Aftermarket wheels

[Ned Carz]

52 Plymouth wheel covers wore into valve stems - the covers appear to have rotated.  I'm using radials, and i've been told cracks in wheels are also possible. So I'm looking for new wheels that will be OK for my wheel covers.  Anything special to watch out for in sourcing aftermarket wheels for my dear Suburban?

[Adam H P15 D30]

Are you looking for stock width rims or wider?  When I compared my aftermarket wheels with the stockers, 2 things stand out:

1. the wheel mounting surface was twice as thick

2. they are welded, not riveted

Both of these = much less rim flex.

[Ned Carz]

Thanks Adam.  Thanks for your advice. i have stock width rims , with full wheel covers that were used on Cambridge, not Concord.  I assume there's no question about wheel covers on new wheels.  And do you recommend a supplier - the several websites i've visited don't go back past '68.  THANKS again.  Ned  .    

 

[Adam H P15 D30]

I've used Wheel Vintiques (sp?) and Summit Racing brand wheels.  Both good quality and ran standard offsets with no issues.

oh, and they'll fit around your disc brakes if you used a company that requires a rim change. 

[Ned Carz]

Thanks again. 

[greg g]

Full wheelcovers walk quit a bit even with new rims you should consider using 2 piece metal tire valves.  I have a set of 15 x5.5 wheel Vinteques smoothies with three and a half back space with trim rings and baby moons.  Not a hint of trouble in 40 plus thousand miles. Running radials, trim rings don't walk, never lost a hubcap.

[Vin's 49 Plymouth]

I ordered my wheels from Vinteques in Feb. and haven't got them yet. 

They have a supplier problem in China, they weld the drums to the centers.

 

So call them and get lead times. If that's the route you choose.

[Doug&Deb]

I can only speak to my experience. I drove my D24 for 12 years with radials on stock rims with no problems. A previous owner of my 52 Coronet replaced the rims with 15x7 police wheels. No matter how tight my hubcaps were installed they popped off frequently. I’m currently running the poverty caps that came with the rims. Not a great look. I’m going to check on some rims for sale that appear to be correct. I’ll switch back in a heartbeat.

[51cambridge]

On my 51 i put a dab of clear silicone on some of the full wheel cover tabs. No more walking and i would have the hit a huge pot hole to lose a cover.

[wldavis3]

Ned,

I have used radials on stock wheels on my car for about 16 years with no problems, but my tire store did provide a set of these valve stems

for the oval stem holes.  These also stop full wheel covers from walking.

[BobT-47P15]

Does prying the hubcap mounting clips out gently (spreading them) seem to reduce walking any?     Just a thought.