What Wheels Should I Run On My Hot Rod?? - Hot Rodding 101 

I really like this tutorial type of video. I'm an old hot rodder, but never owned an early Ford, so don't have a lot of knowledge about them. Vids like this help people like me, as well as younger guys coming into hot rodding for the first time. Love how your channel has evolved over the years - why else would I get up at 6:00am to watch ?? :)

I really like this style of tutorial video. One of these a month would be outstanding. Wheels, tire brands and sizes, v8 flathead differences etc would be cool tutorials. You guys are doing great work.

Matt, I think a great combo is to theme the hubcaps to match the engine swap. Every hotrodder likes to point out their upgrades. For me that means Mercury caps to highlight a Mercury y-block.

This is the sort of instructional info video I search for on vintage Hot Rod equipment often, and rarely find. Comprehensive, inclusive of many minor details, etc. Need much more of this sort. Thanx.

Oh, also, love the old photos, wish you would keep them on screen longer so we can really notice the details. Keep up the great work!

Speedway also offers an adapter for the wide five. Years ago I cut out the centers of an extra set of wide fives and found that they fit inside of the steel spare wheels from ford explorers. That allowed me to mount radials and greatly improve the ride and handling.

Outstanding. I just picked up a 32 chevy coupe. Not running but complete. I just got it yesterday and realize its got the wooden chassis. Once i get it washed and see what all i have to work with. This channel will be a great source of information.

Sanding 16” Ford spoked rims will give you hand cramps! I just went through it for my project

Awesome video. I know it’s a bit older but it’s still appreciated!

Love the pic of those hoodlums in the roadster @4:18

I lucked out at a swap meet in mesa and found another 3-1/2" wide five. The holy grail.

My favorite wheel treatment is the steel wheel with baby moons and trim rings. Even did this on my 67 Chevy. Looked great

I have a farm wagon running gear that was clearly made from two 3/4 ton truck front axles turned upside down- one of my 16x5" wides is really rust rotted in the beads but it looks like finding another 5" wide rim ain't easy, I will do the best I can with a torch, hammer and welder. Fortunately it's on a hay rack so it won't see highway speed nor balance issues! I recall the running gear was $25 at a farm auction in the early 80's. :)

Matt ! Did you know , 52 -67 VW Beetle wheels are like wide 5 Ford and give you different offsets. 45 years ago my brother and i street raced flat head Ford populars or Anglia 1947 ish. We used widened rims with VW centers bolted to our stock Ford rear. That was geared for 16s i think so with fat 13s boy we were fast off the mark!

I’ll add more applause for these types of videos (though I enjoy all of them). I grew up in the muscle car era but have been dabbling more in early Ford stuff. It can be overwhelming trying sift through the old publications and sadly a lot of the old hot rodders are fading away. There’s a lot of good info on bulletin boards but these videos really pull it all together.

Later model 15" truck rims with hubcap lugs on the outside. Spider centers, beauty rings and 3 rib trim rings

Hi, I am a 1950's, flathead circle burner. Fabricator/builder. This was a great tutorial and if I may will add some of my experience to it.

GREAT VIDEO & EDUCATION!!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

Hey Matt Nice video on the wheels. An addition to the 5x5 1/2, there were some mid 50's Chrysler wheels with this bolt pattern. The Chrysler rims were 15x7 if I remember correctly and looked like a reversed wheel so they stuck out further than the Ford wheel. When I was 16 years old I had a set of the Chrysler Wheels on the rear of my 46 Ford coupe with large car tires like a 950-15 with the black side out. The front tires were 600-16's 4 inch wide rims. I had a set of longer shackles on the front spring which dropped the nose about two inches. I joined the U.S. Army when I turned 17 and sold the coupe. Boy do I wish I still owned that car.

Great series. Very informative. Thanks for what you do. You really help the young up-coming hot-rodders.

A really good tutorial, thanks. Right now I'm running "smoothie" style rims with baby moons and beauty rings. Kind of went with what I ran in the late '60's.

Man this was a good video. You just answered many mysteries and questions I’ve had about the different Ford wheels over the years. I’ll remember this episode as a reference to go back and watch over and over. Great content Matt and Mike!

Thanks Matt, a wheely good video! I really like the look of '40s smoothies, 16" wires are a close second place. You could do a video on tires, axles, steering boxes, channeling, etc. there are so many choices!

Great information. Suggestion- early ford brakes and front axles. Maybe even buick, Lincoln brake conversions. Keep these segments coming

Ohh please do more of these types of video...

Painted spoke rims with the small dog dish hub caps. Or painted solid rim with baby moons!

Hey just found this. Thank you very much for all of this information!!

In the day we made a wheel lathe from an old brake drum turner. A 1937 rear hub without the drum and studs welded in thru from inside cut out the center of the 36-39 "skeleton" wheels. At the time the best choice for wide rim was Buick, choosing what ever back set was needed. Bare in mind we used these wheels all the way around. Very short life usually. The best available were 16 inch from the 3/4 ton pick up (they were thicker). Went thru many during the day at lo bucks. I have seen in addition to your collection a set (4) 16 inch split rims but they must be very rare.

