Roadster Wire Wheel

Hot Rod Wire Wheels

admin — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:00:59 +0000

The two worlds of wire wheels are drastically different. One side of the spectrum is all about chrome-plated finishes and factory specifications, while the hot rod side of things is all about size and fitment in relation to the car’s stance and tire sizing. Luckily, Roadster Wire Wheels handles both the restoration-style wire wheels for vehicles like Cadillac, Packard and Buick, and for customized hot rods and street rods.

You rarely see a set of chrome wire wheels on a hot rod or street rod, but it was once a very popular trend. Now, it’s all about finding the perfect hue to offset the car’s body color. Painted or powder-coated wire wheels are very popular among street rod enthusiasts. Roadster Wire Wheels offers 12 different powder-coat options for its Hot Rod Wire wheels, and seven different center cap options. When you throw in the two options for trim rings (if you choose 14-, 15- or 16-inch diameter wheels) there are all sorts of possibilities.

Roadster’s Hot Rod Wire wheels feature a 52-spoke design, and four options for bolt patterns. You can choose from 20 different sizes, ranging from 14-inch diameters to 20-inch diameters. The wheels are manufactured to accept ’32-35 Ford O.E. caps, but there are several options available through Roadster Wire Wheels.

Wire Wheels 101

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:32:21 +0000

Wire wheels were an option for many makes and models, such as the Ford Thunderbird, Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Skylark, but if you look deeper into the history of automobiles, you’ll find wire-spoke wheels were the direct replacement for wooden-spoke wheels of the early days. As time went on, wheel diameters decreased and wheel widths increased, as auto manufacturers figured out how to make its cars handle better. Compared to modern wheels, the very skinny wire wheels found on a Ford Model A seem way too fragile for everyday use, but the design was actually quite strong, even for the rough roads of the 1920’s and 1930’s.

These days, wire wheels are generally used on classic car restorations, lowriders, and hot rods. For classic car restorations, you’re likely to see a chrome-plated finish, with some sort of decorative center cap that helped identify the car. Generally this style of wire wheel has anywhere from 48 to 56 spokes, depending on the model. Ford T-Bird wire wheels had a lip-laced spoke design, while others, such as the Packard and Chrysler designs feature center-laced spoke in a double cross pattern. Roadster Wire Wheels specializes in authentic wire wheels for collector car restorations. This mainly applies to American cars, which use the four standard lug bolt patterns, rather than European cars that utilize a knock-off hub system.

While Roadster Wire Wheels does not offer any wheels for lowriders, these types of wheels are quickly identified by a large quantity of spokes and a distinct wheel offset that provides the deep-dish look. Many lowrider-style wire wheels are manufactured with a knock-off hub, rather than the conventional lug-mounting configuration. Wheels of this nature could have as many as 150 spokes and often have custom plating options.

Wire wheels for hot rods are another distinct design that stands out from the other wire wheels on the market. Roadster Wire Wheels manufactures Hot Rod Wire wheels, which are available in many sizes, from 14-inch diameters all the way up to 20-inch diameters and widths from 4-1/2 inches to 10 inches. This wide variety of sizes provides street rod builders with plenty of options when it comes to dialing in the stance and matching them with the appropriate tires. Roadster’s Hot Rod Wires are available with four lug bolt patterns (5×4.5, 5×4.75, 5×5 an 5×5.5 inches) and can be treated to powder coating with 12 color options.

Whether you’re looking for authentic wire wheels for your classic car restoration, or the perfect setup for your hot rod, Roadster Wire Wheels has a quality product that is made in the USA. Stainless steel spokes, model-specific hubs and a four-layer chrome plated finish make them the best on the market, and a great warranty backs it up.

Our Wire Wheel Warranty

admin — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:00:11 +0000

We want you to be pleased with your purchase, so Roadster Wire Wheels warrants chrome wheels and accessories to the original owner for three months from the date of purchase. Oxidation or corrosion of the finish due to improper care or adverse weather conditions is not covered by this warranty. This pertains only to the chrome-plated finish, not to the wheel’s structure. So if you, for example, notice any flaw in your Ford T-Bird Wheel, just give us a call and we will replace them.

Roadster Wire Wheels offers a structural warranty as well. It is a three year warranty from the date of purchase against defects in materials and workmanship, excluding the finish. Wheels that have been painted, powder-coated or mounted are considered used and cannot be returned. We ask that you please test fit the wheels before you mount the tires, to ensure proper fitment on your application.

Roadster Wire Wheels is not responsible for wheel failure due to improper mounting, mechanical failure or improper suspension alignment of the vehicle. It does not offer any guarantee of fitment for any particular purpose and limits its liability to the purchase price of the item.

