I Found Disk Brake Wheels

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   I've had trouble finding wheels for my 57 because of the disc brakes. So this morning I looked up junk yards on the internet. I found a website where you listed the part you wanted and the junk yards emails you back. Within 5 minutes a place in Chicago emailed me ( Quality Auto Parts ) and said they had the 1980 Ford LTD 14 inch wheels with the stamping of RL2 at the valve stem. They claim no defects and no rust. The price was $120.00 a wheel including shipping. I know that sounds high but if you take off the @ $20 dollars shipping it's $100 a wheel and it's the exact part I've been looking for. I've spent 6 months searching for an RL2 wheel on Ebay and the only thing I could find was something with a 4" or more backspace at a cost of @ $75 dollars not counting shipping. As you guys know, too much backspace and the tire gets into the frame on our 57s also the tire will ride real close to the ball joints.
   I'll let you guys know how the wheels turn out. But I thought this was a marvel idea to list what you wanted on the internet and if a place has what you want they email you back. Jim
PS  Gary if you read this I also ordered a Hollander 1954-1966 Classic car restoration interchange book.

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   My wheels came in today. Seems as though the place in Chicago had to go looking all over the country for them. They found them in Arizona. They are a matched set of RL3 wheels. They have the same 3 5/8 backspace and 14" X 5.5" that I needed. These wheels have the original paint and don't have any rust on them. I could almost wipe them down with thinner and paint them. It was worth the money getting a set of wheels that fit the disc brakes and didn't have a lot of backspace. Jim

[Ford_Crazy]

Thanks for the info.  Do you know of a stock Ford 7 or 8 inch 15" steel wheel that will fit my Custom and mount a 57 Ford dog dish hub cap?  I have 6" wheels all around and would like to go to wider rims on the back without buying custom wheels.  Stockton will build them for me, but they are a bit pricey.

[JimNolan]

Crazy,
   I wouldn't have known what I needed for my car except I had a rim by chance and Gary ( Canadian_ranchero ) looked the wheel numbers up in a Hollander book and told me what they were. The 15" wheel should be easy. Wheel Viniques made me a set of 14" X 7" steel wheels that had the same face as the 57 wheel. Summit sells their wheels. I think they were about $65.00 ea. I talked to the guy at Wheel Viniques before I ordered them. I use those wheels for the back of the car. With 4 1/2" backspacing they won't fit my disc brake setup. Call Wheel Viniques. Jim
 

[cool57]

http://www.rallyamerica.com/ Try Jimmy(Wheelkid on HAMB) and his Dad, Gary, good reputation, stuff made in USA.

[JimNolan]

Guys,
 I was meaning to update this thread as to the fitment of the RL wheels I just got for my 57. They fit perfect. I bead blasted the wheels painted them and installed the WW tires on them. These 14" wheels fit the 1979-82 Ford and Mercury full size car. They have a backspacing of 3 3/8" and they are 5 1/2" wide. They also take the 10 1/8" poverty cap. Just right for the front end of a 57 with Disc Brakes. If you can find them, they fit. Jim