Matt and Mike, excellent video. In addition to the subjects mentioned below. I’d be interested in videos covering shortening a torque tube and its radius rods, when to use and how best to mount split rear radius rods (which Ford rods are best and how the length of the ratio rods affect handling or not), how to convert a banjo rear to open drive using Ford parts, and how to change the gears ratio in a banjo rear end.

My favorite would be baby moons and trim rings.

I love the look of both style of wheels on a hotrod. I think the pagoda city coupe is a great marriage of both those looks with the lyons caps on the wires.

Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge. A really interesting video.

To confuse things further, the Model T at 8:45 is wearing Prefect/Popular/Anglia wide 5 wheels which are a smaller PCD than 36-39.

Good intell. Matt ! Spent a lot of time and money chasing parts I could not use over the years. (getting better at it ) Thanks , your channel rocks !

Loved the video today. I think when it comes to wheel/hub cap/trim ring choices more often than not the car speaks to what it wants. Some builds look kick ass on wide 5s. Others on steelies, spoked set ups on others. A video I'd really really really really love to see would be one on rear axles. Since you've got nearly every axle assembly offered on the early Ford Motor Company cars in your shop right now it makes sense. Early banjo, later banjo, Columbia 2spd units (there are differences between the Ford and Lincoln units) and the early drop in center section rear axles..

35 wires with pie cut cheater slicks and beauty rings, smooth hub cap on the rear. Skinny on front!

Morning Matt, great information type video, you answered some questions that I have, I have a set of wire type wheels in the shed, I do know they are 16" or 17". I do like the big n little look, same with the 40 Ford wheel, the brake drum explanation was great too. Keep this type of video coming....I learned something today!!! Be safe, God Bless

I really like the wire wheels, just me. I would like hear a 101 video on flatheads! Difference in years/model's.

Love it man. Been looking forward to seeing a new Hot Rodding 101 .

Thank You for this series

Thank you ITG!! I really like the 40s smoothie rims. I've been looking at ww2 Willys MB and I think those rims would look boss on an early style hot rod.

Very nicely done and good info- very good period pictures!

Well done, good info

Great video helps to learn from guys that know so we can find the rite stuff at swap meets keep it up glad to see your motor is getting built looking forward to that build especially the corrective frame and mods u will need

Very cool 🤙 I have 2 sets of 35 wires

A video tour of the Brookville factory (they make new steel 1932 Fords) would be interesting to Deuce lovers. I asked permission to visit, and photograph, and the owner said no problem. It was amazing !!!

Yup mat though I was only one thinking the reference 5 wid. Wheel looking like. Vdub

Matt, Re: 1935 Kelsey Hayes 16" bent spoke wheels..... The wheels shown on the 5 window appear to be 40 spoke Kelsey Hayes - same as mine. From my understanding : with Kelseys, the spokes which attach to the front of the hub cross over each other as on the wheels you are showing here (in fact, they each cross two spokes - at the rim and at the hub). However, there are other, very similar, 16" wheels out there made by Motor Wheel Co. which have only 36 spokes where the spokes "do not" cross over at the hub but cross over roughly midway between rim & hub - similar to stock early Ford). The Kelsey Hayes and the Motor Wheel Co. products look almost exactly the same at a glance, apart from the cross over at the hub, and it's easy to mix 'em up without really checking - even when they're sitting right next to each other. Both, Kelsey Hayes and Motor Wheel Co. 16" bent spokes were aftermarket options for 1935 and were also made in other sizes for other years 18" for 1932 & 17" for 1933/34 - I have seen 18" and 17" but they seem to be rarer than the 16" (or, maybe people just go for the 16" for their hot rods). So guys, be careful what you're buying. Either KH or MWCo. are great to use but you don't want to be getting 'em mixed up and taking home odd wheels. Count the spokes, check the cross-over at the hub - and also, check out the spoke pattern inside the rim drop centre, if anything is different it will be a different manufacturer's wheel.

Use the truck solids, if you need a smaller rim for the front, weldon a VW outer rim on a couple of wheels. Use the 15s.

Well Matt, I took your suggestion & watched your video.....again(Lol), I have a full set of 35 Ford Kelsey Hayes wheels.... don't want to tell you what I paid for them, the guy just wanted them gone, if I wouldn't have bought them they would have been scrapped....two even have bias ply tires....then I found two more under a shelf in my basement that I forgot about, probably bought those at our local flea market....be safe....God Bless!!!

Awesome! Like your video very much!

Good info, now I want a jalopy dirt track car

Great info, Matt. Artillery wheels are my fav.👍👍🇦🇺🇦🇺

Artillery Wheels!!! With pinstripes of course.😄

If I recall "accurately" (not at all a given), installing the 35 Ford Spoke wheels on the Hydraulic brake drums requires an adapter also if you want the wheel to "correctly" engage on the hydraulic drums. That "probably" explains why so many of those wire wheels end up with "wallowed" out lug holes??? The 15" version of the ribbed trim rings (like the 40 Ford used), work really nice on the 8" Vette Rally wheels. The 8" Rally wheel has a "step" in the rim that is normally hidden by the Vette trim ring. Those 15" trim rings tuck perfectly into those steps and look great. I use that combination on my 57 Chevy with the Vette Disc brake center cap. Looks very much like a "reversed" wheel. BTW, those gennie Vette Rally wheels were made by Kelsey Hayes. I think they are still making wheels today!!

