HIGH-FASHION WIRES No Longer an Old-School Look, Contemporary Wire Wheels Are Fast Becoming a Hot New Trend
Someone at Dayton Wire Wheels noticed a huge gap in the wheel business, and I don't mean back in 1916 (although the company certainly did then, as well), when Henry Ford's original Model T traveled America's roads on Dayton wire wheels. That was then, this is now, and it's a whole new ballgame. Dayton's rich heritage of pioneering wire wheel technology led to its innovative wheel designs becoming standard equipment for more than 30 automobile manufacturers, including the legendary Duesenberg, Cord and Auburn. Today Dayton Wire Wheels is creating more than an automotive fashion statement, as it continues to incorporate premium performance and durability measures into cool-looking wire wheels that fit more applications today, for the modern rodder, than ever before. If you are wondering if your billet wheels can be replaced with a cool looking set of wires, the answer is yes-on all counts and in all sizes. No longer must you worry about highhorsepower applications, or whether Dayton wire wheels are up to the torsional loads imposed on such a design. Independent tests have shown that the new stainless tough-laced wire wheels can withstand the same abuse as billet wheels, and they have actually outperformed some billet designs under identical overload conditions. Did you know that a Dayton wire wheel can withstand frontal impact and side loading that makes it an alternative big-tire option? Neither did we. But the video and photo results of such tests are impressive, as are the results of how round the Day tons remained under strenuous abuse. These are little known facts about wire wheels. In addition, when compressed, they bounced back when others cracked and even failed. But that's the performance aspect. There's more to owning a wheel than expecting it to be round-that's a given. Dayton knows there are cheaply made wire wheels available that can have serious problems with poor fit, lack of lasting finish and worse: structural deficiencies that are bad for the aftermarket and the image of such wheels. Inferior chrome plating, loose spokes and loose knockoffs are but a few of these problems, and when a hub adapter fits poorly, the wheel will not run true. You must be careful, as many off-brand wires are not laced to run true, let alone seal tubeless tires. All this raises the question: When was the last time you went out to the garage and checked the run-out on your present wheels, regardless of the type of wheels they are? Wheel run-out at the outer rim should be within a few thousandths of an inch on full rotation. Some say as much as 0.004-inch is acceptable. Why not check your set? Jack up the car and steady it. Mount a dial indicator on a sturdy stand of some sort and mount its pointer on the outer surface of your wheel rim. Very slowly rotate the rim one full revolution, noting the dial-indicator readings as you go, and see what you learn about your own wheels. You may be surprised to learn that not all wheels are created equal, regardless of what they are made of. All quality aftermarket wheels (don't be surprised to learn that inexpensive imports may not be) are checked for runout before leaving the factory to ensure that they are within factory tolerance (whatever that may be for each manufacturer). So, check to see what effect road use has had on your custom aluminum wheels and if yours are within acceptable tolerances. Each Dayton, as an example, is handtightened and gauged (with a dial indicator) for concentricity and run-out. The spokes are pre-loaded with even tension for durability and precise wheel alignment, and contrary to popular belief, periodic re-truing and/or retightening is not required. Wheels are, however, a fashion statement, and until now Dayton wire wheels have not generally been thought of in contemporary fashion terms, but rather more for their classic good looks on traditional street rods, old classics
Cross Lace available in 13- to 16-inch, 72-spoke chrome, with chrome knock-off or specialty hub Classic II 14- to 28-inch, with high offset, 72 to 88 spokes, available in gold or chrome Classic II - 14- to 22-inch, 72 to 88 spokes, available with contrasting painted rim and hub, stainless or painted spokes, wide choice of paint combinations and your choice of center cap Triple Cross (chrome) 13- to 20-inch, 72 to 100 spokes, with chrome plate nipples and hub center, with or without knock-offs Triple Cross 13- to 20-inch, 72 to 100 spokes, with or without knock-offs, painted rims and hub, stainless spokes and your choice of center cap.
