Saber Wheels

[James Mundstock: New Member]

I have a question. Most sets of sabers I have seen have been the standard two piece where the rim is steel from bead to bead and the aluminum insert rivits with the outer rim of the insert against the steel rim. The set I just bought at Hershey are different. They are two piece but the steel part is from the inside bead to the rivit area. The aluminum is the outer half of the rim with the outer bead and the aluminum overlaps the steel where the rivits are. In other words, the tire mounts on the aluminum on the outer and on the steel on the inner. Most other sets the tire never touches the aluminum. I was told this was construction for 1955 only and the fellow was a retired Cadillac dealer owner. Can anyone shed light on this. Hopefully Mike Josephic is reading this. Thanks.

[Mike Josephic #3877]

James:

The saber wheels all had the tire mounting on the aluminum side (outside rim) and the steel side (inside rim) -- this is the only way this would work as they were a two piece wheel.
Perhaps Im not understanding your question corectly. Feel free to E-Mail me at my home address (caddy2507@comcast.net) if you need more info.  Mike

[Roger Zimmermann #21015]

It seems that Mike did not understand your question...I have no direct answer to it, just a fact: I have a 56 Biarritz; when I bought it, the wheels were the wrong ones (steel). The seller gave me later 5 sabre wheels and one of them is like the one you described: the steel rim is just half the width of the wheel and the other width is like a modern aluminum wheel.
I suppose also that it was the first version of that kind of wheel; unfortunately, I have no document to prove it.

[Mike Josephic #3877]

Roger:

Perhaps I didnt understand -- maybe you can explain it to me.
I have never seen an "all steel" sabre wheel.  The all where,
to the best of my knowledge, what I would call a "hybrid"
of half aluminum (outer part), half steel (inner part) and then
riveted together.  Thats why they are so expensive to restore as they have to be taken apart for the sluminum outer shell to be properly plated and then re-riveted.  As you likely know, you cant put steel and aluminum together in the same plating bath or you will have a disaster.

Comments?

Mike

[Roger A. Zimmermann #21015]

Mike, it seems that I was not clear enough: when I got my biarritz, it has conventional steel wheels, therefore the wrong ones, but the seller promised that he would give me 5 Sabre wheels.
From the 5 Sabre wheels I got from the seller, 4 had a complete steel rim riveted to the aluminum center (with the spokes) of the wheel. The 5th one had a half steel rim; the other part of the rim was cast together with the center of the wheel. This half steel rim was also riveted to the aluminum part.
The limits for a foreign language are coming quickly apparent when I try to explain such simple things. However, I understood perfectly the initial answer as I had the chance to see both types of wheels.

[James Mundstock 23345]

Thanks for reading my question from all parties. I called Mike at Valley Wire Wheel who makes a living restoring sabers and he set me straight. I got his name from this forum. He knew exactly what I was talking about. What I have is an early set of sabers. He said part way through 1955 model year, they found it was too expensive to make the outer half aluminum and the inner half steel. They switched to a full steel rim with the aluminum center half way through and continued making them the later way through 1958. He said the early series like mine actually had an O-ring groove machined in the area where the steel slide over the aluminum in the rivit area. It takes 15 ton to press these two halves together. I will take photos of each style and email to Mike Josephic to better explain what I have been talking about. It really is difficult to describe without photos. Thanks again.

[John Morris.]

I was told, but not confirmed, that the 58 Sabre Wheel was 1 year only. Anybody know the truth on that?

[Mike Josephic #3877]

Jim:

Thanks much -- I would love to see those pictures.
BTY, Valley Wire Wheel is the best place is the U.S.
to get those redone. He does excellent work, but figure
on spending (depending on how badly pitted) about
$600 per wheel.   He did mine for my 55 Eldo.

Mike

[James Mundstock 23345]

Im glad you responded to remind me to take the photos. The price has gone up. It is now $700.00 each.