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Old 06-24-2013, 10:20 PM
Pooka Pooka is offline
Pooka
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 664
Wooden spoke wheels had some give to them, and the wood itself had some flex, so given the suspension systems of the day a wooden wheel could give a better ride than a steel one over a dirt or gravel road.

Wooden wheels did need to be maintained or they would just fall apart. This was known as a sideslip and it would flip the car. Cloth tops remained popular for even large cars throughout the 1920's because it was thought that the best way to survive a sideslip was to be thrown clear of the car. You might hit a big rock and get killed, but if you stayed in the car and got rolled up into the ball of steel and wood the car would soon become death was a sure thing.

A wooden wheel needed to be reworked every two years with normal use. You could also soak them in water since they would tighten up after they dried out. I have done this with wagon wheels so I know this works. (Yeah, I really am that old.)

The last wooden wheels I know of that were offered on a production car were on the 1936 Packard. Option #209744 for those that did not like the stiffer ride of steel wheels.

And.... On rough roads wooden wheels would spring back into shape if they took a hit. Wire wheels and steel wheels would just stay bent, so many people out in the country would buy Plymouths since they offered wooden wheels as standard equipment up until 1933. (Some sources say 1934.)
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