News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

57 to 60 Steel wheels

Started by FTCHOME, February 23, 2014, 07:38:01 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

FTCHOME

Hello Everyone,

Now my mess  :o , I have all my wheels off both of my 1958's and a couple match here and there but would like to know what belongs on my 58 coupe. Other 58 sedan is a parts car. So I'm going to post pics with 1-4 numbers on them front and back.

With the research that I have done its looking like #2 is it but I would like people to confirm that for me.

If you know what the other wheels fit please let me know too. Thanks Frank T.
1958 Coupe DeVille

FTCHOME

Wheel 2,3, and 4
1958 Coupe DeVille

FTCHOME

Fronts of 1-4
1958 Coupe DeVille

M. Bankes

Hi,
I just wanted to add my 2 cents. # 3 is for a 1955 for sure. My other advice, take the tires off, on the inside of the rims they are stamped with a year, it's the two diget year, like 57 or 58,
That will be the best way to know for sure. It sort of looks to me like any of the other 3 could be
Thanks
Mike Bankes

russ austin

The date stamp will be on the larger ring area. Look for a round stamp, and a 2 digit year stamp about an inch away from that.  The year stamp is tiny.
R.Austin

FTCHOME

Thanks Guys, I was taking to buddy tomorrow to take them off.
1958 Coupe DeVille

markl

Frank,
Really appreciate your post here w/ the photos.  If I'm seeing these correctly, #1 & #2 have the spider welded to the rim.  # 3 & # 4 have the spider riveted to the rim.  Does anyone out there know when Cadillac (maybe GM in general) switched from riveted to welded construction?  I'm assuming that once they changed to welded, they never went back, so if that assumption is incorrect, I'd like to know about that too.

I have a 37 LaSalle, so why do I care?  Well simple; a previous owner switched to 15" wheels w/ the 5 on 5" bolt pattern.  I am converting everything back to the proper 16" wheels and I'd like to know what these wheels fit so I can get them to someone that can use them.

Russ- your tip on checking for the stamping on the inside  (between the bead seats) in great.  I'm going to remove the tires from a couple of these and see if the information is present, though I'm not sure if these are from the 40's or 50's.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

Grant Owen

Cadillac switched from welded to riveted rims in 1959, Commercial Chassis continued to have riveted rims, early 59 Cadillacs had riveted rims while later production cars had welded rims. The rims changed again in 1960 with the configuration of the centre easiest way to tell instead of triangle shapes 1960 had oblong shapes.

FTCHOME

OK, So i got those old tires off today, here are the stamp codes,

Wheel #1 is unreadable, the stamper was off a little on the hump and cant read date or make.

Wheel #2 says 15X6 L 58 3, I will keep these as my car is a 58.

Wheel #3 is 15x6 L 55 1.... would get rid off if someone needed.

Wheel #4 is 15X6 L 57 7... will work on my car but would like to trade out for 58.

Thanks Again,  Frank T
1958 Coupe DeVille

markl

Frank,
Just to add to some of what I've mentioned via PM, the 15" steel wheels I have (3) have the drilling and the slot similar to what shows on wheel 3, but in only 3 positions.  So given there are 5 holes for the wheel mounting studs, you could say that two are adjacent, and one is on the opposite side of the wheel.  The spiders are welded to the rim, so going w/ what Grant has posted, these would be newer than 1959.  The back of the wheel appears to have been originally light gray.  It is quite possible that these are not Cadillac at all.  I've yet to bust the tire from the rim (ran out of time and it was raining), but will endeavor to do that next time I'm up where the 15" tires and rims are stored, Chico, CA.

Does anyone out there have 15" wheels that have the provisions for mounting clips (my guess) in only 3 positions rather than 5?

Mark Lowery, CLC #25216

markl

Frank and all,
Finally got around to busting the ancient WW spare from the wheel.  The wide white was actually a re-cap, so I didn't save it, even for "show".  Anyhow, stamped on the inside of the rim, on the inside towards the bead seat was the following:  15  5-1/2 k  731.  Then nearby: Made in USA by Motor Wheel.  A little further on is a random "1" and an "S" stamped on the same side, but not oriented the same.

So now I'm thinking that these are not even Cadillac, unless someone chimes in and tell us that "Motor Wheel" was a supplier for Cadillac or another division of GM.  There are 5, 3/16" holes drilled in the spider on about a 6" diameter pattern.  Again, I think these are intended for mounting clips for a small hub-cap, but the outside of the rim has scratches in it which would indicate that full wheel covers were fitted originally.  And of those 5 holes, only three are paired w/ slots.

So Cadillac or No is the question that still remains in my mind.

Oh yeah, the color on the inside of the rim (I would imagine original) s kind of a blue-green, maybe even metalic.

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

markl

Frank and All,
I may be rightfully accused of hijacking this thread, but I think I've encountered something of use for Frank and others trying to figure out which is the proper wheel for a specific year.  Now that I had the tire removed from the 15" wheel and discovered "Motor Wheel" stamped on the inside of the rim, I did a little research. 

Motor Wheel Corporation was (is?) evidently a major manufacturer of steel wheels for cars and light trucks based in Lansing Michigan (Sales and Service) w/ manufacturing in Atlanta and Knoxville.  And someone out there (J. Holst?) was kind enough to put a PDF on the internet that is their catalogue from 1964, covering the years 1949 through 1964.  To view this, go to //jholst.net/tire-wheels/MotorWheelCat_1964a.pdf

This catalogue lists applications by make and model so for 57-60 Cadillacs, models 60S, 61 & 62, the Motor wheel "X" number is X-40008.  For models 75 and 86, the Motor Wheel "X" number is X-40129.  Both wheels are 15 X 6 and have the bolt pattern of 5 on 5" b.c. 

But wait, there's more! The catalogue (#634 incidentally) has a cross reference section that is a gold mine.  For instance, the two wheels that I mentioned above, one of which would fit Frank's car, bear the Manufacturer's P/N of 1466798 and 1474185 respectively.  I'll leave it to someone reading this post to double check the Cadillac P/N's, but likely that is correct.  There is also a cross reference to other manufacturer's numbers and again for these two particular wheels, the 40008 crossed to Kelsey-Hayes 43261 and the 40129 crossed to K-H 44958.   From the same cross refrence chart, it appears that these particular wheels did not fit, or maybe better to say, where not produced to fit any other cars other than the Cadillac.

BTW, my "spare" wheels are clearly Not Cadillac as the width is only 5-1/2" and in all the years from 1949 to 1964, all OEM Cadillac wheels were 6" width.

There, got that off my chest, so I can go have a second cup of coffee!

Mark Lowery, CLC#25216

FTCHOME

Hi Mark, Wow. Thanks for all this info. I'll have to do some looking.  Frank T.
1958 Coupe DeVille

H-1 Racer

Frank,

I know it is a long-shot, but after some digging through the depths of an internet search I fell upon a picture of these wheels from this thread. If it is still available, I am interested in purchasing wheel #3, the 55 wheel, as long as it is 5x5 bolt pattern.

I understand that after 9 years you most certainly have done something else with the wheel already and that I may be out of luck, but it doesn't hurt to try. Thank you

V63

I have a set of 1955 wheels, 1955 series 62 sedan