[Chrysler300] Grist for the wheel

["Rich Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

More grist for the wheel:

>From 1955 Chrysler Service Manual, Page 548, 549:

Tires:
Super Cushion Tubeless, 4 ply, 6 ply optional, deluxe ribbed tread; 
tire pressure 24 psi cold.
7.60x15 on 5.5" K flange (Windsors), 8.00x15 on 5.5" K flange (NY & 300),
8.20x15 on 6" L flange (Imperial), 8.90x15 on 6.5"L flange (Crown Imperial)


3.  Care of Wire Wheels (Car so equipped)  (DUHH!).

Tubeless tires are supplied as standard equipment on the 1955 Chrysler Cars,
with the exception of those cars equipped with wire wheels.  Difficulty in
sealing the rim and spoke connections makes it impractical to apply tubeless
tires to this type of wheel.

The wire wheels are also of the Safety-Rim type.  Wash the wheels frequently
with clean, cold water.  A soft brush with a wooden handle may be used.  The
wheels can be cleaned with MOPAR Chromium Polish and coated with MOPAR
Chrome Protector, if the car is driven in areas where salt is used on the
highways.  It may be necessary to true up the wheels occasionally by
adjusting the spokes, if the car is subjected to severe service.

When I received my used and rechromed wire wheels, each had a layer of
whitish synthetic silicone rubberlike material applied over the inside of
the rim, covering the ends of the spokes--ostensibly to seal the ends of the
spokes and enable use of tubeless tires.  There was a lot of light corrosion
on the inside of the rim that I wire brushed off and coated with silver
paint.  There was also light corrosion under the edges of the rubber
materials.

Currently, some are advocating using dry nitrogen in place of wet air to
pressure up tires.  It is said some racers prefer this and believe the mix
pressures up less with heat.  With two or three pressure/purge cycles, the
oxygen and moisture levels inside the tire would be reduced significantly.
Reduced oxygen and moisture could reduce corrosion of the inside of the rim
and oxidation of the inside of the tire.  Thermodynamic performance of pure
nitrogen as compared to the nominal 80% nitrogen/20% oxygen mixture of air
will not vary significantly.

It would seem that Chrysler was very aware of the corrosion problems with
their wire wheels, especially in road salt areas.

Lastly, note the nominal design pressure of the 1955 wheels and tires was 24
psi, although this was probably aimed more at a comfortable ride than
maximum wear or performance.  Tires then lasted about 10,000 miles or less.
I think most radial tires are rated at higher pressure.  This will increase
the stress on the wheels.  In order to prevent fatigue failure, stresses
must be kept at low levels and defects and damages must be prevented.
Bouncing off of curbs, potholes and road trash can generate nicks, gouges
and dents that will limit the life of the wheel. 

I've learned a lot from this dialog and hope we have not overloaded the
server with shared facts, experiences and opinion.

Be careful out there.

C-300'ly,
Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA
1955 Chrysler C-300






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