Wheel color for '61 Safari

[Marlboro Mafia]

Can anyone tell me the correct color for the wheels on my '61 Safari? It has split rims.

I have a pallet of sand at our shop and am going to blast the wheels, tongue and bumper this weekend.

Anyone know the original color of the bumper and tongue?

Thanks!

[Inland RV Center, In]

You want to paint the wheels "RED" and then throw them away in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Split ring wheels at this point and time have been deemed hazardous to life, and therefore illegal.

All to many people have been killed or severely maimed by using them.

Andy

[Marlboro Mafia]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

You want to paint the wheels "RED" and then throw them away in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Split ring wheels at this point and time have been deemed hazardous to life, and therefore illegal.

All to many people have been killed or severely maimed by using them.

Andy

Illegal where? You need to check your information. I'll paint them red and send them to you if you'll trade them for a new non-split set, otherwise does anyone know the correct color for the rims?

[Ken J]

I don't think you will get a whole lot of support for doing anything with split rims, they are very dangerous and should be disposed of.

Ken

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Marlboro Mafia

Illegal where? You need to check your information. I'll paint them red and send them to you if you'll trade them for a new non-split set, otherwise does anyone know the correct color for the rims?

I don't know if they are illegal, but it is sure hard to find a shop that will work on them. Paint your wheels gloss black and the tongue silver.

I guess I'll need to change the order for my new Bentley. The optional split wheels are gonna be a problem on a 168mph Sedan.

[Marlboro Mafia]

Ugggh!

Most of you guys are nit-pickers for originality so now I am confused.

Okay, I will take the advice of the many riveted gurus BUT, I need one more nugget of information.

Where do I get regular rims that will fit my hubs?

(I absolutely do not want tacky basket weave rims or late model stuff that will look out of place. I need rims that can be painted and then have baby moon caps.)

[InsideOut]

We have Dexter wheels, painted black. Our original baby moons were missing from the original split rim wheels when we got the trailer. We got new baby moons that fit the Dexters...

Shari

PS - we couldn't find anyone willing to put new tires on the split rims...even on 'the wrong side of town' where you can find lots of questionable activities for cash

[Marlboro Mafia]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

We have Dexter wheels, painted black. Our original baby moons were missing from the original split rim wheels when we got the trailer. We got new baby moons that fit the Dexters...

Shari

PS - we couldn't find anyone willing to put new tires on the split rims...even on 'the wrong side of town' where you can find lots of questionable activities for cash

Do you know which bolt pattern I need and what size tire? The split rims have new tires on them and I'd like to stick with the original size for appearance sake if safe. (I see on the Dexter site the plain jane rims I want.)

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Marlboro Mafia

Do you know which bolt pattern I need and what size tire? The split rims have new tires on them and I'd like to stick with the original size for appearance sake if safe. (I see on the Dexter site the plain jane rims I want.)

Other than some smaller trailers, I think that most wheels are 6 on 5 1/2 BC, 15 x 6, zero offset, 2600 lbs. Pretty common. Andy at Inland RV has them for less than $100.

You might get wheels cheaper locally, but be sure they are rated for the tire load.

A lot of people use Goodyear Matathon radials, ST225/75R15, see the website http://www.goodyear.com/rv/products/..._marathon.html

Might vary depending on your weight and number of axles.

[Ken J]

New Dexters are about 35-40 dollars each - not that much money. You should be able to take your old split rims and match them pretty easily. If you have any trouble finding rims or baby moons - pm me and I'll look through my files and get you some suppliers.

I can understand that you want to keep similar rims - I'm thinking the same thing - however, I'm told that the new alloys are much much stronger, easier to balance and are much lighter than steel - so I'm slowly, though reluctantly, thinking about alloys.

Ken

[wildcat455]

ok,, baby moons are cool, but I prefer the full wheel covers that came with muy 61 Overlander International. You can hide any modern wheel behind em. They were 56 Plymouth Belvedere full wheel hubcaps that apparently Airstream appropriated for their models untill at least '61 maybe later. If you don't believe it, my unit came with em, and they are identical to the ones picture in the Airstream rally photos i've seen. Mike

[85MH325]

FWIW, I agree with the majority here; ditch the split rims. You'll have a heck of a time finding anyone who's willing to mount tires on them anyway... Here in Iowa we have a store called Midwest Wheel www.midwestwheel.com who sells all things axle, bearing, wheel, truck, and trailer related.I'm sure you can find a similar place in your neck of the woods. If you have a concern about the offset and bolt pattern measurements, pull a tire and wheel off, and take it in to have it matched. They'll be able to find you an identical wheel.

Roger

[bredlo]

I've heard enough to realize I'd better get rid of mine as well. I bought our '64 GT out in a littel suburb outside Tacoma WA, and they didn't bat an eye putting new tires on our split rims, but I think it's just not worth it. I don't wanna be the guy who's wheels were responsible for killing some mechanic... just so I could look authentic.

Dexters with baby moons sounds close enough for me!

After all... we wouldn't want faulty-designed stoves or water heaters that were likely to explode in our trailers - just because they were "authentic", would we? We need to think the same about split rims I guess.