Use the Kelsey wires on the 34 with fenders. 40s steelies with little caps on a fenderless car.

Hola amigos ,saludos de argentina,veo todos sus videos,muy buenos.

You can get 14x7 wheels that are 5x51/2 pattern. They came on 57,58 imperials I riveted nubs on to mount the ford centre hubcap.

Early Volkswagens use similar clips to the wide 5 wheels. You can buy a special tool to rivet new clips on

I really like this video and hope you do many more like this ! It help's lots of us out here that are working or looking for parts to build at some point a early ford hot rod but in a lot of cases we have not even seen some of these parts and if we come across them don't even know what they are so it make it hard like you said you may buy something that is totally wrong for what we are trying to achieve in a build ! Hears a question about artillery wheels some call them. can bent up rim edges be fixed ? This is a very good information that you are given us with your experience on these early ford !

Very informative! Thank you Matt.

Thanks for the wheel lesson.

Shiny black smoothie wheels, with no caps

great video! I love a black car / truck with black wheels, black wall tires and caps. I'd like a lesson on the various front axles

Great info, thanks for the video. How about a future tutorial video, installing Buick finned aluminum brake drums on traditional hot rods ?

Good stuff thanks.

Matt, nice video about the wheels. Would like to see something on reversing hoops and profiles of different hoops, like what centers to use with 15 inch or 16 inch reversed. Thanks.

Love these tech tip videos.

Not a fan of the wide fives reminds of the VW wheels, dig the 40 smoothie wheel, but the 15 inch with moon caps is really the best way to go IMO! ✌🏻🇺🇸

I like Centerlines but got a real good price on Appliance spoke wheels and they look great on my car

I appreciate the info on the wheels and the guidance on the subject matter. I would have liked to know about what possible Aftermarket wheels would be considered era correct other than the OEM looking ones.. Personal I Really Like the Smooth wheel looks. Simple yet elegant . If you can put together a bit of Information about Chassis setup Frames Rear ends Banjo version other and front axles whats right whats wrong etc . I Would like to see that. Thanks for the advice.

101 videos ideas Flathead types Carb types Knobs and badges and things like that maybe even gauges Also things that could have been different options from factory.... kept or deleted for hot rods

Would like a video on real world prices on early fords. Thanks

As mentioned below, the old photos are great. If you know the providence of them I'd love to watch a Iron Trap you-tube old photos slide show with captions.

Excellent video! Thanks much.

Awesome Thanks

Good information sharing today on Wheels ... I am guessing there is similar information about GM wheels too for any Ford running GM running gear.

My favorite wheels are '50 Mercury with original flat Mercury hubcaps.

Great review Matt! Thanks

Watching you for awhile now... told you before you know your stuff

Wide 5 artillery wheels skinny 16" in front 18" in rear.. looks cool on a highboy model a on duece rails..

Matt, Ford P/U wheels in 61-63 will except 40-48 hubcaps.

I like those spoke wheels.

Great video.

I would love to see a video about brakes, specifically drums, that would have been used. I bought a complete front axle that was on a hot rod before and I'm not sure what I have.

I’m building a traditional style early model A roadster, I’d love a set of 18” wires with big and littles for it. Hard to find here as not a lot of ‘32’s were sold in Australia during the depression.

Great info. Thanks!

this would have been a great opportunity to lift free t's skirt and show off those wheels. how about a 101 video on gauges? more stuff that's hot rod generally and less ford specific? nothing at all against fords!

Will be running 3.5" by 17. It's for a franken t thing. Grandpa's choice, he didn't want to give me the 16" powder coated wires with beauty rings that were in the same spot. Made me promise not to run them yellow. I was like "nope, gonna be black".

Im fitting 35 wires to me moderl A drums. I believe I need a spacer behind the wheels to tighten onto. But not sure.

A nice set of Foose or Boyd wheels on an early hotrod really set things off…..😁

would like a tutorial on 10 or 20 circuit wiring of a hot rod. how to start to finish

I like 20" Boyd Billet wheels on my hot rods.

Look out for crusty valve stem holes !

Cragars or Centerlines. Maybe Keystones, toss the rest. If you want a Hot Rod lose the excess weight and steel rims are much heavier. Plus unsprung weight makes the car harder to turn less responsive.

A hydraulic brake and spindle video would be helpful for folks.

What about the Center Hole size, I have see them cut out with a torch...

How about chrome reverse with 3” whitewall 😀

Im running wide 5s on my 36 sans hub caps for the moment

Hey guys, how do feel about widening wheels? By that I mean cutting the rim apart and adding a band to achieve a 6-8in wide rim or wider?