wheels quality or junk? Thanks

Mike V. Florida · 08-01-2019, 09:14 PM

Quality.

(won't pass fine point)

Synchro909 · 08-01-2019, 10:29 PM

Unless they have dramatically improved in the last few years (they may have), they are junk. A friend bought a set and in the 2,000 miles trip to a National Rally, they were so cracked he sent his car home on a train.

chrs1961815 · 08-01-2019, 10:58 PM

You didn't ask this, but my two cents is that reproduction wheels are expensive and there is no need to buy them when there are plenty of originals to go around.

BRENT in 10-uh-C · 08-02-2019, 03:38 AM

I have not heard of any failure issue with the new wheels. My experience is there is NOT enough good ones out there that don't require straightening and bodywork. When you factor in the time (-expense) required to straighten a wheel and/or the time to bodywork & paint a wheel, you quickly realize the new wheel is a great option.

Benson · 08-02-2019, 07:53 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Unless they have dramatically improved in the last few years (they may have), they are junk. A friend bought a set and in the 2,000 miles trip to a National Rally, they were so cracked he sent his car home on a train.

Posted mainly for those who may not know this...

Maybe the wheels were later ones, which the repro wheels are, and the hubs and drums were early 1928 type?

This can crack wheels.

NOTE: Doing the opposite ie putting early wheels on new hubs is also a bad idea.

See Service Bulletin page 328.

On a side note if you have an AA truck and are replacing front hub see SERVICE Bulletin 347.

When replacing old style forged front hub with new pressed steel hub you must also replace old style oil baffle and a bolt with correct parts.

Dave in MN · 08-02-2019, 07:58 AM

The new wheels are pretty durable and they spin pretty true. I have used a set of 6 new wheels for about 80,000 miles. The wheels I purchased were only out for about a year when I purchased them so they were early in the production of them. I don't know if they have made any changes in the manufacturing process since I purchased mine. I did have two crack at the center hub area just like the originals often do. I attribute the cracks to a near accident when a driver missed a stop sign. To avoid a collision, I made a direction change while locking up the brakes which resulted in a sideways slide. Both wheels on the forward side of the car during the slide developed cracks. I discovered one right away and sent it back to the vendor and they promptly replaced it at no charge. The second one was less obvious and took another 2 years to become very visible. I contacted the vendor about the second one and they would have taken it back (after 4 years) but I never did return it. Why...The wheels were powder coated and after re-powder coating the first replacement wheel, I did not have enough powder to complete the second. It is in one of two spare positions on my Phaeton and I have never needed it. If I did, the crack is not that bad and would serve to get me home.
I would purchase them again if I needed a set.
Good Day!

Synchro909 · 08-02-2019, 06:35 PM

[QUOTE=Benson;1783242]Posted mainly for those who may not know this...

Maybe the wheels were later ones, which the repro wheels are, and the hubs and drums were early 1928 type?

They were the later style wheels on a "31.

08-01-2019, 07:08 PM	#1
Standing Elk Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: St. Maries, Idaho Posts: 162	Reproduction wheels Are the reproduction wire wheels quality or junk? Thanks

08-01-2019, 09:14 PM	#2
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: Reproduction wheels Quality. (won't pass fine point) __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

08-01-2019, 10:29 PM	#3
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Reproduction wheels Unless they have dramatically improved in the last few years (they may have), they are junk. A friend bought a set and in the 2,000 miles trip to a National Rally, they were so cracked he sent his car home on a train. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

08-01-2019, 10:58 PM	#4
chrs1961815 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Spring Grove, Illinois Posts: 1,371	Re: Reproduction wheels You didn't ask this, but my two cents is that reproduction wheels are expensive and there is no need to buy them when there are plenty of originals to go around.

08-02-2019, 03:38 AM	#5
BRENT in 10-uh-C Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eastern Tennessee Posts: 11,508	Re: Reproduction wheels I have not heard of any failure issue with the new wheels. My experience is there is NOT enough good ones out there that don't require straightening and bodywork. When you factor in the time (-expense) required to straighten a wheel and/or the time to bodywork & paint a wheel, you quickly realize the new wheel is a great option. __________________ . BRENT in 10-uh-C . www.model-a-ford.com ...(...Finally Updated!! ) .

08-02-2019, 07:58 AM	#7
Dave in MN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Jordan, MN Posts: 1,411	Re: Reproduction wheels The new wheels are pretty durable and they spin pretty true. I have used a set of 6 new wheels for about 80,000 miles. The wheels I purchased were only out for about a year when I purchased them so they were early in the production of them. I don't know if they have made any changes in the manufacturing process since I purchased mine. I did have two crack at the center hub area just like the originals often do. I attribute the cracks to a near accident when a driver missed a stop sign. To avoid a collision, I made a direction change while locking up the brakes which resulted in a sideways slide. Both wheels on the forward side of the car during the slide developed cracks. I discovered one right away and sent it back to the vendor and they promptly replaced it at no charge. The second one was less obvious and took another 2 years to become very visible. I contacted the vendor about the second one and they would have taken it back (after 4 years) but I never did return it. Why...The wheels were powder coated and after re-powder coating the first replacement wheel, I did not have enough powder to complete the second. It is in one of two spare positions on my Phaeton and I have never needed it. If I did, the crack is not that bad and would serve to get me home. I would purchase them again if I needed a set. Good Day!

08-02-2019, 06:35 PM	#8
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Reproduction wheels-Also AA truck HUBs caution-HUB replacement [QUOTE=Benson;1783242]Posted mainly for those who may not know this... Maybe the wheels were later ones, which the repro wheels are, and the hubs and drums were early 1928 type? They were the later style wheels on a "31. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.