Taking Care of your Wire Wheels

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 12:00:06 +0000

Here at Roadster Wire Wheels, we take great pride in producing the best quality wire wheels on the market, but they will require maintenance from time to time. Rust is steel’s biggest enemy, so it’s a good idea to take the necessary steps in preventing it all together. Here’s how it’s done:

Rinse your wheels with water to remove brake dust and road grime.
Wash the wheels thoroughly with a mild soap and a non-nylon brush to get rid of the remaining dirt.
Rinse the wheel a second time, making sure to wash away all soap residue.
Dry the wheel as good as you can with a very soft cotton cloth. To make sure all of the water is slung out of the nipples and spokes, drive the car a short distance (around the block).
Use silicone spray, or WD-40 on the nipple threads to prevent rust.
Do not use any abrasive cloths or polishes, as this may scratch the chrome-plated surface.

Mounting and Balancing Wire Wheels

admin — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:35:56 +0000

Roadster Wire Wheel produces wire wheels for many makes and models, so it’s important to know the basics when it comes to mounting a set of tires to your new wheels. Unless you’re trained and have the right equipment, such as a Hunter balancer, you should leave this task to the professionals. However, you can step in at any time if you think the technician isn’t taking the correct steps during the mounting and balancing process. Here are some quick tips.

When mounting a tire to the new wheel, ensure that no metal comes in direct contact with the exterior surface of the rim. Roadster Wire Wheels are plenty strong, but it doesn’t take much to scar the lip when you consider the force of the mounting machine. After the tire is mounted and inflated to the appropriate PSI, the tire needs to be balanced. At the average tire shop, this is performed with a hub-centric mount, which would be fine if your car has knock-off hubs and wheels. However, most vehicles feature wheel studs and lug nuts, most of the time in a five lug pattern, so mounting the wheel and tire to a balancing machine by its center hole does not accurately balance the tire and wheel. For classic cars especially, request that the tires be balanced with a lug-centric mount, so it’s accurately balanced.

If you order a new set of tires from Coker Tire, and match them up with a set of wheels from Roadster Wire Wheels, you can rest assured that the trained technicians will use only the best techniques when it comes to balancing your wheel and tire combination.

Model Specific Hubs

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:52:24 +0000

Some wire wheel companies offer authentic wheels for classic cars, yet they produce multi-lug hubs and generic wheels that would fit nearly any platform. Sure, the model-specific cap will pop into place, but you’re not getting the real deal, in terms of authenticity. Roadster Wire Wheels offers the most authentic wire wheel reproductions on the market, with model-specific hubs to help bring your car back to its former glory. This is especially important for Thunderbird owners, as backspacing varied through the years. When you put fender skirts into the equation, wheel sizing is a key element to fitment.

The hubs feature specific bolt patterns for your applications, and they’re treated to the same four-layer chrome plating process as the rim, so the finish is outstanding. Different makes and models featured varying spoke counts, and spoke design, so that is also taken into consideration when manufacturing our wheels. For instance, Cadillac wire wheels feature a different spoke count and design than a Thunderbird wire wheel, so we make the hub specifically to match your application. This makes for an authentic wheel that we guarantee to fit on your car!

New Chrome Plating Procedure

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:51:20 +0000

Chrome plating has been around for decades, and it’s what most car guys love the most about cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s. Chrome wire wheels were all the rage, and still are to this day. However, many wheel companies are resorting to lower quality plating processes to save money on production. Here at Roadster Wire Wheels, we’re taking a different approach by improving the quality of our wheels with a new chrome plating process.

The wheel starts as a standard steel hoop, and is polished inside and out before being treated to a nickel base plating. Then, the wheel undergoes a three-layer chrome plating process to provide a highly reflective and long lasting finish. You’ve probably seen lack-luster chrome plating that shows sanding scratches and various underlying imperfections, but you won’t find it on Roadster Wire Wheels, thanks to this new and improved plating process.

The Advantages of Stainless Steel

admin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:46:39 +0000

Whether it’s used for structural stability or simply for looks, stainless steel has many advantages over mild steel. That’s why Roadster Wire Wheels recently switched from standard steel spokes to stainless steel. This makes for a much stronger wheel that tested and professionally trued before it leave our headquarters. We chose stainless steel because it’s user-friendly and super strong, so it keeps our customers happy. In fact, we offer a 3-Year Guarantee on our wire wheels, so you don’t have to worry about the constant truing that gives wire wheels a bad name.

Another advantage of stainless steel spokes is their resistance to rust. Standard steel, even when chrome plated, rusts over time, which creates pits in the metal and eventually leads to a weaker wheel. With stainless steel spokes on all of our wire wheels, rust is no longer an issue!

ronger wheel that tested and professionally trued before it leave our headquarters. We chose stainless steel because it’s user-friendly and super strong, so it keeps our customers happy. In fact, we offer a 3-Year Guarantee on our wire wheels, so you don’t have to worry about the constant truing that gives wire wheels a bad name.