and European sports cars. There has also been an embracing lowrider movement, which has its own style of wire wheels. And there are the classic cruisers, the full customs and the luxury automobiles that also embrace the wire wheel look. Largely, however, you expect to find such wheels on classic Italian and English sports cars, especially vintage British sports cars such as Aston Martin, Austin Healey, Allard, Jaguar, MG, Morgan and Triumph. Now you find them on more and more contemporary rods, especially those where the wheels are artfully integrated into the overall appeal of the car, such as Ashley Webb's (SEMA's Best Heritage Vehicle, awarded by Ford) beautiful hand-built Track T roadster fabricated by her dad, Dan Webb. This Webb creation incorporates a unique set of staggered Dayton wires painted a contrasting orange to the sleek black roadster. The car is a startling work of art and incorporates huge 20- inch Dayton wires on the rear and 17inch Day tons on the front. The arresting combination is used as an integral design element in the Thom Taylor penned roadster, and we couldn't imagine the car with any other style of wheel, regardless of color or finish. Of course, the more traditional wires we've come to expect are still available, and the selection and breadth of available styles and wire sizes and rim offsets are broader today than ever, and you can get them in chrome (four-layer nickelchrome plating for greater durability and corrosion resistance) or painted in vivid as well as muted colors. Stainless steel spokes, which cannot rust, have twice the fatigue resistance of chrome plated spokes. Swaged spokes, which are thicker at the hub and tapered toward the rim, provide a number of advantages. The swaging process gives the spoke a smooth, brilliant finish, provides an improved, even distribution of stress, and allows the use of more spokes for even more strength. Then there is the precise and expert polishing of all the parts, including the wheel rims, both front and back. The tubeless designs are built to guarantee a seal, yet the wheel can be disassembled and reassembled in the event of wheel and/or spoke damage. The technology incorporated by Dayton to design, engineer and manufacture these wheels in-house includes its custom designs and starts with the bolt circle and center-locating hole that is precisely machined to the original wheel specs for each vehicle. This ensures optimal, smooth running. This advanced knowledge and experience in each phase of Dayton's wheel technology is not only conducted under strict quality control, but it is the stuff that creates such specific results and is the product of such companies that have been building and continually developing such product since the turn of the century-not this century but the last century. And during that time, you can imagine the number of imitations that have cropped up-designs built to compete with the standards set by Dayton. Dayton continued to further its technology, which includes technology presently being tested to the Society of Automotive Engineers' specification J328 for fatigue resistance. So, as in life, there is a difference. Put in its own words: "In a market full of imitations, we have made it simple to distinguish true Day tons from the look a like." This has led Dayton to devise a number of wire wheel designs aimed specifically for the street rod and high-performance markets, and all are stamped or forged with the genuine Dayton logo. Designs include: The Cross Lace, available in 13- to 16- inch, 72-spoke chrome, with chrome knock-off or specialty hub; The Classic II, 14- to 28-inch, with high offset, 72 to 88 spokes, available in gold or chrome; Classic II, 14- to 22-inch, 72 to 88 spokes, available with contrasting painted rim and hub, stainless or painted spokes, wide choice of paint combinations and your choice of center cap;
THE USE OF ROBOTIC ARMS ENSURES PRECISE RIM DIMPLING FOR PROPER LOCATION AND ATTACHMENT DEPTH. THE SPOKE LOCATION AND NUMBER OF SPOKES DEPEND UPON WHEEL DIAMETER AND STYLE. THE ETCHING PROCESS IS SHOWN FOR WHEEL HUB COVERS. THE WHEEL HUBS ARE HIGHLY PRECISION-MADE COMPONENTS MADE ENTIRELY AT DAYTON. FOR PRO- TECTION, EACH WHEEL IS ETCHED WITH ITS OWN SERIAL NUMBER AND DAYTON LOGO. Triple Cross chrome, 13- to 20inch, 72 to 100 spokes, with chrome plated nipples and hub center, with or without knock-offs; Triple Cross, 13- to 20-inch, 72 to 100 spokes, with or without knockoffs, painted rims and hub, stainless spokes and your choice of center cap. Basically, there is a wire design to fit almost any look and style of street rod, and if you don't see what you like, Dayton will create one for you. You can mix and match most color codes, select from forged-steel hubs with direct-bolt or true knock-off wheels, polished stainless steel or painted spokes, and sizes ranging from 13 to 24 inches in diameter with a variety of wheel widths and rim offsets. These wheels come with a three year warranty on finish and structure, and every wheel is 100 percent made in the U.S. And, if you like the look, the wheels can be gold-plated or painted to match your paint application (code). Dayton understands the time and labor involved in any street rod project and why so much of this time is spent making every detail just so. As a result, the company believes that there is no generic wheel, and if what Dayton offers doesn't quite meet or match your style or color of car, the company will customize a wheel with specific paint to exactly match the finish of your vehicle and will include any of the options available, including cap design, which are high-strength caps in several designs and feature the Dayton name forged on the back. The adapters are also stamped with the Dayton name to ensure that only genuine Dayton adapters are used. And for you guys who wish to restore a set of original wire wheels, Dayton does that too. Dayton has a full restoration shop in-house and has created a process that can transform even the most worn wire wheels into beautiful "new" wheels. Dayton will inspect your wheels to see if they are rebuildable and will contact you before any work is performed. The wheels are first checked for straightness, hub wear and metal deterioration. If your wheels cannot be restored to original specs, this is a way
to learn what your options are. Obviously, show-quality wheels, built to 100 percent show perfection, will receive that extra attention, and all wheels are carefully checked in both lateral and radial directions. Protection against stone chips is accomplished with several coats of primer and four layers of enamel with a special advanced hardener, which also protects against further corrosion. This is a cyclical hobby we are involved in, where looks play an important role in our component selection. And if something does go out of style, you need only wait for its popularity to return. Our cars are full of revolving trends, and now that our cars are being built to such high standards, incorporating the "feel" of yesterday with the technology of today, it's little wonder that Dayton Wire Wheels has gained so much recognition among present-day custom rod builders. No longer is a traditional looking rod necessary to make proper use of such wheel designs, as they are being incorporated in a variety of styles, as opposed to well-used billet designs. This includes the high-tech oldschool look that is the result of blending what seems at first glance to be old style but with the latest in style and with sleeker proportions. Smooth is a look that complements wires, and now that wire wheels can be considered "customizable," especially with the Triple Laced designs, that too fits the challenge of creating that one-off look for a modern-looking street rod. There's no better time to let your imagination create something unique, and new-style wires may just change your present look into something altogether new. SRB Product Profile Dayton Wire Wheels Dept. SRB, 115 Compark Rd., Dayton, OH 45459, 888/559-2880, www.streetwheel.com, www.daytonwirewheels.com